Comparing Perimenopause Symptoms and Early Onset Menopause
Symptoms
Perimenopause occurs anywhere from two to ten
years before a woman enters full-blown menopause. Some women go through this
with little to no effect while others begin having some of the most common
symptoms of menopause. A woman is considered menopausal when she has not had
her period for one full year or longer. Perimenopausal symptoms can be
similar to the symptoms of early onset menopause. The causes of both are
very different.
Perimenopause Symptoms
Weight gain is a very common complaint for women. This can be due to water
retention or it can be related to the fluctuating hormone levels. The
metabolism tends to slow down with age and this can also trigger weight
gain.
Hot flashes and night sweats are very common. The difference is simply the
time of day that they occur. Night sweats can leave your bed linens and bed
clothes very damp from perspiration. Hot flashes can be very debilitating
and embarrassing at times.
During perimenopause, headaches are common. Mood swings, insomnia, and a low
sex drive are all common to this stage of your life. Fibroids - small benign
growths in the breasts and uterus are all too common as well. They are not
life threatening and can be surgically removed. Fibroids in the uterus can
reduce a woman's ability to get pregnant.
Perimenopause can also cause irregular menstrual cycles. Irregular bleeding
can occur. If this is happening, track your symptoms and consult your
doctor. This is to rule out anything more serious that might cause the same
thing.
Perimenopause can occur anywhere between your 40's and 50's. It has been
known to happen in much younger women for a variety of reasons. It is
suggested that if you even think you might be entering menopause, whatever
your age that you be examined by your physician.
Early Onset Menopause Symptoms
Before discussing the symptoms, it will be more beneficial if you understand
the possible causes. While, for some women, there is no identifiable reason
for it, they enter menopause early. In many women it can be hereditary.
Auto-immune disorders can attack the reproductive system. They can prevent
or limit the production of female hormones - Estrogen and Progesterone. As a
result, you may go into early menopause.
Irregular chromosomes can also lead to early menopause. Women have two X
chromosomes. One is active and one is not. A defect in the inactive X
chromosome (Fragile X Syndrome) can trigger early menopause.
The treatments of cancer, chemotherapy and radiation can play havoc with
your reproductive organs and other body systems. These treatments can damage
the ovaries. If ovaries don't function, menopause will begin. This damage
cannot usually be reversed.
The removal of all or part of your reproductive organs may also trigger
symptoms of early menopause. There are several types of surgeries to remove
your reproductive organs.
One is a total Hysterectomy - the total removal of the uterus, ovaries, and
fallopian tubes.
The removal of the ovaries or an ovary is called either a total or partial
Oopherectomy. These surgeries abruptly reduce hormonal levels and initiate
menopausal symptoms.
Other surgeries can cause ovarian damage and thus trigger these symptoms.
Hot flashes and night sweats are basically the same thing, except that at
night they are called night sweats. Headaches, mood swings, and depression
can occur in early onset menopause, as they do in perimenopause. Weight
gain, incontinence, aging skin and breast tenderness may also occur. Vaginal
dryness and a reduced interest in sexual activity may also occur. Fatigue
and low energy also plagues some women. Hair quality can also be affected.
Conclusion
The perimenopause and early onset menopause systems are not just similar but
almost identical. Not everyone will experience either one with the same
intensity and may have few or several symptoms. The reason most women seek
treatment is the mood swings. If they are particularly intense, treatment is
not only an option but most likely necessary.
No woman is the same, so you cannot go by someone else's symptoms and
experiences.
Your doctor can best help you through
perimenopause, early onset menopause, and full-blown menopause.
Why not use the best? Your
health depends on it.
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Source
For further information and what we personally use and recommend
for menopause, be sure to look further into our menopause
resource at Perimenopause
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