There are numerous symptoms of perimenopause - the first phase of a gradual and natural decline in reproductive hormones.
Most women notice changes from around the age of 45 onwards, but this may be earlier - particularly if female relatives were affected at a younger age.
Others won’t experience symptoms until their 50s and some really lucky ones won’t have symptoms at all!
Menopause is reached when you haven't had a menstrual bleed for 12 months and it's likely that your periods will have stopped for good.
You're then considered post-menopausal, though symptoms may continue for some time - so the entire menopausal process can take between 3 and 7 years.
It’s important to remember that menopause is a normal part of life and not an illness, but some of us may experience deep hormonal shifts that may have a severe impact.
Perimenopause
The most obvious sign of declining hormones will be a change in your menstrual cycle.
Your periods may become lighter or much heavier, arrive earlier or later, become shorter or longer - or even go missing completely for a while.
The decline of hormones may cause numerous symptoms including:
* If you’re younger than 45, it's best to see your GP to rule out thyroid problems, low iron levels or vitamin B12/vitamin D deficiency.
How reflexology can help
* (E. Gozuyesil, M. Baser, Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2016 Aug;24:78-85. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.05.011. Epub 2016 May)
Reflexology is a calming holistic therapy that may help you to cope better with the ups and downs of this stage of life.
It’s especially suitable if you’re keen to take an holistic approach, or if you're unable to take HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy).
Reflexology provides gentle support and may help to:
Treatments work well alongside HRT and may give additional natural balancing effects.
My own challenging menopausal symptoms led to lots of research and I used several complementary remedies to ease my symptoms. I also completed additional reflexology training, to ensure that I can treat clients most effectively at this time.
Lifestyle choices made a significant difference to my symptoms, so we’ll explore this during your pre-treatment consultation.
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Other support
We will all have our own unique experience of menopause, but if you feel that your quality of life is being affected, please don’t suffer in silence…
In recent years the menopause specialist Dr Louise Newson and celebrities (including Davina McCall), have raised awareness of menopause and how it can negatively impact our lives.
The good news is that more treatment options are now available - including newer body identical and transdermal versions of HRT.
You should be able to book an appointment to talk to your GP or Practice Nurse, to see if this could be suitable for you.
Here are some additional online resources that may help…
NHS - Menopause
Balance
Health and Her
Rock My Menopause
