Perimenopause
What is the Perimenopause?
Perimenopause means ‘around menopause’ and refers to the time in your life leading up to menopause. This is a completely natural stage in your life during which hormone levels start to deplete and fewer eggs are made in the ovaries. Often when people talk about their experiences with menopause it is their recollection of the perimenopausal period that they are referring to. Some women don’t experience any symptoms at all, but many others do. And, in some cases, symptoms can be so severe that they interfere with daily life.
How long does Perimenopause last?
The Perimenopause lasts on average for between four and eight years, but this does vary from person to person. When you reach the point where you haven’t had a period for 12 months or more, you are officially in menopause.
Most commonly the onset of perimenopause is between 45 years and 60 years but, again, this does vary. It is not unusual for women younger than 45 years to start experiencing peri-menopausal symptoms.
What are the common symptoms of Perimenopause?
Some women experience very few symptoms whereas the vast majority of women do have some form of perimenopausal symptoms during this time in their life. Symptoms can be mild or severe. Everybody’s experience will vary greatly but some of the more commonly experienced symptoms are:
- Irregular periods
- Breast tenderness
- Weight gain
- General fatigue
- Worsening Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS)
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
- Mood Swings
- Low Libido
- Aches and painful joints/muscles
- Frequent headaches
- Hot Flushes and/or Night sweats
- Dizziness
- Vaginal Dryness
- Feeling depressed
- Problems with memory and concentration (often referred to as Brain Fog)
How can the symptoms of Perimenopause be treated?
At Aeternum Aesthetics, our Specialist Nurse can provide effective treatment for your perimenopausal symptoms using bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) to help restore the depleted hormone levels that are triggering your symptoms. Many women prefer bioidentical hormone replacement therapy as an alternative to HRT as the doses are much more tailored to the individual meaning that many women feel much better as a result and experience far fewer side effects than traditional HRT.
Not only do we create a bespoke treatment plan with tailored bioidentical hormones, but we also consider your overall health including nutrition and lifestyle. Your treatment plan is tailored exactly to your needs to achieve the optimum hormonal balance.
