Perimenopause Treatment Options

Menopause is a stage in every woman's life that marks the end of her reproductive years. A woman is said to have reached menopause when she stops having her menstrual periods continuous for 12 months. Though menopause is a condition that most women experience somewhere between the age of 45 - 55, it is not something that happens suddenly. Rather, the process of reaching menopause is a gradual one and it can take anywhere between 2 - 10 years for a woman to reach menopause. This stage of transition from one's reproductive stage to complete menopause is called perimenopause.

As several hormonal changes occur during this stage, women are likely to experience certain perimenopause symptoms. The severity of these symptoms is not same for every woman and hence, not everyone will require treatment to relieve them. However, women who experience severe symptoms during perimenopause which also effect their daily activities need to know about its treatment options. However, before we go into the treatment methods available for curing perimenopause symptoms, let us take a look at the symptoms that one may experience during perimenopause.

Symptoms

As I said earlier, the symptoms of perimenopause will not be same for all women. While some experience serious signs of perimenopause, there are others who go through this stage without any problems. However, knowing about the perimenopause symptoms and the ways in which one can handle it is very important. Therefore, here are some of the symptoms that one can experience before reaching the menopausal stage.

• One of the most common and earliest symptoms of perimenopause is irregular periods. During this time, the frequency of having menses decreases i.e. periods disappear for several months, before reappearing again. This happens because ovulation also becomes irregular.
• Apart from irregular periods, one may also experience changes in bleeding. While some may experience heavy perimenopausal bleeding, there are others who may experience very light bleeding. Even the menstrual cycle may become longer or shorter.
• Another common symptom that many women experience during perimenopause is insomnia or difficulty to fall asleep. Along with this, many women have also reported to have experienced hot flashes, especially during the night.
• Mood swings and emotional changes are things that are very commonly experienced by women who are undergoing the perimenopausal stage. It is usual for women to feel depressed, anxious and grouchy without any particular reason. Though most people attribute this to hormonal changes during perimenopause, what the woman is experiencing in her life during that time can also be responsible for these symptoms.
• Vaginal dryness is another sign of perimenopause. Due to this, there can be changes in libido and the urge to indulge in sexual intercourse may also decrease.

Treatment

Experiencing any of these symptoms of perimenopause can cause discomfort as well as frustration. However, one need not have to worry anymore as there are several ways in which one can deal with these symptoms and get rid of them permanently. Here are some options that you can try.

Natural Remedies
The best way of treating the perimenopause symptoms is with the help of natural methods. The natural ways of curing this problem is to make significant changes in one's diet and lifestyle. It is important to follow a diet that is healthy as well as balanced. One's diet should have foods that are low in saturated fat like fruits, high fiber grains, fish, vegetables, etc. Apart from this, it is also crucial to take adequate vitamin and mineral supplements to stay healthy. As one ages, the bones become weak and one is at a risk of various diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to eat foods that are rich in calcium as well as to take calcium supplements. Other vitamin supplements that one has to take during this time are vitamin C, vitamin B complex, vitamin E, etc.

Along with a healthy diet, regular exercise is also an important factor that helps in controlling weight which is likely to shoot up during the perimenopause stage. Regular workouts as well simple exercises like walking, jogging, swimming, bicycling, etc. also will help in preventing as well as relieving some of the perimenopause symptoms. It has been found that women who smoke are prone to experience hot flashes during perimenopause and therefore, if you are suffering from the same problem, it is extremely crucial to try to quit smoking completely. Insomnia during perimenopause can be treated naturally by limiting the intake of alcohol and caffeine.

Stress can also be a leading factor that causes perimenopause symptoms and hence, one has to find ways of relieving stress. One natural way of doing this is by indulging in yoga. Certain breathing exercises can also help in getting rid of stress as well some of the symptoms of perimenopause like mood swings and hot flashes. Taking the help of certain herbs like soy and black cohosh are also said to be effective ways of curing perimenopause symptoms. However, the safety of these herbs, especially black cohosh is under question. Therefore, medical guidance is necessary while taking these herbs.

Medical Intervention
If the perimenopause symptoms do not subside with the help of natural methods, it is important to consult the doctor who can recommend some medicines or therapy. One of them is the low dose hormone replacement therapy which helps in keeping the falling estrogen and progesterone stable. However, it is not recommended to continue this therapy after menopause as the risk of having breast, ovarian and uterine cancer can increase due to hormone replacement therapy. Low dose birth control pills are also given by the doctors to control the perimenopause symptoms. However, these are not recommended after one reaches menopause. If one is experiencing depression and anxiety during this stage, taking antidepressants can help in relieving this problem. However, one must remember that these medicines have side effects and hence, it is important not to take them for a long time or may be one can opt for some other treatment option.

Another important thing that people have to know about is the relation between perimenopause and pregnancy. As perimenopause is considered to be low fertility period, most women think that the chances of pregnancy is nil. However, this is not actually true. Rather, there have been cases of pregnancy even during this stage. Therefore, it is important to take oral contraceptive pills or some other contraceptive methods during the perimenopausal stage to avoid unwanted pregnancy. Apart from this, even if you do not experience any of these symptoms, a regular check up by the doctor during the perimenopause stage can prevent from the development of any type of complications.