|  |
The Facts About Perimenopause and Menopause
 Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of The Wisdom of Menopause, gives you the information about perimenopause and menopause you need to know.
Perimenopause
 | Perimenopause is a change in hormonal functions leading up to menopause. It is a "wake-up call" for your body! Dr. Christiane Northrup, M.D., explains that many perimenopausal women describe it as "Having our foot on the gas and not enough on the brake." | | The symptoms of pre-menopause, or perimenopause as it's called, begin years before your period ends. | | Some women experience no symptoms at all. | | Perimenopause is a process similar to puberty: it doesn't happen overnight. As menopause approaches, women gradually go through changes physically, emotionally and spiritually. For many women, perimenopause can last anywhere from five to fifteen years. | | Perimenopause occurs typically around age forty, but it's normal to begin in your thirties when your menstrual cycle is normal. | | The onset of perimenopause doesn't mean you can't get pregnant. Women who do not want to get pregnant should use a form of birth control for one full year after their final period. |
Menopause | Menopause is officially defined as that point in time when your periods stop permanently. | | Even though your periods may have stopped occurring regularly, you are not completely done menstruating until one full year has passed from your last menstrual period. | | The average age of women whose menstrual periods have completely stopped is 52.
|
|
 |
|
|
