You’ve got the She-Hulk rage, the sleep-ravaging night sweats, the where-did-I-put-my-keys forgetfulness and suddenly your periods are all over the place – what’s happening to your wellness? The good news is, you’re not going crazy. The not-so good news; you’re in perimenopause. This sexual health condition is a physiological stage in which your body begins its transition into menopause – hooray? At this time, your oestrogen levels are fluctuating, which has a knock-on effect in terms of your wellbeing. Your menstrual cycle becomes irregular, and you get a whole host of other weird symptoms. So, how can you feel like yourself again?
1. Fixing the start date: The problem with perimenopause is that you and your best friend probably won’t experience it the same way, whether that’s in terms of symptom frequency, severity or when they begin. For most women, perimenopause starts between the ages of 45 and 55, but, if you’re one of the unlucky ones, you could begin the transition in your 30s. There’s no way of telling how bad your symptoms will be or when they’ll end; it could be anywhere from two to 10 years before you finish perimenopause. Full-blown menopause becomes official when you’ve gone an entire year without having a period. While there’s no way to postpone menopause, research has shown that your lifestyle factors may be bringing it on earlier. Smoking is one of these factors and there’s also a genetic link with menopause, so as your mum when she started going through “the change.”
2. Fixing your feelings: The cupcakes you always make suddenly go so wrong you’d be laughed right out of the Bake Off tent. Before perimenopause, you may have uttered a few choice swear words and thrown them away (or eaten them anyway because, come on, it’s still cake.) However, now, in the throes of perimenopause, you kick the oven door, collapse onto the lino and cry at your husband, kids and budgie for ruining your concentration. Studies have shown that nearly 40% of women experience such mood swings associated with hormonal dips—from sudden anger to intense moodiness, anxiety, or despair. Unfortunately, you can entirely prevent this from happening. Still, you can alleviate them with vitamin B12. Research has linked B12 deficiency with mood swings and depression, so up you intake of shellfish (clams, mussels, and crab), salmon, lean beef, low-fat or fat-free milk, and eggs. Yoga can also help to ease irritability and ensure you get enough sleep.
3. Fixing your temperature: Hot flashes affect about 80% of women in menopause, and this is often followed by a chill. No one’s exactly sure as to why this happens, but experts guess that it has something to do with your fluctuating hormones. Your hypothalamus – the part of your brain that regulates body temperature – receives mixed signals from these hormone fluctuations and so creates a hot flash. For a few seconds to 10 minutes, you can experience a flushed face, intense sweating, or even heart palpitations. When this occurs in your sleep, typically alongside heavy perspiration, it is know as the night sweats. The best thing you can do is take note of the things that trigger these hot flashes, such as spicy foods, coffee and wine. Studies show that if you participate in deep breathing for 15 minutes twice a day, you can reduce your frequency of hot flashes by 39%. If that fails, herbal supplements such as black cohosh, as well as soya, may be able to help reduce your hot flashes. However, the most effective way to treat severe hot flashes is with prescription medications, so speak to your doctor for more information.
