Every menstruating woman has to pass through premenopausal phase in her life. Premenopausal phase or more precisely perimenopausal phase as described in medical lexicon, is the time interval that precedes the event of menopause. Menopause means “permanent pause” of menstrual cycle, so to say the reproductive life of a woman.
Premenopause phase begins several years before menopause. It is the time when the ovaries begin to produce fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone hormone. Generally the symptoms of premenopause begin in late 30’s and early 40’s. However, it depends on every woman individually, in some it may occur as early in the 30’s or as late after 45.
Usually premenopause symptoms set in 4 years prior to actual cessation of menses. However, there are cases known where the symptoms of premenopause have lasted for 10 years and more. It is actually a phase where the production of estrogen and progesterone becomes erratic. In the last two years of premenopause, the decline in production of estrogen is fast. Premenopausal phase ends when the woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs and there is no menstrual bleeding for more than a year- this indicates menopause.
Signs And Symptoms Of Premenopause
As said earlier, during premenopausal period, there is fluctuation in the estrogen and progesterone hormone.
This gives rise to several systemic effects on a woman’s body. She may experience few or all the symptoms mentioned below. While in some women, these symptoms may be mild or silent, they can be extreme in others causing interference in their daily life. Most women may experience the symptoms in their early 40’s.
- Irregularity in menses: due to changing pattern of estrogen and progesterone hormone, menstrual irregularity is a common feature. Some woman may have light and very less blood flow. While there may be heavy bleeding lasting for many days in few other women.
- Hot flashes: It is an acute rise of body temperature that does not give any signal to the body in advance. The rise in body temperature is temporary for few minutes. But the woman experiences it several times in a day.
- Sweating: hot flashes lead to sweating. The whole body becomes wet in many cases.
- Fatigue and weakness: due to heavy sweating, the woman may easily get fatigued.
- Tender and painful breast.
- Dryness of vagina
- Loss of libido.
- Weight gain.
- Insomnia.
- Frequent changes in mood.
- Palpitation.
- Headaches.
- Hair thinning.
One thing that woman should always know is, despite the decline in hormone level and menstrual irregularity, a woman in her premenopausal phase can become pregnant. If she wants to avoid pregnancy she should adopt any birth control measures which include, copper T, birth control pills, tubectomy etc.
Home Remedies For Perimenopause Symptoms
A woman undergoing this midlife problem should know that premenopause is neither a pathological problem nor a disease. It is simply a physiological phenomenon occurring in every woman. As time passes, the symptom intensity becomes less.
Some of the symptoms such as hot flashes can affect the daily life of a woman. When the symptoms are unbearable, some patients are prescribed low dose birth control pills. However, the dose and the pill should be taken only if the doctor suggests as there are many side effects with this hormone pills.
Here are some of the home remedies that are found useful in relieving premenopausal symptoms:
Life style changes to reduce the effect of hormonal imbalance:
- Eat diet that is rich in estrogen during premenopause, like Soy, potatoes, cherries, wheat, apples, rice etc.
- Exercise regularly.
- Stop alcohol and smoking.
- Practice yoga to relieve stress.
- Fix the time of sleeping. Sleep for at least 8 hours.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Reduce your weight.
- Reduce eating spicy food, caffeine products and other triggering factors that produce hot flushing.
- Wear lose fitting clothes. Avoid synthetic material.
- Use a moisturizer to reduce vaginal dryness.
- Eat diet that is rich in vitamin B complex and Vitamin E and C. Fruits and vegetables contain most of the B, E and C vitamins.
Alternative medicines: there is very low risk and side effects observed with alternative options. Herbal remedies, acupuncture and acupressure are effective in reducing the symptoms of premenopause.
Herbs: they help in balancing hormones.
- Black cohosh: it is traditional herb used by American natives for many gynecological related diseases. It contains triterpene glycoside, resin etc. It has been vastly used to reduce the intensity of hot flashes.
- Dong Quai: It is sometimes addressed as female herb. It enhances the level of estrogen when they are too less.
