Menopause marks the end of a woman's reproductive years with a significant decrease in hormones. The definition of menopause is when a woman hasn't had a period for 12 months or more. But what isn't as known is that menopause has different stages before and after the transition. Two of these stages are premenopause and perimenopause.
UNDERSTANDING PREMENOPAUSE
Premenopause is the time frame before officially going into perimenopause and menopause. It varies from woman to woman, but typically, most health organizations state it can start in a woman's 30s and 40s or at least 8-10 years before menopause.
Premenopause is the same as perimenopause in that the ovaries produce less estrogen, but the symptoms of this decrease aren't noticeable to the body. You're not having any of the hallmark signs of perimenopause since the drop in estrogen isn’t as severe.
UNDERSTANDING PERIMENOPAUSE
Perimenopause is before menopause, usually in the decade preceding official menopause.
Women still have periods in perimenopause, but they may be irregular and vary in strength and length. For example, a typical length of menstruation was 5-7 days for many years, then it becomes shorter one month and longer the next. Ovaries produce less estrogen in some months, so this affects period lengths.
SYMPTOMS OF PERIMENOPAUSE
Women experience different symptoms at different intensity levels, but here is a list of common perimenopausal symptoms.
- Irregular periods
- Fertility issues for women trying to become pregnant
- Weight gain
- Headaches
- Increased premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
- Hair changes
- Breast tenderness
- Lighter or heavier periods
- Muscle aches
- Forgetfulness
- Urinary tract infections (UTI)
- Loss of sex drive
- Heart palpitations
- Hot flashes
-
Night sweats
The drop in estrogen causes these symptoms, but it's important to note that women can still become pregnant. Estrogen is lower, but having a period means that an egg ready for fertilization is dropped from the ovaries in expectation of becoming fertilized. If this isn't the desired outcome, you will still need to use a birth control method to stop pregnancy. Also women who want to become pregnant may find it harder or have difficulties sustaining a pregnancy.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PREMENOPAUSE AND PERIMENOPAUSE
Premenopause is a drop of estrogen without experiencing the symptoms of perimenopause. You're noticeably experiencing symptoms in perimenopause, and the hormonal changes are more drastic.
The early 50s is the average age that women go through menopause, but this is variable and some women enter menopause in their mid to late 30s. Also perimenopause symptoms are reported 8-10 years before actual menopause. The symptoms become even more noticeable 4-5 years before menopause.
As noted above, some women can have perimenopause symptoms in their 30s and may struggle with fertility. This can come from genetics, lifestyle habits, and certain medical conditions.
MEDICAL AND LIFESTYLE INTERVENTIONS
Treatment for perimenopause and menopause usually combines hormone therapy and dietary changes. Hormone therapy comes in different forms.
Estrogen hormone replacement therapy includes estrogen-like molecules that naturally replace the missing hormone from your body. It is sometimes called bioidentical hormone therapy due to its mimicking power.