What Can I Expect During Perimenopause?

Knowing the Signs and Symptoms

At Panacea Health Haven, we offer compassionate, personalized care for women navigating midlife changes, specializing in treatment for perimenopause and menopause symptoms. Read on to learn more about the symptoms you may experience as you age.

Common Symptoms of Perimenopause

Irregular or Skipped Periods

As your hormone levels fall during perimenopause, your periods could become irregular, and you may experience light, late, or skipped periods. Even when your periods are irregular, you can still get pregnant, so it’s important to continue to take precautions until menopause is complete.

Hot Flashes

If you suddenly feel uncomfortably warm and flushed, especially in the face or neck, you’re experiencing a hot flash. Hot flashes may be related to changes in your estrogen levels and the way your blood vessels relax and contract. They usually come on quickly and last a few seconds to a few minutes.

Sleep Disorders and Fatigue

Hot flashes can also disrupt your sleep, negatively affecting your energy levels and emotions over time. You may also have difficulty falling and staying asleep or experience less healthy, restorative sleep.

Brain Fog

Estrogen plays a key role in brain function, so as your estrogen levels decrease during perimenopause and menopause, you may experience what many refer to as “brain fog.” You may feel like you’ve become more forgetful, that you struggle to focus, or that you’re simply mentally fatigued, even when you get enough sleep.

Joint Pain

Hormonal declines can affect your muscles and bones, resulting in pain in your knees, shoulders, elbows, and hands. Stiffness or pain in your joints will often be worse in the morning and can improve with physical activity.

Changes to Hair and Skin

Hormone changes during menopause can affect your scalp health, hair follicle function, and hair growth cycle. You may experience changes in your hair, including dryness, shedding, and thinning. You may also suffer from dry skin during menopause.

Vaginal Drying

Falling estrogen levels also contribute to a decrease in the vagina’s natural lubricants. The lining of the vaginal wall can also thin and lose elasticity, which can cause sex to be painful. You may also be more prone to vaginal and urinary tract infections during this time.

Depression and Irritability

While the chemical changes happening during menopause don’t increase the risk of depression, the other changes and symptoms you experience in middle age can contribute to feelings of sadness. You may also experience irritability caused by poor sleep due to hot flashes.

Health Risks

Osteoporosis

Because estrogen levels are lower during menopause, the risk of osteoporosis, the thinning of bones, is higher. Vitamin D, calcium, and exercise can help to prevent this condition. Women can begin to lose bone as early as age 30, so it’s important to start healthy habits well before perimenopause begins.

Cardiovascular Disease

Before menopause, women have lower rates of heart attack and stroke than men, but after menopause, the rate of heart disease in women increases. Again, healthy habits are key.

Contact Panacea Health Haven Today to Get Started on Your Wellness Journey

At Panacea Health Haven, our direct primary care approach lets us work closely with you to uncover the root causes of your symptoms, develop a plan that helps you find relief from hormonal shifts, and support your overall health and well-being.

If you’re ready to start down the path toward a higher quality of life, take the first step by contacting us today. Your wellness is our priority. Our telehealth medicine and other services, including HRT therapy, are available to those in Panama City, FL; Niceville, FL; Crestview, FL; Miramar Beach, FL; Pensacola, FL; and everywhere in the state of Florida.