Prognosis of Perimenopause

Perimenopause is a transitional phase in a woman’s reproductive cycle that she experiences with aging. Age of perimenopause or menopause transition can vary quite similar to puberty and the duration of pregnancy. It mostly starts in one’s 40s, but can start in the 30s as well. It generally begins 8 to 10 years before menopause. The average length of perimenopause is about six years but it can be shorter (a few months) or longer in some women.

• Symptoms of perimenopause such as changes in menstrual cycle, hot flushes, sleep problems, mood changes and vaginal dryness can vary from one woman to other. Some may have severe symptoms whereas others may have hardly noticeable changes.
• The menstrual cycle becomes irregular and your fertility decreases during perimenopause but you can still become pregnant. If you wish to avoid pregnancy then it is recommended that you continue to use some form of birth control until you reach menopause (that is you don’t have menstrual flow for 12 months).
• Some factors which can probably lead to perimenopause at an earlier age are high stress levels, an unhealthy lifestyle, not exercising regularly, unhealthy and irregular eating patterns and under lying chronic health problems.

You cannot prevent perimenopause or menopause but certain lifestyle changes that can improve the symptoms and enhance your general well-being are:

• Regular exercise.
• Quitting smoking.
• Healthy sleeping habits such as getting enough sleep, going to sleep early and waking up at the same time each day.
• Decrease in the consumption of alcohol.
• Maintaining a healthy body weight.
• Taking multivitamin supplements and calcium supplements, if needed.
• Drinking plenty of water (at least eight glasses of water each day).

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