Do you find yourself to be easily irritable, having difficulty sleeping at night, experiencing night sweats? Is intercourse suddenly painful and met with less excitement? Hmm you may be experiencing pre-menopausal or perimenopausal symptoms. Let’s talk about it…

Pre-menopause or perimenopause both refer to a transitional period before menopause. During this time, estrogen an important female hormone, starts to decrease and you may experience symptoms such as hot flashes, irregular periods, anxiety, and insomnia to mention a few. Perimenopause can last for years, starting in your 30s and peaking in your late 50s. A woman is said to be in menopause when she does not have her menstruation for 12 full months.

What are estrogen and progesterone and what roles do they play?

Estrogen and progesterone are hormones that are produced by the ovaries.

Estrogen plays many important roles such as

-thickening the lining of the uterus and preparing it for possible implantation of the fertilized egg

-influences how the body uses calcium, which is an important bone building mineral

-keeps the vagina healthy

-prevents osteoporosis

-helps maintain healthy blood cholesterol levels

Progesterone

-helps prepare the uterus for the implantation of a fertilized egg and maintains the pregnancy

-regulates blood pressure

-improves mood and sleep

Management

Management of these uncomfortable symptoms via hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) is an option for management. This method boosts your hormone levels and relieves some of the symptoms of menopause. It requires rigorous screening and evaluation of patient’s hormone levels and symptoms prior to initiation of bioidentical hormones. These hormones are safe and are processed from plants. They help relieve perimenopausal symptoms such as anxiety, generalized chronic pain, insomnia, and hot flashes. They are available as injections, pills, creams, gels, sprays, vaginal inserts, patches, and implanted pellets. It is important that you consult with your care provider @ linktocare to assess what your hormone types are in determining what type of replacement will be needed for you as these treatments have to be customized.