While menopause doesn’t begin for most women until around the age of 50, many women will begin experiencing pre-menopause symptoms as early as their late 30’s or early 40’s. These pre-menopause symptoms are simply a sign that the estrogen levels in the body are decreasing, giving you a chance to prepare for the “change of life” that is to come. When pre-menopause or perimenopause transitions to actual menopause, the ovaries will actually stop producing eggs completely, and the menstrual cycles will end for good. However, the year or two prior to this event can accelerate the pre-menopause symptoms, and you may experience many of the signs of menopause during this time.

Signs of the “Change”

There are a number of pre-menopause symptoms that you might experience, but one of the most common is a change to your regular monthly cycle. You may see periods that are heavier or lighter than usual, or the usual 28 day span may get lengthened or shortened. If you experience heavy periods with clotting or spotting in between periods or after intercourse, you should see your doctor, since these are not typical pre-menopause symptoms. You might also experience your first hot flashes, which can be pre-menopause symptoms when they occur early on. Other symptoms might be vaginal dryness, a decrease in your libido, breast tenderness or bladder issues.

Just as women that go through menopause at the average age, women experiencing pre-menopause symptoms will find that most of these complaints are the result of a drop in estrogen levels. Unfortunately, this hormonal drop can also raise the risk of other health conditions like osteoporosis, periodontal disease and some cancers like ovarian and colon cancer. Because of these risk factors, you will need to work closely with your doctor to alleviate some of these risks through regular health screenings and possible nutritional supplementation. 

pre menopause symptoms can be scary for many women to experience, but your doctor can help you to manage the more uncomfortable symptoms and prepare you for what lies ahead. Keeping your pre-menopause symptoms in check will be the first step on the road to better health after menopause.

Find additional information on menopause visit Menopause Memory Loss and also Bleeding After Menopause

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 10th, 2009 at 4:57 pm and is filed under Fertility. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.