When To See A Doctor For Perimenopause, According To A Specialist

"Growing up, I heard the women in my life talking about perimenopause and menopause often. My mom called her hot flashes "personal summers," and she'd begrudgingly go find a ceiling fan to stand under whenever one struck. From air hunger to frozen shoulder, there are also so many surprising perimenopause symptoms that can pop up and negatively affect your quality of life."

"Perimenopause is that oh-so-delightful lead-up to menopause, in which your ovaries slowly stop producing estrogen and your periods become irregular. That hormone shift also brings with it all kinds of symptoms, from hot flashes and low libido to difficulty sleeping and mood swings. Perimenopause can last for years, and many women think that it just kind of sucks, and they have to grit their teeth and bear it. For a lot of us, that's what we saw the women in our families do."

"When To See A Doctor For Perimenopause If you're having any perimenopause symptoms that bother you, make you uncomfortable, or are affecting your quality of life, make that appointment. You can't halt perimenopause, but hormone therapy - which adds the right levels of estrogen and progesterone back into your body - can help ease the symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic."

Perimenopause is the transitional period before menopause when ovaries gradually reduce estrogen production and periods become irregular. Hormonal shifts during this time cause a wide range of symptoms, including hot flashes, low libido, sleep disturbances, mood swings, air hunger, and musculoskeletal issues like frozen shoulder. Perimenopause can last for years and many women normalize or endure symptoms based on family experience. When symptoms cause discomfort or reduce quality of life, medical evaluation is appropriate. Hormone therapy that restores appropriate estrogen and progesterone levels can help ease many perimenopausal symptoms.

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