Is It Perimenopause, or Is There Something Else Going On!?

Did you know that early perimenopause symptoms can show up as early as your late 30s or early 40s for some women?

Contrary to what many of us think of when we hear the word menopause, there is much more to this process than skipping periods and experiencing hot flashes and night sweats.

There is a range of symptoms that women may experience as their hormones change, including worsening sleep, changes to bleeding patterns, new onset or worsening of PMS and other mood concerns, menstrual headaches, vaginal dryness, joint pain and brain fog. Some may experience multiple symptoms, and some may coast through this transition without many changes at all. All experiences are individual and unique.

A challenging part of this natural phase of life is that one month may be very different from the next; talk about a rollercoaster ride! This is why it is recommended that you don’t go out and spend a ton of money on super-expensive hormone tests to guide a treatment plan for yourself. The following month could show something totally different! That being said, blood testing for hormones can be used to help determine that there’s not a different reason that you’re not feeling like yourself because many other issues can closely mimic perimenopause symptoms.

The most important thing to remember as you transition through your 40s and into your post-menopause years is that you are not alone, and although your symptoms may be expected when you’re on the hormone rollercoaster, you do not need to suck it up and suffer through this phase of life. Seeking out a health support team to help you feel like yourself again may be the greatest gift you can give yourself.

Bio: Dr. Meghan MacKinnon, ND, MSCP, is a Menopause Society-certified Naturopathic Doctor on a mission to help women feel their best at all stages of life, regardless of age. She takes an evidence-based and integrative approach to treatment by investigating all factors contributing to health using lab testing to help guide the assessment and prevention of cardiovascular disease, metabolic concerns, and osteoporosis. She believes that perimenopause and menopause can be an opportunity to pause and refocus on what matters the most with your health.

Website: www.megmackinnon.ca

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