The difference between menopause and perimenopause symptoms - according to a pharmacist
Perimenopause and menopause symptoms can have a significant impact on quality of life 🚨
- October is menopause awareness month.
- Every woman will go through menopause in their lifetime.
- Symptoms can have a significant impact but treatments are available.
Every woman will go through menopause in their lifetime, but for many, the transition doesn’t happen overnight but gradually.
Perimenopause can cause similar symptoms to the menopause, with signs appearing months or even years before your period ends.
With both perimenopause and menopause having such similar symptoms, understanding how they differ is key to understanding what's happening to your body.
To help you decipher the signs, Lloyds Pharmacy Online Doctor has enlisted the help of Pharmacist, Dr Sheena Bagga, to explain the transition.
What is perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the transitional phase before the menopause. This is when you start to have menopause symptoms, but your periods have not stopped yet.
Dr Sheena Bagga explains: “It begins when the oestrogen levels in your body start fluctuating and ends when you reach full menopause, which is classified as starting when you have not had a period for 12 months.
“Most women tend to have perimenopausal symptoms for around four years before their period comes to a complete stop. The perimenopausal symptoms will also carry on after your periods have stopped.”
Periods continue during perimenopause, and women going through perimenopause can still get pregnant; however, as menopause approaches, periods will become more irregular before stopping.
Are perimenopause and menopause symptoms the same?
The symptoms between perimenopause and the menopause are largely the same and can appear months or even years before your periods stop.
Dr Bagga said: “The first sign you may notice is that your periods may become irregular, which is a key indicator of the start of perimenopause. In the early stages of perimenopause, changes to your cycle may be minimal; however, as this continues, your cycle may vary by seven days or more, and eventually you may find skipped periods becoming more and more common until they stop altogether.”
The main physical symptoms of menopause and perimenopause are:
- Hot flushes
- Heart palpitations
- Difficulty sleeping
- Dry and itchy skin
- Muscle aches and joint pains
- Weight gain and changes to body shape
- Headaches and migraines
- Reduced sex drive
- UTI’s
- Vaginal dryness and pain
- Sensitive teeth and other mouth problems
Menopause can also affect mental health, causing symptoms such as anxiety, mood swings, low self-esteem, and memory difficulties.
How to help the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause?
There are medical treatments available for the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause; these include hormone replacement therapy (HRT), oestrogen, which can be available in the form of creams, tablets, or rings, progesterone, or testosterone gel.
Alongside medical treatment, Dr Bagga has shared several ways to help alleviate the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause:
Eat a balanced diet
Eating a varied, balanced diet can give your body the nutrients to cope with changes. Including calcium-rich foods like yoghurt and milk, along with vitamin D, to help support bone health.
Get plenty of sleep
Struggling with sleep is a key symptom of menopause, so trying to maintain a regular sleeping pattern will help combat the difficulties.
Exercise regularly
Exercising regularly can help keep menopausal weight gain under control while also encouraging positive moods
Manage hot flushes
Caffeine, spicy foods, and alcohol can all trigger flushes, so limiting your intake of these can help reduce the incidence of hot flushes.
Bagga said: “While most people should be able to recognise the symptoms of perimenopause without a doctor's advice, you should absolutely speak to a GP if your symptoms are impacting your daily life.
“Doctors can prescribe you Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to help deal with hot flushes and vaginal dryness. In some cases antidepressants can also be prescribed if diagnosed with depression or anxiety.”
You can find out more about the signs and symptoms and how to get treatment for symptoms of perimenopause and the menopause at NHS.UK.