From an interview with:
Dr. Chelsea Hughes
McLeod OB/GYN Dillon

“Peri-” is a prefix meaning “near” or “around.” In that sense, perimenopause is a stage of life that usually occurs prior to menopause. McLeod OB/GYN Dr. Chelsea Hughes explains what a woman can expect during this sequence of physical changes that affects her reproductive health.

Here’s a summary of Dr. Hughes’s comments:

It’s estimated that 1.3 million women in the U.S. enter menopause every year. Menopause is officially diagnosed after a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a period, which, on average, is at age 51.

PERIMENOPAUSE

Perimenopause is a transitional phase –  the part of life where a woman starts to move toward menopause. On average, this period of time can last between 2 – 10 years. The most common thing women experience during perimenopause is hot flashes, and they start to notice their periods getting farther apart. Most women eventually start skipping periods.

 PREMATURE MENOPAUSE

For premature menopause, more commonly used terms are ‘premature ovarian failure’ or ‘ovarian insufficiency.’ This occurs when a woman’s body goes into menopause much earlier than it should – before the age of 40, instead of nearly a decade later. Many women experience symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats, breast tenderness, difficulty sleeping and mood changes. If you experience any of those, notify your OB/GYN, because it’s actually something we want to know about sooner rather than later. Premature menopause increases your risk for osteoporosis and heart disease.  With early awareness, we can be proactive regarding detection of these health conditions.

Perimenopause causes changes in your menstrual cycle. That’s normal, but if you’re having heavy bleeding, there may be other issues that need to be addressed. I encourage women to schedule an appointment with their OB/GYN whenever they have any concerns about their reproductive health.

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