We can look at 45 as a usual time when premenopausal symptoms first appear.
Unlike the popular misconception, premenopause does not only refer to
irritability and mood swings but a whole set of distinct physiological
symptoms. These symptoms may be vague independently but together
confirm a woman’s ingress into perimenopause.
The
symptoms every woman should be able to tell are irregularity of
menstruation, hot flashes and associated stress/ irritability. Here
irritability is not the primary symptom but an associated one.
There may be associated depression, weight gain, water retention and headaches as well.
At times, these symptoms may cause
quite a bit of discomfort, resulting in women thinking of various
solutions, many of which are suggested by other peers in small chats
and internet chat rooms.
Remember, this is your health we are
dealing with. Therefore always consult your gynecologist before
considering a drastic measure like hysterectomy or tubal reversal
without revealing your true reasons.
How long will this disease last?
Technically speaking, premenopause or
menopause is not a disease but merely a switching phase of the body,
accompanied with some uncomfortable and, at times, debilitating
symptoms. There have been known cases of women who experience sudden
cessation of menstruation. However, for the majority, it is the usual
grill i.e. approximately 3-6 years of premenopause followed by 2-4
years of postmenopausal symptoms. The symptoms may be mild enough to
ignore and severe enough to ask for medications.
Do I need medication?
That is for you and your doctor to
decide. If you are experiencing nonadjustable problems, you should seek
proper medical advice. The symptoms are basically due to hormonal
fluctuations. Most women complain of lack of energy in addition to the
above-mentioned symptoms.
In either case, you may consider many alternatives.
How will it affect me in future?
In the best way possible! You will not
have to experience menstruation and associated body cramps. You won’t
have to worry about unwanted pregnancies. The depression and stress is
momentary and will pass away before you even notice. This phase is
tough but will be gone soon.
Is there anything that I did to cause this?
No. This is inevitable and unavoidable.
You may have accelerated its onset but no matter what you did, this was
nonetheless bound to happen. It is a natural process.
What do you mean by my accelerating its onset?
Yes it is a possibility that certain aspects of your lifestyle caused an earlier onset of menopause. Those aspects are:
- Hysterectomy (as it only removes the uterus, not the ovaries)
- Smoking
- No history of pregnancy
- Treatment history of pelvic radiation or chemotherapy
How do I know when to go to a doctor for my premenopausal symptoms?
In case of unusually heavy bleeding,
longer menstruation i.e. more than 9 days, shorter cycle, and spotting
in the middle of cycle, you need to see your gynecologist regardless of
appearance of other symptoms.
Is this dangerous? Will I have to undergo a surgery? Will the surgery be reversible?
Whoops, lots of questions there. No it
isn’t dangerous and you will not necessarily have to undergo a surgery.
Most of the times, hormone replacement therapy HRT is advised. This
therapy may be a combined pill or a progestin only therapy, depending
upon your spectrum of symptoms.
Occasionally endometrial ablation is
performed that is destruction of uterine mucosal lining. This is a
surgery and not reversible. Even if you opt for a hysterectomy, that is
not reversible. The reversible procedure you might be thinking of is
tubal reversal which is done to reverse a tubal ligation. That has no
effect on menopause at all.
Tubal Reversal