The reproductive life of a woman begins to culminate when she enters her forties or fifties. The entire spectrum of the process is normal as a woman comes to age, and there’s nothing to worry about.
However, there are quite a few symptoms that are found to be common before and after the period of culmination. The entire process of termination is divided into three stages – perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause.
Key Takeaways
- Perimenopause is the transitional phase leading to menopause, characterized by hormonal fluctuations and irregular periods.
- Menopause marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years, defined by the absence of menstruation for 12 consecutive months.
- Symptoms during perimenopause can include hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances, while menopause relieves these symptoms.
Perimenopause vs Menopause
Perimenopause is the medical term that describes the stage in a woman that occurs before the start of menopause, and it happens in the early forties. Menopause is the medical term that describes the stage in a woman’s life when her menstruation cycle stops, and it occurs during old age.
Perimenopause refers to the stage that occurs before the beginning of menopause. This happens when a woman enters her 40s.
However, some women may find perimenopausal symptoms surfacing as early as when they are 30. The term perimenopause can be translated to ‘around menopause’ and can also be referred to as ‘menopausal transition’.
Menopause is a natural biological process that occurs in women between the age of 45-50.
In the United States, most women experience this when they reach the age of 51! However, for all women, menopause marks the end of their reproductive life. The menopausal stage begins 12 months after a woman has stopped menstruating.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Perimenopause | Menopause |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Perimenopause is the period that a woman goes through before the beginning of the menopausal stage. | Menopause refers to the stage of a woman’s life when she stops menstruating. |
| Occurrence | This stage occurs before the menopausal stage. | This stage follows the perimenopausal stage. |
| Symptoms | Some symptoms include Irregular periods, weight gain, tenderness of breasts, loss of sex drive, etc. | Some symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, depression, night sweats, dry skin, fatigue, etc. |
| Age | Perimenopause occurs between the ages of 30 and 40. | Menopause occurs when a woman enters her 40s or 50s. |
| Estrogen Production | There is a decrease in the production of estrogen in the ovaries. | The production of estrogen in the ovaries comes to an end. |
| Menstrual Cycle | A woman may or may not have regular menstrual periods during perimenopause. | A woman no longer experiences menstrual periods at the stage of menopause. |
| Fertility | A woman may come across fertility problems in this stage. | As the production of eggs terminates completely, a woman becomes infertile when she experiences menopause. |
What is Perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the stage in a woman’s reproductive life when she transitions into the stage of menopause. On account of this, perimenopause is also termed menopausal transition.
This period occurs years before the menopause period. Generally, a woman is in her 30s or 40s when she experiences this.
During perimenopause, the ovaries in a woman reduce the production of oestrogen over time. The average time when a woman experiences this is 4 years.
However, some women may even have it for a few months or even 10 years. When a woman does not get her menstrual period for a total of 12 months, the stage of perimenopause ends.
Some common symptoms that women experience during perimenopause include hot flashes, low sex drive, breast tenderness, fatigue, irregular periods, worsened premenstrual syndrome, vaginal dryness, urine leakage, urinary urgency, mood swings, trouble sleeping, etc.
Some women may even experience heavy periods or spotting after sex.
Women should get themselves checked by a medical professional whenever they experience these symptoms. A doctor diagnoses a woman with perimenopause based on these symptoms only.
A blood test to check hormone levels may also prove to be useful. Interestingly, a woman can get pregnant even while she experiences perimenopause.
What is Menopause?
Menopause is the stage in a woman’s reproductive life when she does not experience her menstrual cycles for 12 months. This occurs when a woman enters her 40s or 50s.
As a matter of fact, the average age for a woman to experience menopause is 51 in the United States. The process is natural and biological. Menopause brings several symptoms along with it.
Some of the most common ones include vaginal dryness, night sweats, hot flashes, chills, sleep problems, mood swings, slowed metabolism, increased weight, hair thinning, dry skin, decrease in breast size, etc.
On coming across any of these symptoms, it is advisable to visit a medical professional at the earliest.
There are many causes other than the age factor due to which menopause occurs in women. For example, chemotherapy and radiation can induce menopause and cause dire symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.
Another example is primary ovarian insufficiency. This is when the ovaries fail to produce a natural number of reproductive hormones.
It affects about 1% of women and causes them to experience menopause before the age of 40. This is also called premature menopause. For women who experience this, hormonal therapy is recommended.
Main Differences Between Perimenopause and Menopause
- Perimenopause refers to the period that occurs before the beginning of menopause.
- Perimenopause is followed by the menopausal period.
- Perimenopause occurs when a woman is in her 30s or 40s, while menopause occurs when a woman enters her 40s or 50s.
- A woman has irregular periods during perimenopause, while her menstrual cycle stops completely during menopause.
- Perimenopause causes fertility problems in women, while menopause causes infertility.
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.5172/conu.2011.37.2.229
- https://www.obgyn.theclinics.com/article/S0889-8545(18)30071-8/abstract
Last Updated : 19 August, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
I didn’t know that women could still get pregnant during perimenopause!
I was surprised too. It’s an important fact to highlight.
I’m glad that menopause is explained in detail.
Yes, it’s very important information that every woman should know.
This article is really informative. I will definitely share with my friends!
That was my thought exactly, Hall! This article might help a lot of people.
The most interesting part for me was the symptoms.
I agree, and how important it is for women to be aware of them.
It’s quite worrisome that a woman in her 30s can start experiencing perimenopausal symptoms. This is not good.
It sure is, I think women should be more informed about this.
This information could really help a lot of people.
Great article to learn about women’s reproductive health and different stages.
Yes, I learned a lot from it.
There are so many other reasons than age as to why menopause occurs, I believe women should be made aware of this.
Whenever I see an article like this I’m reminded of how little is known about women’s health.
I completely agree, Isaac. This was a great read.