Do You Need Medication for Perimenopause?
Perimenopause, which is the time that makes way for your last female cycle, can also be an exciting hormonal journey.
According Mayoclinic.org, Perimenopause means "before menopause" and refers to the time when your body is making normal changes leading up to menopause, indicating the end of conception.
The menopausal transition (perimenopause) is the period between the unexpected start of your monthly cycle, and the last time you became pregnant. These periods are indicated by the difference in reproductive hormones.
Perimenopause does bring with it an array of ominous signs, it shouldn't control your life. There are a number of steps you can take to experience your best during this stage.
Perimenopause occurs some time before menopause. This is the point at which the ovaries slowly start to make less estrogen. It begins in women in their 40s or older, but can also begin in their 30s, or earlier.
Perimenopause continues to advance until menopause occurs, when the ovaries stop producing eggs. Your ovaries are closing, but the cycle takes some time.
For some women, perimenopause is almost unrecognizable, but for others, the side effects are depressing.
Perimenopause can last a long time overall, but sometimes it's as little as a few months. In the remainder of the long perimenopausal period, estrogen decline accelerates, and women experience the side effects of menopause, while still menstruating.
Perimenopause means before menopause, and denotes the time during which your body sheds the typical changes leading up to menopause, signifying the end of a year of regeneration, this is called the progression of menopause.
Women experience perimenopause at different ages. You may also notice warning signs that signal menopause such as menstrual anomalies in your 40s. However, some women find the modification timely in their mid-30s.
Estrogen, a hormone that is indispensable in the female body, fluctuates erratically during perimenopause. Menstrual cycles can also lengthen or shorten, and women can also start experiencing premenstrual cycles, in which the ovaries don't release eggs (ovulation).
You may also have menopause-like symptoms, such as hot flashes, problems relaxing, and vaginal dryness. Medicines are available to help you manage these side effects.
What Are Perimenopause Causes?
Females are gifted with a number of eggs in each ovary. As you enter adolescence, the larger intelligence centers responsible for the onset of puberty begin to mature and emerge in a coordinated manner. The menstrual cycle begins, and once a month, one of the ovaries releases an egg, which can also be fertilized in the event of sexual intercourse, at which time the egg can become an embryo.
If fertilization does not occur, the single-celled ovum will degenerate and die in the abdominal cavity. Without the fertilization of the egg, the lining of the uterus sheds approximately two weeks after ovulation. This cycle repeats every month, unless there is pregnancy.
As a woman ages, her ovaries grow to the point where they run out of eggs. At this point, ovulation may be erratic as well. The effects of these irregular bleeding episodes may be severe and unpredictable.
Throughout a normal menstrual cycle, hormones are produced from the ovaries in the proper order. It can cause some side effects which may also be unpredictable.
When the ovary appears as a depleted egg, and the episodes of bleeding appear erratic, there are changes in the volume and frequency of ovarian hormone production, which can cause several bodily manifestations.
The length of time when thinning of the ovaries causes irregular bleeding, and the different signs associated with it, is called "perimenopause".
How Long Does Perimenopause Last?
The duration of each progressing phase of menopause can change for each woman. The main sign is your menstrual disturbance.
For some women, your periods start earlier, or later than normal. For example, if your cycle is a consistent 28 days, during perimenopause, your period could come ahead of schedule, by as late as 21 or 35 days. Some women start to miss their periods altogether and then have heavier periods than usual when they do.
The normal duration is 4 years, but for certain women, this stage can last for several months, or longer.
Perimenopause closes when a woman has gone one year without having a period.
However, if there are medications or illnesses that can affect menstruation, it may be more difficult to pinpoint the specific phase of the menopausal transition.
Do You Know What Are The Perimenopause Symptoms?
During perimenopause, women may find a variety of indications. The explanation: The ovaries are already making estrogen, since you're having your first period.
During perimenopause, the intake of estrogen is greatly reduced. Your body needs to adjust to working with fewer chemicals, depriving you of estrogen.
Irregular periods.
Because ovulation is less predictable, the time between periods may also be longer, or shorter, your periods may also be light or heavy, and you may miss some periods as well.
If you experience a chronic change of seven days, or more, in the size of your menstrual cycle, you may also have premature perimenopause.
Irregular intervals often occur during the perimenopausal period. However, unique circumstances can cause changes in menstrual bleeding.
If any of these situations happen to you, see your doctor to rule out a different cause:
- You see between periods.
- Your intervals look closer.
- You have very heavy periods, or you have blood clots.
- Your intervals last for days without stopping or they are longer than usual.
- You've been feeling it after sex.
Causes of normal bleeding include pill opening manipulation, hormonal problems, pregnancy, fibroids, or blood clotting problems.
Mood swings.
Mood swings, irritability or prolonged risk of depression, may also occur during perimenopause. The meaning of these signs and symptoms may also include sleep disturbances related to hot flashes. Mood adjustments can also be caused by factors unrelated to the hormonal changes of perimenopause.
Sleeping Problems and Hot flashes
Hot flashes radiate throughout perimenopause. The intensity, dimensions and frequency are varied. Trouble sleeping is in most cases caused by heat, or night sweats.
Bladder and vaginal problems
As estrogen levels fall, your vaginal tissue also loses lubrication and elasticity, making intercourse painful. Low estrogen can also make you more susceptible to vaginal or urinary tract infections. Loss of tissue tone can also result in urinary incontinence.
Reducing fertility.
When ovulation becomes irregular, your chances of getting pregnant diminish. However, as long as you are having your period, you can get pregnant. If you want to avoid pregnancy, use contouring manipulation until you are not twelve months apart.
Loss of bone density.
With decreased levels of estrogen, you begin to lose bone density more rapidly, increasing your risk of osteoporosis - a disease that causes bones to become brittle.
Change cholesterol levels.
Decreasing estrogen levels can also cause damage to the adjustment of your blood cholesterol levels, which consists of increasing "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol - which contributes to an increased the risk of coronary heart disease.
At the same time, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol decreases in many women, as the woman ages, which also increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
Perimenopause Management
Perimenopausal women have irregular periods, which can cause heavy bleeding and cramping. It can be treated with low dose oral contraceptive pills.
The oral contraceptive pill has been devised to limit some of the results of the decreased hormone levels associated with menopause. Examples include reduction of bone loss and safety against endometrial and ovarian cancers.
Consider Hormone Replacement Treatment
Medication can help, if your signs and symptoms appear as anything out of the ordinary.
There are medications for hot flashes, and estrogen replacements, but they have side effects, so it's important that you consult with your doctor to see if these medications are right for you. Incidental effects will be calculated based on the type of hormone therapy you use.
Increases the Risk of Breast Cancer
Take estrogen and progesterone for over five years. Professionals usually recommend using chemical drugs as a non-permanent "personal satisfaction enhancer," and try to discontinue the drug after four or five years.
If you prefer not to take hormonal medications to relieve your symptoms, your doctor may suggest medications that do not contain chemicals that help with night sweats and hot flashes.
Summary
Menopause, perimenopause, and postmenopause are the stages in a woman's life when the month-to-month periods stop. Perimenopause is the foundational stage in this cycle and can begin eight to ten years before menopause. Menopause is a time when a woman no longer experiences menstruation. The phase after menopause is known as postmenopausal.
Your doctor makes a perimenopause diagnosis based on your symptoms. Blood tests for chemical levels can also be helpful, but your chemistry levels change at some point in perimenopause. It may be more helpful to have several blood tests done on various occasions.