Tag Archives: perimenopause

Making New Year’s Resolutions

Yes, I am thinking about making a New Year’s Resolution.  I know, many people say when you do this, you are only setting yourself up for failure.  But sometimes, you just need something to get you kicked off in the right direction. This year, as with all years in the past, I am resolving to lose weight.  Oh, I know I can do it – I lost 30 pounds three years ago.  And then gained it all back within the stressful last two years of returning to the workforce, moving, and changing jobs twice. But this year, I need to … Continue reading →

Lose Weight, Avoid Breast Cancer?

I have already made up my mind that after the holidays, I am dieting.  Of course, I’ve said that on and off now for the last two years, but next June, I turn 50 and I know it will just get harder and harder to lose weight. Today, I read another incentive to help me take the pounds off.  A recent study by Dr. Paul S. MacLean, associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center, and colleagues hints to the fact that perimenopausal women may be able to lessen their chances of getting breast … Continue reading →

Mood Swings and Perimenopause

Mood swings in women have mostly been attributed to PMS. Sometimes we will hear comments like, “She must be PMSing.” Although mood swings can be a result of PMS there is a time in a woman’s life when it’s actually related to perimenopause. As women approach age 40 they may begin to experience intense mood swings not realizing they are due to perimenopause. Our family has been going through a difficult time with a failing marriage. When we got together for Easter we were without one particular family member and were discussing the marriage problems. It was brought up how … Continue reading →

Why Don’t We Talk About Perimenopause?

Why don’t we talk about perimenopause? Women talk a great deal about menopause. Menopause has been the butt of jokes for years. We associate hot flashes and mood swings with menopause, however, little is said about the stage preceding menopause which is perimenopause. Some of the same symptoms that are experienced in menopause can also occur in perimenopause. Perimenopause is the transition stage before menopause hits. It can last anywhere from two to ten years before menopause takes full effect and the menstrual period ceases. The average duration of perimenopause is six years so it’s obviously an important stage in … Continue reading →

Walking and Menopause

Researchers from Temple University took a look at stress and physical activity in women before, during, and after menopause. You probably won’t be surprised to find out that an active, healthy lifestyle can lower your stress levels. You might be surprised to know that an active, healthy lifestyle can also help ease the transition into menopause! A team from Temple University studied nearly four hundred women for a period of eight years. The study began when the women were premenopausal; the average age of participants was forty-two. Participants were asked to report physical and emotional symptoms of menopause, including hot … Continue reading →

Ease Hot Flashes with Flaxseed

You can never have enough remedies for those hot flashes! Researchers at the Mayo Clinic took a good look at flaxseed in a recent study. A quick look at the study participants: Twenty-one post-menopausal women None using hormone therapy All of them experiencing fourteen or more hot flashes per week The study participants were asked to take four tablespoons of crushed flaxseed daily. They could eat it pretty much any way they wanted to. Some sprinkled it on yogurt or cereal. Some mixed it into juice or water. I’ve never tasted flaxseed myself, so I’m not sure what kind of … Continue reading →

Menopause and Bladder Problems

You think the hot flashes are bad? Another common symptom of menopause is bladder control problems, also known as urinary incontinence. During perimenopause and menopause, levels of estrogen in the body drop dramatically. Estrogen does things like control the menstrual cycle and body changes during pregnancy; this hormone also helps keep your bladder and urethra healthy. As your body goes through menopause and has less estrogen in action, the pelvic muscles that control your bladder can get weaker. There are different types of bladder control problems that can develop during and after menopause. Perhaps the most common kind of bladder … Continue reading →

What Is Perimenopause?

Okay… I’d never heard of perimenopause until my mother started going through it a few years ago. Perimenopause is the transitional stage in a woman’s reproductive life. It starts when the ovaries start to produce less estrogen, signaling the approach of menopause. For most women, perimenopause starts in the forties. Some women experience it in their thirties, too. The average length of the transitional period is four years, but the actual length may vary greatly from woman to woman. Some women are in perimenopause for only a few months; some are in perimenopause for as long as ten years. Perimenopause … Continue reading →

Dealing With Hot Flashes

The most frequent — and most annoying — symptom of menopause and perimenopause is the dreaded hot flashes. More than two thirds of all women going through perimenopause suffer from hot flashes. Nearly all women with premature menopause or induced menopause suffer from hot flashes. What is a hot flash? Doctors don’t know what causes a hot flash, but some suspect they are related to circulatory changes. Blood vessels near the skin’s surface dilate in an attempt to cool, producing a red, flushed look in the face. You may also perspire as your body attempts to cool down. You may … Continue reading →