What is the menopause and perimenopause?
We are born with our lifetime's worth of eggs and follicles in our ovaries; they are used over our lifetime and reduce in number with with age until (a) we have none left, (b) we stop ovulating and (c) stop having periods.
The menopause is a retrospective diagnosis defined as not having had a period for a year or a surgical menopause if you've had a hysterectomy.
The perimenopause is the 10 years before menopause when you hormone levels start imperceptibly changing.
The menopause is a retrospective diagnosis defined as not having had a period for a year or a surgical menopause if you've had a hysterectomy.
The perimenopause is the 10 years before menopause when you hormone levels start imperceptibly changing.
How do I know if I am perimenopausal, menopausal or post menopausal?
Menopause is like looking at a box of chocolates and realising you have eaten them all; suddenly you realise that you have not had a period for a year and yes that's it! Post menopause begins after that year. The perimenopause is the gradual build up to this point and often the hardest for women to recognise and therefore address in themselves.
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I am too young, I am through that now, I am too old to worry about that now.
Many women get symptoms in their early 40s. These symptoms will often be (i) difficulty sleeping or staying asleep, (ii) increasing anxiety, (iii) back and joint pains, (iv) palpitations, (v) headaches or worsening migraines, (vi) plantar fasciitis, (vii) allergies, (viii) dry skin, (ix) brain fog, (x) hair and (xi) nail changes.
Women are often misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndromes, anxiety, depression and have rheumatology referrals with little-to-no findings. Some women think they are developing dementia with the brain fog, poor memory, poor concentration and losing words. Worsening PMS type symptoms with irritability, low mood, mood swings, panic attacks are also common as part of the perimenopause.
In the years before menopause, some months your ovaries are doing well to produce follicles and oestrogen and other during other months they are really not...it's a hormonal roller coaster ride! Some months you are fine and others you are not and it's hard to spot a pattern or to see the wood for the trees.
Some women sail through the menopause without symptoms of hot flushes etc., so they don't feel the need for HRT or have pushed through it. What we need to look at in these women is the long term health and implications of an oestrogen deficiency particularly on bone health and osteoporosis.
At all stages women can experience reduced sex drive, painful sex, vaginal irritation and body image changes.
Some women do not experience symptoms like vaginal dryness and atrophy or urinary symptoms until 10 years after the menopause. These can still be treated.
The classic presentation will be recurrent urine infection presentations that are inconclusive when tested, but may be in fact due to reduced oestrogen levels.
Bladder frequency, urgency and leakage can all be impacted by decreasing oestrogen and can be addressed with treatment...not just a pad.
Women are often misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndromes, anxiety, depression and have rheumatology referrals with little-to-no findings. Some women think they are developing dementia with the brain fog, poor memory, poor concentration and losing words. Worsening PMS type symptoms with irritability, low mood, mood swings, panic attacks are also common as part of the perimenopause.
In the years before menopause, some months your ovaries are doing well to produce follicles and oestrogen and other during other months they are really not...it's a hormonal roller coaster ride! Some months you are fine and others you are not and it's hard to spot a pattern or to see the wood for the trees.
Some women sail through the menopause without symptoms of hot flushes etc., so they don't feel the need for HRT or have pushed through it. What we need to look at in these women is the long term health and implications of an oestrogen deficiency particularly on bone health and osteoporosis.
At all stages women can experience reduced sex drive, painful sex, vaginal irritation and body image changes.
Some women do not experience symptoms like vaginal dryness and atrophy or urinary symptoms until 10 years after the menopause. These can still be treated.
The classic presentation will be recurrent urine infection presentations that are inconclusive when tested, but may be in fact due to reduced oestrogen levels.
Bladder frequency, urgency and leakage can all be impacted by decreasing oestrogen and can be addressed with treatment...not just a pad.
What next?
Book an appointment with us at the Hormone Health Clinic and we can provide advice and support on what you may need and what would be suitable for you. We will send you a medical history questionnaire, a symptom survey and then book an up to hour long appointment to discuss all this with you and outline your choices.
We can also prescribe your HRT on a private prescription if needed. Once the HRT dose is right we can also discuss adding in testosterone if it would be beneficial to you.
We can also prescribe your HRT on a private prescription if needed. Once the HRT dose is right we can also discuss adding in testosterone if it would be beneficial to you.