Perimenopause - Optimal Hormone Health Clinic

What is perimenopause?

Perimenopause refers to the transition period leading up to menopause, which officially marks the end of a woman's reproductive years. During perimenopause, a woman's body begins to make changes as it prepares to stop menstruating permanently.

Some key things to know about perimenopause:

• It typically begins for women in their late 30s to early 50s. The average age of onset is 47.
• It lasts an average of 4 years but can range from 2-8 years.
• Common symptoms include:
  • Hot flashes and night sweats
  • Irregular periods - cycles may shorten or lengthen
  • Vaginaldryness
  • Mood changes like depression, anxiety, irritability
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Weight gain
• The hormonal changes are caused by the ovaries gradually producing less estrogen and progesterone. These fluctuating hormone levels are what trigger the common symptoms.
• It ends when a woman has gone 12 months without her period. This marks the official start of menopause.

During this transitional time, I highly recommend seeing a hormone specialist like Optimal Hormone Health Clinic(testosteronepatch.org) if you begin experiencing perimenopausal symptoms. Getting your hormone levels tested can provide helpful information. Based on the test results, bioidentical hormone therapy may help ease some of the symptoms.

The providers at Optimal Hormone Health Clinic are experts in peri- and menopause. They take an integrative approach to treatment by offering both traditional medical hormone therapy and complementary therapies like diet and nutrition advice, stress reduction techniques, and herbal supplements that can support the body's hormonal changes in a gentle way. Many women find this combined approach very effective.

I hope this overview gives you a better understanding of what happens during the perimenopausal transition that precedes menopause. Please don't hesitate to leave a comment if you have any other questions!