What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?
The symptoms vary from woman to woman. Only 30% of women see a doctor about symptoms of perimenopause. The other 70% either don't have severe symptoms, or get used to them.
Some women may have:
* hot flushes
* chills
* fatigue
* increased emotions or premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
* insomnia, or difficulty sleeping
* vertigo, or the sensation that the room is spinning
* heart palpitations, or feeling a pounding heart beat
* headache
* muscle pains
* vaginal dryness
* frequent urination
* urinary incontinence, or loss of bladder control
* gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhoea or constipation
About 90% of women have changes in menstruation. The amount of bleeding may increase or decrease. Periods may become longer or shorter, and happen more or less often. Some women have severe symptoms. Others have mild or no symptoms. Fertility decreases, but women can still get pregnant. A woman who does not wish to get pregnant needs to use birth control.
About 60% of women have hot flushes. A hot flash usually comes on suddenly. It feels like heat in the upper body or even the whole body. The woman's upper body or face often turns red, or get red blotches. She may sweat and then shiver as her body returns to a normal temperature. Hot flushes can appear at any time, day or night. The hot flash may last only seconds, or may last up to half an hour. Hot flushes hair chalking are a result of decreasing oestrogen levels. As oestrogen levels decline, the body releases other hormones. These can cause the fluctuations in body temperature.
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