5 Perimenopause Reads for Menopause Awareness Month 2015
For Menopause Awareness Month 2015, I am focusing on the perimenopause because it’s vital women are armed with information in their early 40s. Understanding the hormonal changes in your body and the role they play in your health and quality of life is the first step in dealing with the perimenopause, menopause and the ageing process.
Furthermore, I want to turn this life stage, that is traditionally considered negative, into a positive! I wrote the book, The Hormone Cure: Hormonal Health, to share my own experience of the menopause, the difficulties I faced and how I overcame them by restoring my body to optimal hormonal levels. I wish this information had been available to me when I hit 40!
Perimenopause
Let me tackle one misconception about the menopause early on. The menopause is when you stop having your period for one whole year. But… and not every women is aware of this… the six to thirteen years leading up to that are characterised by symptoms such as hot flushes, disturbed sleep, bone loss, irritability, mixed up emotions and mood changes, to name just a few. This period of time is known as perimenopause. It can be a difficult transition, not just for women, but also for their husbands, partners, friends, children, and the entire family.
Be Prepared
Although the menopause is a normal part of ageing, many women are not fully prepared for the symptoms. The symptoms are caused by fluctuating hormone levels. We are all different, so although your friend may experience hot flushes that leave her gasping for breath, you may not. Instead you may have migraines, brain fog or forgetfulness (one of my girlfriends drove off with her handbag on the roof of her car not just once, but almost every morning!)
For others, mood swings are a burden, not just for them but their entire family who have to tiptoe around on eggshells in order to avoid yet another unexplainable, wild tantrum.
It doesn’t have to be this way! Contrary to the conventional menopause stereotypes that we often see in the media, you can have a happy, healthy, strong and sexually vibrant life, into your forties, fifties and beyond. The key is to get the right information early on.
So, get informed now, read my 5 most popular articles on the menopause.
- I’m too young for this! Perimenopause is the precursor to the menopause no one tells you about. Read more…
- What to expect from the perimenopause. What to expect from perimenopause but more importantly, what you DO NOT have to accept about it! Read more…
- The emotional side of menopause. I often hear from women saying that they feel anxious, sad, depressed, or that they have lost something deep down inside, something emotional, something almost heart-rending; is it that they have lost themselves? Read more…
- What is oestrogen dominance? In perimenopause both oestrogens and progesterone levels drop. Oestrogens drop by 40% to 60% and progesterone levels can drop to nearly zero. Read more…
- Bioidentical Hormones Frequently Asked Questions. Everything you needed to know about Bioidentical Hormones. What is Bioidentical Restorative Hormone Therapy? Also known as Bioidentical HRT or BHRT. Read more…
Don’t forget to check out the signs and symptoms of menopause.
You can find out more about Menopause Awareness Month below.
