Women's Health Program

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Learning More About Perimenopause

May 29th, 2011

What is perimenopause and how does it differ from the more familiarly known menopause? When can a woman start to experience perimenopause and what symptoms can she expect? Is perimenopause something that all women will face? Perimenopause is actually the stage that occurs before a woman goes into menopause. This transitional period is often expected to happen when a woman enters her 40s but is also known to occur as early as a woman’s 30s in some cases.

Signs and Symptoms of Perimenopause

The start of perimenopause in a woman is actually a sign that her ovaries are slowly decreasing their estrogen production. This can last until a woman actually begins her menopausal years, the time when her ovaries stop producing and releasing eggs. The signs and symptoms that are experienced by women who undergo perimenopause include the following:

Changes in sex drive and other sex related changes. Included in the symptoms that a woman may experience is a drop in her libido and the possibility of vaginal dryness as well as discomfort during sex.

A noticeable increase in period related problems. When a woman begins to experience irregular periods when they are used to regular monthly periods and when she experiences such period related problems like increased breast tenderness and an increase in premenstrual syndrome symptoms, it is possible that she is undergoing perimenopause.

Mood swings and hot flashes. These are symptoms that are usually associated with menopause, and women who are undergoing perimenopause can also expect to undergo these symptoms as well.

Urinary problems. A woman can also experience urinary problems when they are experiencing perimenopause. Included in the symptoms are urinary leakage when a woman coughs or sneezes and the need to go and urinate more often than they are used to.

Fatigue and sleeping problems. Fatigue and a marked difficulty in getting to sleep is also another one of the symptoms associated with perimenopause.

How Long Can a Woman Suffer from Perimenopause?

Women who find that they are experiencing the above-mentioned symptoms can actually expect to go through these for a period of between a few months to a few years. Some women can experience perimonopausal symptoms that can last for as long as 10 years or for as short as a mere few months. The average length of time a woman can expect to experience perimenopause is around 4 years. Perimenopause symptoms end when a woman has been through a year of menopause or when she has had a year without her period.

How to Minimize the Discomfort of Perimenopausal Symptoms

There are ways to help reduce the discomfort that a woman can experience when going through perimenopause. One of the things that women can do when they are suffering from hot flashes associated with this phenomenon is to take low-dose birth control pills. This can be done for a short period. Another method is to take progesterone injections. These should only be done with the advice of a gynecologist to avoid complications and other problems.

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How to Properly Talk with Your Doctor about Menopause

May 28th, 2011

Some women find the issue of menopause rather difficult to address when they need to ask their doctor about it and about what they need to do when menopause begins to wreak havoc on their system and on their lives. Some women even find it difficult to ask about solutions to the many problems that menopause can bring about. How does one talk about menopause with their doctor and what questions should be asked? When should a woman ask her doctor about this phenomenon and should she ask long before symptoms even emerge or should she just ask about this when she starts going through it?

How to Broach the Subject with Your Doctor

The topic of menopause should not be difficult when talking with your doctor if you are comfortable with your medical practitioner. One of the things you need to remember when you talk about menopause is that it is not an illness or a disease. It is a condition that women go through at a certain age and you can experience certain symptoms that can make life somewhat difficult. What you need to think about when you need to address the subject of menopause with your doctor is the fact that they know what needs to be done to help ease the discomfort a woman feels with menopause. Thinking of the subject in this light will make it somewhat easier for you to open up about the topic of menopause – how to alleviate the discomfort that symptoms bring about and what to expect when you are going through this stage to help you better prepare for it.

What to Ask Your Doctor

For you to be able to ask your doctor about what to expect and what to do when menopause starts to show signs that it may be starting, here are some tips you might want to follow:

Make a list of the questions that you might want your doctor to answer. Making a list of your concerns and your questions will give you better insight on what menopause is and what you might expect from it.

Make another list of the symptoms you are feeling should you feel that your menopause is starting. Try to be as detailed as possible so that your doctor can give you concise advice on what you might need to do to help ease the discomfort that these symptoms are causing.

Give your doctor a thorough accounting of your activities (sexual or otherwise), your diet, your medical and sexual history, and what medications you are taking as well as what supplements you are ingesting and what allergies you have. A history of alcoholism and drug use must also be shared with your doctor for him to give you a thorough diagnosis and don’t forget to talk about other doctors that may have treated you in the past as well.

If tests are to be administered, ask questions about these as well. How long these take, what preparations need to be made, any side effects these tests may have and when to expect the results.

Try to go to your doctor with some moral support. Have your spouse, close friend, or family member come with you to help understand some of the points your doctor might bring up.