One day, you’re breezing through life, juggling meetings, school runs, and dinner plans, and the next, you’re crying because someone used the last of the oat milk. Welcome to perimenopause, the transitional rollercoaster before menopause that many women didn’t see coming.
Perimenopause usually begins in your 40s, though it can sneak up earlier. According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s marked by hormonal shifts that can last anywhere from a few months to over a decade. The publication mentions that symptoms include irregular periods, night sweats, mood swings, brain fog, and sleep problems are all part of the messy mix. However, here’s the thing: not everything you hear is true.
Contrary to some online chatter, perimenopause is not the same as menopause. Perimenopause is the period before the warm-up act, if you will. Menopause officially begins once you’ve gone a full year without a period, explains Johns Hopkins Medicine. Another myth that some people believe is that you’re “too young” to be experiencing symptoms. Not so. Some women notice changes as early as their mid-30s, according to the above source.
Before you start panicking, what’s happening is completely natural, though often under-discussed. Fortunately, lifestyle tweaks can help. Harvard Health Publishing recommends regular exercise, cutting back on caffeine and alcohol, and maintaining a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D to ease symptoms.
More women are finally speaking up about their experience, and that’s a good thing, because while perimenopause might be the body’s version of a software update (with a few system bugs), knowing what’s real can make all the difference.
So if your body feels like it’s shifting gears without a warning light, you’re not losing it, you’re just perimenopausal. And trust us, you’re in excellent, hormonal company.
Also see: Tips to deal with menopause symptoms
