Pre Menopause Symptoms - Do You Have Them?
Pre menopause occurs basically during the two to eight years prior to women entering menopause. They are the transitional years and women typically experience pre menopause symptoms during this time period which include obvious and subtle symptoms as well as symptoms that women may not notice.
Estrogen and Progesterone
During the pre menopause years, the levels of the hormones, estrogen and progesterone tend to increase and decrease unevenly. The menstrual cycle for some women might become longer or shorter in time and women may have menstrual cycles that do not include ovulation. Some women notice the pre menopause symptoms while they are in their thirties but typically women begin to have the symptoms during their forties.
Studies have shown that approximately seventy-five to about eighty-five percent of women have to deal with hot flashes while in the pre menopause stage of their lives. Difficulty in sleeping can occur due to hot flashes but experts suggest that difficulties with sleep can occur during the pre menopause years even when women do not experience hot flashes. During this time frame some women have to deal with mood swings such as depression or becoming agitated. A lack of sleep and other factors associated with pre menopause may be causing the mood swings and not changes in the hormones.
Estrogen Level
As women's estrogen levels decrease, urinary as well as vaginal infections may occur. A woman's chances of conceiving tend to diminish as ovulation becomes inconsistent. However, pregnancy can still happen if a woman's period is still occurring. During pre menopause the estrogen level in a woman's body can decrease which can cause her to loose some bone material faster than the body can produce it. Pre menopause symptoms caused by a decrease in the estrogen level include a decrease in the good cholesterol (HDL) as well as an increase in the bad cholesterol level (LDL).
Pre menopause happens gradually and there are no tests available at a doctor's office which can determine if a woman has entered this stage of her life. Doctors might decide to take a test to evaluate your hormone levels if you complain of pre menopause symptoms. However some experts do not believe that testing the hormone levels is useful in order to determine if a women has entered pre menopause.
If your pre menopause symptoms are very irritating or negatively affecting your life your physician might recommend that you take oral contraceptives even if they are not necessary to take for birth control. If your pre menopausal symptoms are difficult to deal with you might want to visit your doctor.
