●Mood Swings or Changes
Since mood swings can often be attributed to the perimenopause symptoms of sleep issues, making every attempt to get a restful night’s sleep may be all that is needed to alter mood. Mood changes generally do not have a link to hormonal changes in the body.
●Vaginal Dryness
Estrogen levels affect the thickness of the lining of the vagina, and the fluids supplied to the area. As the levels diminish, the vaginal tissues become thinner, and lubrication of the tissues slows. This can result in painful intercourse, and also leaves the vaginal more susceptible to infection.
Remedies: Simply increasing your water intake can have surprising results. Try to drink adequate amounts each day. Be careful of personal products that may further irritate the vaginal lining. Using a personal lubricant will help to relieve the dry, burning and itchy feeling by restoring a natural feeling of moisture. Taking a good multi-vitamin will make sure that your body has the vitamins and minerals it needs to operate efficiently, and will help with natural body processes such as vaginal lubrication.
Other perimenopause symptoms that may plague women are breast tenderness, fibroids, bone loss, depression, weight gain, skin problems, change in sexual desire and urinary issues. Asking questions of your gynecologist about the specific symptoms you are experiencing will bring peace of mind to you as well as give you information on ways to relieve the symptoms.
When to Worry about Symptoms
Because some perimenopause symptoms may indicate a more serious underlying health issue, women who experience them should immediately contact their doctor. Heart palpitations, migraines, a tingling in the extremities, fatigue, disorientation and dizziness are all symptoms that need to be examined closely in order to rule out certain diseases and disorders. Once the proper cause is identified, your doctor can help find methods of easing these issues.
In addition to these, contact your doctor if you are experiencing extremely heavy menstrual flow, periods lasting more than eight days, periods that occur less than 21 days apart, or if you have intermittent bleeding between periods. While irregular periods are the classic symptom of perimenopause, other gynecological issues may also be the culprit.
Although it would be nice to have a definitive test that could state categorically whether or not a woman has entered the perimenopausal stage, this is not the case. Generally, a woman’s age, gynecological history and current symptoms are taken under consideration when a determination of the condition is being made. Some doctors also order hormone tests, such as the Follicular Hormone Test, which isn’t entirely accurate since often the follicular hormone levels don’t drop until late in perimenopause.
If you are experiencing some or all of the symptoms outlined above, it is likely that you have begun perimenopause. Symptoms may be few or many; for some lucky individuals, they may be non-existent. It is normal to be concerned at the onset of the symptoms; perimenopause has the tendency to take women by surprise when it first begins. Have a frank and open discussion with your gynecologist about perimenopause to learn what you can do to relieve the symptoms you are having. Learning as much as possible about the changes occurring in your body will help you to control the condition, and lessen its impact on your daily life.