Before menopause starts, you usually start experiencing some “perimenopause” symptoms which means around menopause. It usually starts sometime in your 40s.
During this phase of transition to menopause, common symptoms you will experience include the following
- Most commonly, you may notice your periods start to be more irregular, occasionally longer or sometimes shorter. The amount of flow is also unpredictable with it being heavy or light sometimes.
- Dryness of the vagina and leakage of urine or urinary incontinence is a prominent symptom that my patients complain about, as it can be quite uncomfortable and affect their personal and social lives.
- You may feel hot flushes and night sweats, affecting your sleep pattern as well.
- You may feel increased mood swings and feel more easily irritable during this period as well.
- Other changes in your body which you may not experience include decrease in your bone mineral density and also poorer cholesterol levels.
Thankfully, most of the symptoms can be controlled with creams, medications or even laser treatments for the vaginal and urinary symptoms. Monitoring of your bone density and cholesterol levels through regular health screenings is also recommended.
