{"id":1645321,"date":"2022-09-17T07:57:44","date_gmt":"2022-09-17T11:57:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1645321"},"modified":"2022-09-17T08:00:14","modified_gmt":"2022-09-17T12:00:14","slug":"five-things-you-need-to-know-about-perimenopause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-perimenopause\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Things You Need to Know About Perimenopause"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffive-things-you-need-to-know-about-perimenopause%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1645321&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>If you feel like you&#8217;re hearing the word &#8220;perimenopause&#8221; more and more lately, you&#8217;re not imagining things. Perimenopause\u2014defined as the years <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/bestlifeonline.com\/eating-taste-menopause-news\/\" target=\"_blank\">leading up to menopause<\/a>\u2014is having a moment, with celebrities like <strong>Gwyneth Paltrow<\/strong> opening up <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer external nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/femail\/article-9998759\/Gwyneth-Paltrow-details-perimenopause-symptoms-Paleo-diet.html\" target=\"_blank\">about their symptoms<\/a> and TV shows like <em>Sex and the City<\/em> reboot <em>And Just Like That\u2026<\/em> <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer external nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.today.com\/health\/aging\/flash-period-sex-city-reboot-highlights-perimenopause-rcna13808\" target=\"_blank\">tackling the topic<\/a> with humor. In spite of that, however, many people still don&#8217;t know quite what perimenopause is, or whether they might actually be going through it themselves.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mache Seibel<\/strong>, MD, OB-GYN, author of <em>The Estrogen Fix<\/em> and <em>Working Through Menopause<\/em>, is <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer external nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/drmache.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">trying to change that<\/a> by shedding light on all things perimenopause, as well as on menopause itself. Read on to find out what he told <em>Best Life<\/em> about this inevitable, and completely normal, life stage that anyone with a uterus can expect to face, if they haven&#8217;t already.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ THIS NEXT: <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/bestlifeonline.com\/stacy-london-menopause-exclusive-interview-news\/\" target=\"_blank\">Stacy London Says She&#8217;s Fighting Back Against This Health &#8220;Crisis&#8221; in Exclusive Interview<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"381720\" class=\"alignnone\"><noscript><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"credit\"><a rel=\"noopener noreferrer external nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.istockphoto.com\/photo\/young-african-descent-woman-with-dreadlocks-looking-at-camera-gm1343974362-422472957?phrase=tattoo\" target=\"blank\">iStock<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You may think of perimenopause as something that only happens to older people, but it can start much earlier than you think: &#8220;The average age of menopause in the US is 51,&#8221; says Seibel. &#8220;But five to ten percent of women enter menopause before age 45; one percent before age 40. So, perimenopause can possibly begin as early as mid to late 30s,&#8221; he explains. And with many people putting off having children until their late 30s, or even early 40s, this can come as an unwelcome surprise. &#8220;Many women struggling with infertility are, in fact, approaching or in perimenopause,&#8221; Seibel notes.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"356641\" class=\"alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignnone size-full wp-image-356641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/depressed-woman.jpg\" alt=\"middle aged white woman sitting on floor resting arms on knees looking sad\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/depressed-woman.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/depressed-woman-1.jpg, 333&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 500w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/depressed-woman-2.jpg, 512&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/depressed-woman-3.jpg, 683&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 1024w\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignnone size-full wp-image-356641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/depressed-woman.jpg\" alt=\"middle aged white woman sitting on floor resting arms on knees looking sad\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/depressed-woman.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/depressed-woman-1.jpg, 333&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 500w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/depressed-woman-2.jpg, 512&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/depressed-woman-3.jpg, 683&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 1024w\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"credit\">SB Arts Media \/ Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So what exactly are the symptoms of perimenopause? &#8220;The most common symptoms are mood changes, menstrual cycle changes, less sexual desire, anxiety and sadness, or mild depression,&#8221; says Seibel, noting that the same symptoms can also be due to anxiety or depression unrelated to the menstrual cycle. &#8220;Those symptoms are inseparable from perimenopause. But if [someone has] suddenly or recently gotten more anxious and depressed, something must be changing, and the more common thing is perimenopause,&#8221; he explains.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"389034\" class=\"alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignnone size-full wp-image-389034\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-blood-draw.jpg\" alt=\"Preparation for blood test with beautiful young blond woman by female doctor in white coat medical uniform on the table in white bright room. Nurse rubbing a hand sterile patient tissue.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-blood-draw.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-blood-draw-1.jpg, 333&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 500w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-blood-draw-2.jpg, 512&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-blood-draw-3.jpg, 683&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 1024w\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignnone size-full wp-image-389034\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-blood-draw.jpg\" alt=\"Preparation for blood test with beautiful young blond woman by female doctor in white coat medical uniform on the table in white bright room. Nurse rubbing a hand sterile patient tissue.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-blood-draw.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-blood-draw-1.jpg, 333&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 500w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-blood-draw-2.jpg, 512&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-blood-draw-3.jpg, 683&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 1024w\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"credit\">IvanRiver \/ Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One of the more frustrating things about perimenopause is that it&#8217;s virtually impossible to know for sure whether you&#8217;re in it. &#8220;There is no marker that is absolute,&#8221; says Seibel. &#8220;A slightly elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level is the best indicator. But these values aren&#8217;t linear; they can fluctuate up and down\u2026 It&#8217;s like the stock market,&#8221; he explains. That said, getting a blood test to determine your FSH level can be helpful. &#8220;A blood test for FSH is not diagnostic, but when it begins to be above 15 miU\/ml, perimenopause is likely in process.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>For more health news sent directly to your inbox, <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/bestlifeonline.com\/newsletters\/\" target=\"_blank\">sign up for our daily newsletter<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"389038\" class=\"alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignnone size-full wp-image-389038\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-planner.jpg\" alt=\"Side view of woman in pink looking at date on calendar\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-planner.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-planner-1.jpg, 333&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 500w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-planner-2.jpg, 512&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-planner-3.jpg, 683&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 1024w\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignnone size-full wp-image-389038\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-planner.jpg\" alt=\"Side view of woman in pink looking at date on calendar\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-planner.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-planner-1.jpg, 333&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 500w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-planner-2.jpg, 512&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/woman-planner-3.jpg, 683&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 1024w\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"credit\">theshots.co \/ Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Anyone who has experienced perimenopause can tell you that it&#8217;s no picnic. Moodiness, a period that plays peek-a-boo, and a decreased libido aren&#8217;t fun\u2014and to add insult to injury, when you <em>are<\/em> feeling frisky, you may realize that sex is becoming uncomfortable. &#8220;Vaginal dryness is also a common symptom of perimenopause,&#8221; Seibel says, adding that &#8221; over-the-counter remedies, like <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer external nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.replens.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Replens products<\/a>, can be very helpful.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>So how long can people expect this transition, which they may not even know they&#8217;re in until after the fact, to last? &#8220;Perimenopause can last up to 10 years,&#8221; says Seibel. &#8220;The two-to-three years before menopause (which they would only know in retrospect) are usually the worst symptoms. In fact, many women think perimenopause is menopause due to the worsening of symptoms.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"389032\" class=\"alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignnone size-full wp-image-389032\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/birth-control-pocket.jpg\" alt=\"Healthcare medicine, contraception and birth control. Closeup oral contraceptive pills, condom in denim pocket.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/birth-control-pocket.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/birth-control-pocket-1.jpg, 333&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 500w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/birth-control-pocket-2.jpg, 512&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/birth-control-pocket-3.jpg, 683&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 1024w\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload alignnone size-full wp-image-389032\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/birth-control-pocket.jpg\" alt=\"Healthcare medicine, contraception and birth control. Closeup oral contraceptive pills, condom in denim pocket.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/birth-control-pocket.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/birth-control-pocket-1.jpg, 333&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 500w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/birth-control-pocket-2.jpg, 512&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 768w, https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/birth-control-pocket-3.jpg, 683&amp;quality=82&amp;strip=all 1024w\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"credit\">Kriang kan \/ Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For many people, one of the benefits of being in menopause\u2014which happens once you&#8217;ve gone a full year without having a period\u2014is that they no longer have to worry about the risk of pregnancy. However, this is <em>not<\/em> true of perimenopause. &#8220;Fertility is reduced [during perimenopause] but not eliminated,&#8221; Seibel explains. &#8220;Until they have gone 12 months without a period\u2026 [people need to use] birth control if they are sexually active.&#8221;<span aria-hidden=\"true\">ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Another important point? People in perimenopause or menopause still need to practice safe sex. &#8220;Using birth control pills doesn&#8217;t protect you from sexually transmitted infections (STIs),&#8221; Seibel points out. In fact, STIs <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer external nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/diseases-and-conditions\/sexually-transmitted-disease-at-my-age\" target=\"_blank\">are on the rise<\/a> in older people, Harvard Health reports.<\/p>\n<p>If you have questions about perimenopause, menopause, your ability to get pregnant, or whether you&#8217;re at risk of contracting an STI, speak with your healthcare provider.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you feel like you&#8217;re hearing the word &#8220;perimenopause&#8221; more and more lately, you&#8217;re not imagining things. Perimenopause\u2014defined as the years leading up to menopause\u2014is having a moment, with<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1645323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1645321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1645321"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1645321\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1645323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1645321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1645321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1645321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}