Perimenopause is a woman’s path to the end of her child bearing years. Menopause is the final outcome and is attained after a woman has ceased her menses for a full 12 months. For the majority of women, perimenopause is wrought with a series of side effects and symptoms that can make the passage into menopause a true challenge at times. This is the episode in every woman’s life when fluctuating reproductive hormones can wreak emotional and physical havoc. First, let’s explore some of the symptoms of perimenopause so that we may be aware of them.
Possible Perimenopausal Symptoms
Although not all women will experience even one of these signs signaling the approach of menopause, 85% of women do experience at least one of the, if not not multiple symptoms listed here:
• Hot flashes/Night sweats
• Irritability
• Mood swings
• Increased stress and anxiety
• Insomnia
• Low sex drive
• Headaches
• Lower back aches
• Dizziness
• Muscle tension
• Joint aches
No one looks forward to any of these symptoms, but perhaps if we understand the causes, we can find better alternative ways of managing them
Causes of Perimenopausal Symptoms
We know that our bodies are being strongly affected by a hormonal imbalance, but why? Women between the ages of 45 to 55 begin to feel the effects of the vacillation and decline of the hormones estrogen, testosterone and progesterone. All reproductive hormones in healthy levels have been serving the female body since puberty by maintaining synchronized messages and signals to the brain. Proper amounts of estrogen during childbearing years have regulated much of the body’s functions from the lubrication of the muscles and joints to enhancing mood. When this hormone plummets, the body begins to display adverse symptoms.
Ways to Manage and Treat Symptoms of Perimenopause
There is no magic pill to make the unpleasant symptoms of perimenopause go away, but there are some very effective and successfully proven steps that will help treat the discomfort of a number of these disagreeable symptoms. It is important to note that a commitment to some lifestyle changes must be on the agenda in order to treat perimenopause.
1. Adjust Your Diet
Alcohol and caffeine will agitate hot flashes so cutting back or eliminating them completely will help ease perimenopause symptoms. By consuming a healthy diet of foods like fish, poultry, lean meat, spinach, colorful vegetables, whole grains, seeds and nuts, you are giving your body the nutrients it needs to help manage the onslaught of perimenopause.2. Start Exercising
A daily aerobic exercise routine is an excellent way to reduce stress and can help ease symptoms like mood swings, headaches and irritability. Exercise will increase blood flow to the muscles, ease tension and help with sleeping difficulties. Committing an hour a day, three to five days a week for walking, cycling or swimming will be an ideal perimenopause treatment.3. Yoga
Join yoga class or follow a video to learn and feel the tremendous benefits that this deep muscle practice will provide for you. There are a multitude of yoga poses that work to gently stretch and soothe tension out of most muscle groups in the body.4. Consider Alternative Methods
Treating yourself to regular body massages will rub out the muscles that are holding in tension and will help your mind and body to relax. Acupuncture is an increasingly popular technique that serves to open up energetic pathways and release stress. Aromatherapy is another method that uses specific essential oils, either inhaled or rubbed on the skin to induce relaxation.5. Keep a Journal
The simple daily action of writing down your thoughts and feelings during perimenopause may serve to help you understand what you are going through during this period in your life. Keeping a jurnal will help you to reflect and find healthy, appropriate solutions for treating your perimenopause.
