5 Early Signs of Menopause (Perimenopause)
All through our lives as women, we’ve had to contend with OUR PERIODS.
Years of
- aches and moods - managing daily activities
- making sure we have hygiene supplies - And keeping track of our cycle for pregnancy
planning
The knowledge that it will all come to an end one day
Can bring with it a sense of curiosity, anxiety, Even relief.
After all, the loss of our periods also signifies aging.
With that, the demand to embrace time naturally and gracefully.
It’s called menopause. A new chapter of changes.
Changes that we may be able to manage better if we knew what to expect.
Hi! Welcome to the Women’s Wellness Channel. Come take a pause with us as we share with
you 5 Early Signs of Menopause.
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Now back to the topic.
“Menopause” is a word that comes from the Greek
'menos', meaning month, and 'pause', meaning to stop.
Hence, menopause is simply “the stop of our monthly cycle.”
50 is the magic age we all watch out for But menopause can start as early as 40.
And, due to certain factors, it can also happen prematurely to women in
their 30s.
The time between the first signs of menopause To losing your period altogether
is called PERIMENOPAUSE, with the prefix “peri” meaning “around.”
Perimenopause is a transition that can take years.
And it is also the time when the noticeable signs begin to emerge.
This is when your - reproductive cycles gradually slow down
as the female reproductive hormone estrogen decreases.
- Your ovaries stop working, and eggs are depleted.
From having been born with up to 1 million eggs in our ovaries.
By menopause we could be left with as little as 1000.
This is a function of years of menstruation and aging.
All these things happening inside are bound to make us feel things on the outside.
Knowing the signs will be a big help in preparing you —
providing you with ways to adapt and cope.
We’re running down 5 Early Signs of Menopause just for you:
SIGN NUMBER 5: HOT FLASHES
Heat radiating on the skin, neck, and face Sweating
Increased heart rate Disrupted sleep
A hot flash can last from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.
The first time you experience a hot flash can be such a surprise.
Women report being bewildered, and even frightened. It CAN be mistaken for a panic attack.
And is one of the earliest symptoms that you are perimenopausal.
To manage your hot flashes, go ahead and equip yourself with anything that can
cool you down.
Wear light clothing, have cool drinks on hand, even carry a fan around.
SIGN NUMBER 4: MOOD CHANGES With all the ups and downs of the menopausal
transition, Your mood is sure to follow.
You may find yourself getting more lethargic
irritable even prone to depression
Mindfulness exercises, hobbies, and a supportive community
are great ways for you to keep your spirits up.
SIGN NUMBER 3: LOW SEX DRIVE The youthful highs of our sex drive is attributed
to the high levels of estrogen in our bodies.
Decreasing levels of estrogen lower the sex drive.
Your body is now signaling that your reproductive days are about to be over.
Loss of estrogen also lowers blood flow to the vagina and erogenous zones.
Vaginal tissues thin and lose elasticity.
This is the reason why many women suddenly find touching
and sex uncomfortable, even painful. It’s also another reason why perimenopausal
women are more prone to Urinary tract infections, vaginal irritation,
and incontinence.
SIGN NUMBER 2: BODY & HEALTH CHANGES Body aches and back pains,
joint stiffness, loss of strength in the muscles
Weight gain
We chalk it up to aging but, for women, our health is also
dependent on our estrogen levels. Lower estrogen, higher health risks.
Imagine just what this female hormone does for our bodies:
It contributes to the production and maintenance of calcium
in women’s bones lubrication and protection from swelling in
our joints and reducing bad cholesterol and increasing
good cholesterol in our liver.
Now that we know, getting ahead of our diet and nutrition could mitigate the risks of
arthritis osteoporosis
And heart disease, Among others.
—————————- Before we count down to the #1 Early Sign
of Menopause, we hope you’re learning a lot from this
video. Because we want to offer you more insight,
here’s a gift for you. The impact of perimenopause on our moods and
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Now back to our topic. ——————————————
SIGN NUMBER 1: IRREGULAR PERIODS
The top sign that you may already be in perimenopause is your PERIOD.
After all the years having to regularly deal with it,
it’s as if your own body is now rebelling against you!
Because estrogen levels are now off balance, so are your menstrual cycles.
You’ll experience heavy OR light flow
shorter OR longer period days Unpredictable OR longer times between cycles
When your periods start getting less frequent — Until it fully stops for an entire year
— Then you can say that you’re through the
transition.
——————
There you have it, we’ve come full cycle from the start of this video.
From period to period.
You may be asking, though, this one question — when should I expect perimenopause to
begin?
Depending on your genes and other factors, most experts do say that the earlier you had
your first period, it’s likely your last one will come earlier
as well.
The best thing for you to be is to remain conscious of the possibility.
Perimenopausal symptoms can be concerning and surprising.
They can also be subtle and before you know it, have crept up on you.
The only way around it, really, is through.
For any concerns, your doctor would have the best answers.
Make it a lifelong habit to stay informed and always ask the experts.
To end, we at Women’s Wellness Channel want to point out
just how wonderful and full this life as a woman can be.
We believe that you got this, girl! Every step is a new adventure to embrace and
enjoy.
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and we hope to see you again, soon!
————- References:
1.) E K Bjelland, S Hofvind et al. The relation of age at menarche with age at natural menopause:
a population study of 336 788 women in Norway. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5972645/#:~:text=It%20remains%20uncertain%20whether%20age,or%20they%20report%20no%20association.
2) Bernard LHarlow, & Lisa BSignorello. Factors associated with early menopause. Science Direct.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037851220000092X
3) Menopausal Health Center. WebMD https://www.webmd.com/menopause/default.htm