What is the typical age for perimenopause?
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Are you experiencing unexplained changes in your body, could they be signs that you’re entering perimenopause? What are the common symptoms? I asked myself the exact same questions.
I was in my early 40s and dealing with low energy, stubborn weight gain, breast tenderness, fluctuating low mood, headaches, dizziness and aches and pains that I’d not experienced before. I’d never suffered with PMS, and I was seriously wondering if menopause was approaching.
I visited my family doctor to investigate. With authority, he shook his head and said “The average age of menopause is 52, so it’s not that”. I left his office thinking it was all in my head, I had no idea what perimenopause was, and neither did he. I was frustrated and confused but apparently, I was just aging and these things were considered normal.
If only I knew then what I know now!
So, what is the typical age for Perimenopause?
Perimenopause is often complex and overwhelming, and mainstream medicine can seem reluctant to acknowledge or diagnose it, but a vast amount of the female population suffers in some way from related symptoms.
Perimenopause is the stage before menopause. It can begin in your mid to late 30’s (known as early menopause) but commonly occurs between ages 40 - 44. Perimenopause is reported to last anywhere from 2-10 years, but as long as 15 years. It is a time of accelerated ageing.
During this time the levels of your sex hormones start to fluctuate, estrogen and progesterone are no longer working together in harmony and that’s where the dysregulation begins, initially starting with falling progesterone levels.
Perimenopause is often complex and overwhelming, and mainstream medicine can seem reluctant to acknowledge or diagnose it, but a vast amount of the female population suffers in some way from related symptoms.
For example, Harvard Health reports ‘An estimated 35%–50% of perimenopausal women suffer sudden waves of body heat with sweating and flushing that last 5–10 minutes, often at night as well as during the day’. Other sources say up to 80% of women experience hot flushes and sweating.
As my family doctor said, the average age in Australia and America for menopause is 51-52 years old. Just to be clear, menopause itself is defined when you stop menstruating for one year, and then you transition into post-menopause. The whole cycle often falls under the umbrella term of ‘menopause’.
Common symptoms of perimenopause
Here are the most common symptoms of perimenopause:
Sleep problems / insomnia
Itchy skin and/or hair loss
Night sweats and/or hot flushes (flashes)
Lack of concentration and/or brain fog
Incontinence and/or pelvic weakness
Joint pain and/or muscle tension
Breast tenderness
Hormonal headaches
Fatigue and/or dizziness
Bloating and/or stubborn weight gain
Constipation and/or diarrhea
Heart palpitations
Allergies and/or food Sensitivities
Woah, there’s a big list - and there are other symptoms!
Once you start to pay attention to the signs you may be really surprised at just how many of these things you actually tick off. You more than likely won’t suffer with them all, or symptoms may come and go, often over a lengthy period of time.
My clients report a variety of concerns that affect them on different levels of intensity, however, the common thread is, without intervention, their symptoms seem to increase the closer they get to menopause.
This is where things get tricky. In my personal experience identifying and monitoring your symptoms is far more accurate than going to your family doctor and having a blood test done.
Can I test my hormones for perimenopause?
This is where things get tricky. In my personal experience identifying and monitoring your symptoms is far more accurate than going to your family doctor and having a blood test done. For example, my blood hormone tests have always come back ‘within normal range’, even when my symptoms were at their peak, that just added to my anxiety and my doctor’s response was to offer me an antidepressant.
There is a DUTCH test available, which translates to Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones. Although insightful, it is expensive and is not covered by Medicare in Australia.
Testing may have limited value, but there are other things that you can do to alleviate your symptoms, instead of relying on a test or diagnosis.
What can I do to alleviate my symptoms?
The best advice I could offer is to seek help, you don’t need to do it alone nor suffer in silence.
I’ll start with what not to do. Don’t use a band aid approach.
Having awareness and listening to your body are the very first steps. Start by tracking your symptoms and your menstrual cycle, so you know exactly what’s going on with your body and can pinpoint those symptoms and triggers more specifically.
Then, consider lifestyle changes to alleviate symptoms. These can have a profound impact on your body’s ability to respond and to recover. Balancing your hormones through nutrition, movement and sleep are fundamental components. Addressing your body's toxic load, nervous system dysregulation, mineral imbalances and food sensitivities can also be critical to reducing the severity of your symptoms.
There is a lot of information out there, it’s often conflicting and downright overwhelming.
The best advice I could offer is to seek help, you don’t need to do it alone nor suffer in silence. There are options available such as a women’s health coach who can work alongside your family doctor or naturopath, offering a road map, support and guidance on your path to wellness.
Summary
Common perimenopause symptoms can affect women from their mid 30’s to early 40’s, however every woman is different and the signs and severity of symptoms will be individual to you.
Female sex hormones are incredibly complex and there are limited scientific studies focused solely on supporting them in either mainstream medicine or complementary therapies.
Addressing a woman’s body as a whole entity is undoubtedly the best approach, supporting it with lifestyle amendments relevant to your age and finding the root cause of your health challenges are fundamental in creating a manageable transition into menopause and the second half of life.
The most important takeaway is knowing that you are not alone on your journey to wellness. In these early stages it’s wise to become your own health advocate, seeking help and advice from a range of practitioners.
References/Citations
Perimenopause: Rocky road to Menopause (2022) Harvard Health. Available at: http://www.health.harvard.edu/womens-health/perimenopause-rocky-road-to-menopause (Accessed: March 5, 2023).
