September is Menopause Awareness Month (MAM).
Are you a woman over 40?
Have you been experiencing night sweats, hot flushes or anxiety?
Are your joints aching?
Is your skin itchy?
These can all be signs of perimenopause – the lead-up to menopause, which usually begins around the age of 40. It can be a confusing time because we’re often woefully uneducated about this life stage and nobody talks about it which leads to a lot of women not even realising they’re going through it.
How long does perimenopause last?
The menopausal journey begins with perimenopause, lasts anywhere from four to 13 years, leads into menopause itself and goes through to post-menopause. We only know we’ve gone through menopause when a year has gone by since our last period.
Why does menopause occur?
It’s a normal progression and is sometimes called the ‘midlife transition’. It simply means our ovaries have shut up shop in terms of baby-making and producing the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. Things can become uncomfortable during the transition due to wildly fluctuating hormones like oestrogen and progesterone.
Will I experience symptoms?
While some of us will breeze through with nary a sign, others will experience moderate symptoms and around 70 percent of us will experience significant symptoms. Hot flushes are probably the most famous of these, but insomnia and weight gain are common too, along with mood swings, anxiety, depression, irritability and aching joints.
What can you do?
Every woman is physiologically different. That’s why no one can predict how long perimenopause will last. There are no hard and fast rules but there are some lifestyle changes you can make that could make the journey easier for you.
- Eat a whole food diet. Get rid of refined carbohydrates and sugars because your body can’t process them like it once did.
- Eat lots of vegetables.
- Reduce caffeine and alcohol at least during the short term.
- Stay hydrated.
- Wear cotton clothing (it breathes) and layer. Layering means you can remove pieces during hot flushes.
- Don’t over-exercise as it can set off your stress hormone which holds onto belly fat.
- Pilates and yoga are great at this life stage as is the breathing that are part and parcel of these practices.
- Weight training is great for bone density. Post-menopause our bones weaken.
- Practise mindfulness, it helps balance your moods.
- Take magnesium to help with sleep.
- Ensure you have a minimum of blue light at least an hour before going to sleep – turn off the TV, computer and phone.
- Choose appropriate natural supplements to help balance your hormones.
- Be gentle with yourself. Self-care is key.
- Avoid medications like antidepressants. There’s a difference between menopause-induced and clinical depression and anxiety.
Natural menopause generally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age in New Zealand being 51/52.
The 34 Common Signs Of Perimenopause
1. Allergies
2. Anxiety
3. Bloating
4. Breast tenderness
5. Body odour changes
6. Brain fog
7. Burning mouth syndrome
8. Depression
9. Digestive issues
10. Dizziness
11. Electric shock sensations
12. Fatigue
13. Feelings of dread
14. Hot flushes
15. Hair changes
16. Headaches
17. Incontinence (we highly recommend getting an Elvie – the amazing pelvic floor trainer)
18. Insomnia
19. Irregular heartbeat
20. Irregular menstrual cycle
21. Irritability
22. Itchy skin
23. Joint pain
24. Loss of libido
25. Mood swings
26. Muscle tension
27. Night sweats
28. Oral problems
29. Paresthesia (tingling, burning, numb sensation on the skin)
30. Vaginal dryness
31. Weakened fingernails
32. Weight gain
33. Osteoporosis
NB: This is a general guide only and should not be taken as prescriptive or diagnostic. If you’d like further help or advice please don’t hesitate to visit me at youology.co.nz
