Do You Have Perimenopause? Understand the Signs

For many women, they assume that their cycle of womanhood will go immediately from 
having a period every month, to their period stopping and entering menopause. 
However, there is a transitional period that many women experience first, called 
perimenopause. Here are some signs that you might be going through this, so you know 
what to expect and when to talk to your doctor.


Irregular Periods

The first sign you might notice when you have perimenopause is starting to experience 
irregular periods. Since you are still releasing eggs during perimenopause, you will still 
have periods and can still get pregnant. However, it is not uncommon for your periods to 
change. This might include more blood clots or a period that is either heavier or less 
heavy than they used to be, spotting more before and after your period or between 
periods, or spotting more after sex. You may also have cycles that shorten by a few 
days.


Hot Flashes

Are you beginning to struggle at night with sweating and hot flashes? This could also be 
a sign of perimenopause, or full menopause. It isn’t typically as severe as women going 
through full menopause, though you might notice you need the fan or air conditioner 
more, or you feel a sudden wave of flush cross your body, which lasts a few minutes 
before it settles. Hot flashes will gradually worsen and last longer the closer you get to 
menopause.


Sleep Issues

Along with the hot flashes and night sweats, you may also have other issues with 
getting a good nights’ sleep. The sleep issues often start with the hot flashes, since you 
could wake up hot and sweating, unable to sleep until you cool off again. You may also 
notice interrupted sleep for seemingly no cause, where nothing you do helps you sleep 
as easily or as long as you used to be able to.


Unusual Bleeding

Many women who go through perimenopause experience unusual bleeding, both during 
and not during their period. What happens is that when you are going through 
perimenopause, you don’t have as much progesterone in your body. This can cause the 
uterine lining to get thicker, which means it is shedding thicker, causing heavier periods 
or periods with heavier clots. Some odd cramping might occur as well if you develop 
fibroids, or if you have endometriosis.


Vaginal Dryness

And lastly, vaginal dryness can be an issue, though it is typically near the end of the 
perimenopause phase. This is from the estrogen levels in your body decreasing from 
perimenopause, which may cause less cervical mucus and vaginal lubrication. It can 
cause discomfort during intercourse, so this is a good time to start using other lubricant 
if you aren’t already.


