I get this question a lot during my daily practice. Perhaps a woman has skipped her period here or there. Perhaps she has been feeling very hot during the day or night. Maybe sex is starting to hurt a little. These women are usually in their mid to late forties and are bracing themselves for the onslaught they believe is coming with menopause.

Menopause is defined by the lack of a woman’s period for one year straight. If a woman is under 45, we may also check for the elevation of a hormone called the “follicle stimulating hormone” (FSH) to help confirm the diagnosis.

Many women will start having hot flashes and night sweats during this time. These can actually start to occur on and off for a few years prior to menopause. We call those years “perimenopause”. In the perimenopausal years leading up to menopause, women may experience irregular periods as well as mood changes, breast tenderness, and vaginal dryness. There are other many other complaints during this time that we associate with this hormonal transition. I would like to emphasize that not all women experience problematic symptoms during perimenpause and menopause. Some women will transition without any major symptoms or with only minor temperature intolerances (feeling very warm at times). I even have some patients who felt better because they were having extremely painful or heavy periods or migraines during their periods. These bothersome symptoms wentaway when they stopped having their periods!!

So don’t be afraid of this change in life. If you have significant symptoms, there are treatments out there to help. If not, you might be one of the lucky ones who cruise on through without any drama!

If you want more information on this transition, please watch my YouTube videos on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxQsLUmoDPupou5ucemk-ww/videos?view_as=subscriber