Struggling to sleep, feeling hot and bothered, more anxious than usual?
You may have entered perimenopause, the first phase of a gradual and natural decline in your reproductive hormones.
Most women begin to notice symptoms from the age of around 45 onwards, but this may happen earlier - especially if your female relatives were affected at a younger age.
Some women won’t experience symptoms until they reach their 50s and some REALLY lucky ones won’t have any symptoms at all!
Menopause is defined as being the absence of a menstrual bleed of more than 12 months, when it's likely that periods will have stopped for good.
It’s common for symptoms to continue for some time after this though, which means that 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 sadly some women experience deep hormonal shifts, that may cause more severe issues.
Perimenopause
The most obvious sign of declining hormones will be a change in your menstrual cycle.
Your periods may become lighter or heavier, arrive earlier or later, become shorter or longer, or even go missing for a while.
There are around 35 symptoms of Perimenopause including:
* Please note that if you’re younger than 45, it’s always advisable to see your GP, as symptoms could be the result of poor thyroid function, low iron or a lack of vitamin B12 or vitamin D.
How Reflexology can help
Reflexology is a gentle holistic therapy that can provide wonderful support at this time of life.
It can be especially suitable if you are unable to use Hormone Replacement Therapy, or are looking at a more natural approach.
Reflexology can also work brilliantly alongside HRT and will provide additional calming support.
Reflexology sessions encourage deep relaxation and can help you cope better with the ups and downs of this stage of life.
Treatments may help:
Making the correct lifestyle choices can have a significant impact on your symptoms and these will be explored during your consultation.
* (E. Gozuyesil, M. Baser, Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2016 Aug;24:78-85. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.05.011. Epub 2016 May)
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Other support
Every woman will have her own unique experience of menopause, but if you feel your quality of life is being affected, please don’t suffer in silence…
Over the last couple of years, celebrities including Davina McCall, have shone a spotlight on menopause and how it adversely affects women.
Their campaign has generated far greater awareness of the issues that many women face, especially if they are struggling with symptoms and are having to cope with work and caring responsibilities.
The great news is that more treatment options are available, including newer body identical versions of HRT. You should be able to consult your GP or Practice Nurse to see if this would be suitable for you.
Here are some additional online resources that I hope may help…
NHS - Menopause
Balance
Health and Her
Rock My Menopause
