Perimenopause is the time in a woman’s life as her body draws closer to the menopause. It manifests as irregular menstruation as a woman’s ovary functions decline over time.
Perimenopause and its symptoms can vary from woman to woman and on average will last for three to five years. While that’s the average, it is by no means a rule of thumb; some women report their perimenopause lasting 3 months, while others experience perimenopause for 10 years. These symptoms may look like heavy periods or hot flashes, but some women also don’t report any symptoms at all.
But what hormone is lacking during the perimenopause, and why is it different for every woman?
As the ovaries decline in function, the hormone they make known as estrogen will rise and fall, leading to a variety of symptoms since the body is consistently changing, causing irregular periods, trouble sleeping, and low moods. Other hormones gradually decline towards the menopause, including progesterone and testosterone, while DHEA declines rapidly from one’s last regular period.
There are as many as 13 million women in the UK experiencing the perimenopause, each experiencing it differently from the next. Most commonly, a woman will experience hot flashes, also known as vasomotor symptoms, that can vary in intensity.
As seen in the graph below, perimenopause sees a drop in many important hormones up until a woman’s final period.
Once she’s experienced a full year without menstruating, a woman is no longer in the perimenopause but has reached menopause. Despite the symptoms being very similar, most doctors do not treat perimenopause symptoms.
What are the main symptoms of perimenopause?
Just like the menopause, symptoms of perimenopause stem from irregular levels of estrogen. These symptoms include:
Hot flashes
Vaginal dryness
Night sweats
Irritability
Low moods
Troubles with concentration
Here at Bodyline Clinic, we don’t want women jumping through hoops to improve their life quality and prevent their debilitating perimenopause symptoms. That’s why we offer treatments at all stages of the change.
Menopause is the natural biological process that comes at the end of a woman's reproductive years, where her hormones have decreased. Estrogen, progesterone, DHEA and testosterone levels gradually decrease during the perimenopause, and drop dramatically as a woman reaches the menopause.
With equality, diversity, and inclusion evermore present in corporate agendas, discussions surrounding health policies for women are long overdue. Periods, pregnancy, and menopause are (generally) inevitable in women’s lives, and it’s time employers had wider conversations about the way their companies allow for them.
Since a third of the UK female population is going through the menopause, and women make up 50%, it’s incredibly important for employers to start considering support for menopause treatments for their employees.
