When it comes to their physical health and overall well-being, women will experience several changes as they age. One of the most notable ones is menopause. According to a study published by the National Institute on Aging, over 1 million women in the U.S. experience menopause each year. Before menopause, however, these women will experience perimenopause. Both these transitional periods in a woman’s life can trigger hormonal imbalances, which are responsible for a variety of unpleasant symptoms.
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Perimenopause vs. Menopause
To appreciate the challenges women face during perimenopause and menopause, it helps to understand the difference between the two. Perimenopause denotes the time leading up to menopause when women first start experiencing menopause-related symptoms. For some women, perimenopause can begin in their 30s, but most reach this turning point when they are between 40 and 44. That’s the conclusion reached in a study published by Mount Sinai, which evaluated symptoms of menopause affecting women in their late 30s and 40s.
The study further notes that perimenopause is associated with changes in a woman’s menstrual flow. Some women might notice that their menstrual cycles have become shorter, and others will find that they have become longer. And it does not end there. For some women, perimenopause can cause anovulatory cycles, which means their ovaries do not release an egg. In other words, they are less likely to become pregnant.
Menopause marks the complete end of menstruation and fertility for women. And for many, it also marks the worsening of symptoms related to hormonal imbalances. Officially, menopause is a point in a woman’s life when they go 12 months after experiencing their last period. Multiple studies show the average age for menopause is 51, but some women reach this milestone in their 40s.
What Hormonal Imbalances Do Women Experience During Perimenopause and Menopause?
Most women experience a wide range of physical and emotional challenges when they go through perimenopause and eventually settle into menopause. And that is primarily attributable to the hormonal imbalances associated with both. The primary hormones affected by perimenopause and menopause include estrogen and progesterone. However, prolactin and human growth hormones can also be affected. Now, to appreciate how these hormonal imbalances can trigger unpleasant symptoms for perimenopausal and menopausal women, we need to look at each individually. During this time, maintaining vaginal health is also crucial, and using tools like the Evvy yeast test can help identify any infections that may exacerbate discomfort.
Estrogen
For those unaware, estrogen is a group of steroid hormones secreted by the ovaries and the adrenal glands. And they play a critical role in a woman’s overall health. Along with regulating a woman’s menstrual cycle, estrogen supports and protects the health of the reproductive and urinary tract, heart and blood vessels, bones, breasts, skin, hair, mucous membranes, pelvic muscles, and brain. Studies show healthy estrogen levels for premenopausal women are 30 to 400 pg/mL and 0 to 30 pg/mL for postmenopausal women. When their estrogen levels fall too low, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women often experience the following symptoms:
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Amenorrhea
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Dry skin
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Headaches
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Hot flashes
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Insomnia and hypersomnia
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Low libido and painful intercourse
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Moodiness and irritability
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Night sweats
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Tender breasts
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Unintentional weight gain
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Vaginal atrophy
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Vaginal dryness
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Weak or brittle bones
Progesterone
Like estrogen, the ovaries and the adrenal glands secrete progesterone. These steroid hormones play a crucial role in enabling women to become pregnant. That’s because they are responsible for thickening the uterine lining and creating a healthy environment for a fertilized egg to implant and ultimately develop into a fetus. And that’s in addition to regulating a woman’s menstrual cycle. Healthy progesterone levels for women are 0.1 to 0.7 ng/mL in the follicular stage of their menstrual cycle and 2 to 25 ng/mL in the luteal stage of their menstrual cycle. The falloff is considerable during perimenopause and menopause. Studies show that most perimenopausal and menopausal women have progesterone levels measuring less than 0.1 ng/mL in their blood. Symptoms typical of low progesterone levels in perimenopausal and menopausal women include the following:
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Anxiety and depression
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Bloating
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Fertility problems
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Headaches
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Hot flashes
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Irregular menstrual periods
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Sleeping problems
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Unintentional weight gain
Prolactin
Secreted by the pituitary gland, prolactin is a hormone that primarily helps with lactation and breast tissue development. However, it also plays a role in a woman’s overall sexual health. Studies show that prolactin levels in premenopausal women are less than 25 ng/mL). Many perimenopausal and menopausal women have prolactin levels well above this range in their blood. High prolactin levels are associated with the following symptoms:
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A decline in bone mass
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Galactorrhea
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Headaches
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Infertility
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Low libido
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Vaginal dryness
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Vision problems
Human Growth Hormones
Human growth hormones are peptide hormones that, much like in men, play a critical role in regulating body fluids, body composition, sugar and fat metabolism, and heart function in women. And they are secreted by the pituitary gland. During perimenopause and menopause, women experience a significant decline in their HGH levels. Healthy HGH levels for premenopausal women are between 1 and 14 ng/mL or 44 to 616 pmol/L. When HGH levels for perimenopausal and menopausal women fall too low, most will experience the following symptoms:
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A decline in lean muscle mass
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Decreased sexual function and sexual desire
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Fatigue
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Increased abdominal fat
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Increased sensitivity to heat and cold
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Thin, sagging skin
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Weakened cognitive function
How Perimenopausal and Menopausal Women Can Combat Hormonal Imbalances Naturally
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is considered the go-to for resolving hormonal imbalances and providing relief from symptoms associated with those imbalances. But adopting healthy lifestyle habits can also help. Some of the ones commonly recommended by endocrinologists and gynecologists include the following:
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Consuming a healthy, well-balanced diet
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Exercising regularly
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Getting plenty of sleep
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Limiting caffeine and alcohol consumption
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Minimizing stress
In summary, perimenopause and eventual menopause are both part of the human experience for women as they age. And the hormonal imbalances and associated symptoms are par for the course. Fortunately, there are things women can do to make coping with these changes a little easier. That includes starting an HRT regimen, adopting healthy lifestyle habits, or both.
