How do you know you're in your perimenopausal years?
That's the question many mid-life women ask themselves and the answer may not be clear right away. Perimenopause is the 10 to 15 years before you reach menopause, which occurs when your menstrual periods have been absent for at least 12 months.
Common first signs of perimenopause include irritability, mood swings, irregular or heavy periods, hot flashes and vaginal dryness, although it's different for every woman. Some women may not be aware of any signs that they are approaching menopause.
Are your perimenopause signs vague or specific, mild or severe? Are they affecting your body, your mind or your emotions? What treatment options do you intend to choose - natural methods or hormone therapy? Is it time to look for natural remedies, or find outside help from a qualified practitioner?
You may have many menopause signs, or only a few. Unusual-for-you symptoms that you think are unrelated to menopause such as body aches, irritability, insomnia, forgetfulness, may in fact, be perimenopause signs. Conversely, some of what you think may be connected to menopause, may have nothing to do with it and deserve a discussion with your trusted health practitioner.
A menopause checklist is a useful tool that'll give you a snapshot of your current menopause status. You can use it to help you analyse your quality of life and decide if you'll take action or do nothing about what you're experiencing. If you have several signs or symptoms, or the ones you have are severe or bothersome, it's a good idea to take action now before they worsen.
If you choose to do nothing now, you may want to re-do a menopause checklist every six months to a year to assess the 'big picture' of how perimenopause is affecting your quality of life.
Action Steps
Look for lists of menopause signs on the web, or do a search for a 'menopause checklist'
Study the list/checklist and highlight what's bothering you
Take your completed checklist to your health professional for a discussion about your specific concerns and treatment options.
Research natural menopause solutions that have been proven to alleviate or resolve signs that interfere with, or reduce quality of life during the menopause years.
Several of these indicators may be unrelated to menopause and may deserve investigation with the diagnostic tools available to your medical doctor.
Keep in mind that menopause is not a disease, it's a natural life process that deserves respect. Menopause is like any other unfamiliar life experience - you can approach it with dread or you can focus on making it a positive learning and growing experience. Your quality of life, peace of mind and long-term health and wellness are worth finding the right solutions for you!
Wendy Vineyard is a holistic health practitioner, lifestyle coach and wellness journalist. She specializes in inspiring mid-life women to make healthier lifestyle choices now, in order to set themselves up for a vibrant menopause... and life beyond. She has a degree in journalism, a diploma in holistic health, and additional training and certifications in nutrition, cleansing, herbs, EFT, and others. She's happily married and the mother of a 20-year-old son. Her website http://www.NaturalMenopauseNow.com contains practical menopause insights, a checklist to help you assess your current health and wellness, and many safe and natural menopause remedies that nourish body, mind, emotions and spirit.
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