When people think of perimenopause, they usually picture a woman having a hot flash and acting bitchy. While those are definitely symptoms, they are only the tip of the iceberg! For this week’s Love Essentially, I sat down with my friend, Cheri to talk about perimenopause, the symptoms doctors don’t tell you about, and the way perimenopausal women need to be treated!
Be kind to the perimenopausal women in your life
by Jackie Pilossoph for Chicago Tribune Media Group
“Can someone take out the garbage?” “Would you mind emptying the dishwasher?” “The dog needs to go out.” If you’re a mom, I bet, like me, you can’t even count the number of times you’ve asked your family for help around the house, only to give up, do it yourself, and then resent the people who although you love and adore, you wish so badly could comprehend something really significant: You’re tired!
I’m not saying that husbands and kids don’t bring any value to a family, I’m just saying that Mom needs you to chip in more — especially as she starts aging. When I say aging, I’m talking about perimenopause, the time in a woman’s life when her body is making a transition into menopause; the end of her reproductive years.
According to the Mayo Clinic website, perimenopause typically begins when a woman is in her 40s, but can occur earlier for some women. Symptoms include: irregular periods, hot flashes, sleep problems, mood changes, vaginal and bladder problems, decreasing fertility, a decrease in sex drive, loss of bone, or a change in cholesterol levels.
No offense to the Mayo Clinic or the medical profession, in general, but any woman over 40 will tell you there are so many more symptoms to perimenopause that aren’t published in medical journals.
Like this article? Check out, “Women Dating Over 50: Are We In No-Mans Land?”
