Has it ever happened to you? If you didn’t read my weekly email, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about. All the more reason to sign up for my weekly blog post…..Anyway…..
Has your period ever just shown up out of the blue? Caused you to ruin a perfectly good pair of jeans? Altered romantic weekend plans? Or just interfered with your routine day?
Yep. Happens to the best of us. More so in us women in our forties or early fifties. You know how it is….periods skipping months at a time, occasionally coming multiple times a month. Spotting in between periods. I haven’t even addressed the hot flashes, or night sweats. All this, you guessed it, is peri-menopause. Here are my
Top 5 Facts You Need To Know About Peri-menopause:
It’s a sign that your ovarian function is starting to wax and wane. Hence, the above mentioned symptoms; i.e., skipping periods, sometimes months at a time. Hot flashes, night sweats. Spotting in between periods. Periods that are really heavy, occasionally light.
You are NOT in menopause until you have gone an entire year without a period. So, even if you have gone for 10 months without a period, if your period returns prior to the year mark, the calendar resets and you’re back to day one. In other words, your new year mark would now be from the date of your most recent period.
PLEASE make sure you are practicing safe sex. Whether that involves some sort of contraception such as condoms, iuds, or even a low dose oral contraceptive pill(more of you are candidates than you think), just make sure you are using something. I can count on one hand the number of women I see annually with an unexpected pregnancy because no one believes “It can happen to them!” Trust me. “It can happen to you!”
Peri-menopause can last, on average, for 5 years. A good rule of thumb is to ask your mom or older sister how old they were when they started making “the transition”, and how long their symptoms lasted. These things tend to be genetic, and a quick chat with your female family members might give you some clue about what you have to look forward to. Can’t wait, right?!?!?
This to shall pass! Quality of life is HUGELY important and is my determining factor for when it might be time to consider some sort of intervention. Whether it be to address periods that are lifestyle altering(so heavy you can’t go to work or hang out with your girlfriends), or hot flashes that are preventing you from getting an adequate amount of rest at night. At this time, you might have to start looking for estrogen supplements to support a good hormonal balance and prevent any health issues that may arise. There are many things you can do to support the transition of your body and remain healthy. There’s no need to worry, however. You have options. Chat with your OBGYN about things you can do to help temper the symptoms, or simply ask me!
Hoping this blog post has added value to you day! Click here to listen to The Ask Dr. Angela Podcast on peri-menopause.
Until next time,
Look Better. Feel Better. Be Better.
Dr. Angela
