For practically their entire adult lives, women hear about menopause and its symptoms as something in the distant future. Surprisingly, what they should know is that the menopause process starts a lot sooner than most people think. The first stage of the menopause process is premenopause, the beginning of women’s reproductive lives.
About Pre Menopause
Premenopause is the first of the four stages in the premenopause process. It starts when a woman enters the reproductive years, and finishes with the first signs that menopause is getting closer.
The beginning of premenopause can be identified with the first menstrual cycle. In contrast, the ends is not as clear, as it manifests variably in the late 30s of 40s with the first discomforts of menopause, such as hot flushes, mood swings, etc.
Differences: Pre Menopause and Menopause Confusion might arise with these terms, and having a clear notion of both is vital to get a thorough knowledge of what happens within women’s bodies. The difference is as follows:
Premenopause: First stage of the process, time in which a woman is fully fertile and menopause symptoms haven’t manifested yet.
Menopause: Total cessation of menstrual cycles for 12 months or more.
Bear in mind that not all women go through the menopause process at the same age. Fortunately, tests have been developed to help women identify if they remain in premenopause or have already moved on to the next stage.
Since hormone levels are generally stable during premenopause, the symptoms women experience are not usually as noticeable as the ones from menopause.
At most, there could be some upsetting problems during the menstrual cycle. These upsetting problems are also referred as Pre- Menstrual Syndrome (PMS).
See our other symptoms of Menopause
Causes of Pre Menopause
Hormones are at the very heart of the causes of premenopause. Natural hormones like oestrogen and progesterone begin to fluctuate during premenopause, leading to the symptoms that so many women report.
Hormonal Causes: Occurring gradually in harmony with the rhythm of a woman’s body, these are natural fluctuations in hormones that accompany the menstrual cycle and can lead to unpleasant symptoms.
External Causes: These include prolonged physical or emotional stress, diets rich in refined carbohydrates, and frequent exposure to certain toxins.
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