Home Remedies and Herbs for Perimenopause

Perimenopause is a condition that occurs in women around the menopause stage of life.It’s a period when the body is naturally transitioning into menopause meaning that the woman’s reproductive years are ending. Perimenopause is also referred to as menopause transition.¹ Different women start menopause at different ages. Typically, initial signs of perimenopause begin in the 40s. However, some women may first notice menopausal changes in their mid 30s. ¹ During perimenopause, the level of estrogen in a woman’s body starts fluctuating. It rises and falls unevenly and, as a result, can start to produce perimenopause symptoms that affect different parts of the body, particularly the menstrual cycle.¹ The perimenopause stage concludes and reaches full menopause after the woman has experienced 12 straight months without a menstrual cycle.¹

What Causes Perimenopause?

Perimenopause causes are completely natural as this is a normal part of aging for woman. As women progress through perimenopause, the level of estrogen and progesterone fluctuates as they are moving out of their healthy reproductive years.² For the most part, the perimenopause symptoms that women experience are due to an overall decrease in estrogen production. Estrogen is the female hormone that is responsible for controlling the menstrual cycle.² Though perimenopause is a normal phase of each woman’s life, some women experience it earlier than others. Risk factors that may contribute to early perimenopause causes include:²

• Family history
• Smoking
• Past cancer treatments in the pelvic area
• Having had a hysterectomy

Perimenopause Symptoms

Perimenopause symptoms range for each woman. Some women experience slight or subtle changes, while other women experience sudden and extreme changes. Typically, perimenopause symptoms begin with a change in menstrual cycles with the start of irregular periods. This is because the ovulation period of the cycle becomes more irregular, which produces either shorter or longer periods.² Other perimenopause symptoms include:²

• Hot flashes
• Mood changes
• Vaginal changes and painful intercourse
• Bladder problems, including incontinence
• Lowered fertility
• Diminished sexual drive
• Bone loss
• Changes in cholesterol levels, including an increase in bad cholesterol

Perimenopause can produce complications like extremely heavy menstrual bleeding or more frequent periods. There are many perimenopause natural treatments that can help manage and control perimenopause symptoms.²

References

1. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/perimenopause/home/ovc-20253772
2. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/perimenopause/symptoms-causes/dxc-20253775