Women are being urged to know common symptoms which can hit "without warning".
According to the NHS, perimenopause is when you have symptoms before your periods have stopped. You reach menopause when you have not had a period for 12 months.
Both menopause and perimenopause can cause symptoms such as anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, hot flushes and irregular periods and can start years before your periods stop and carry on afterward. They can also have a big impact on your every day life.
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The ECHO has previously reported on fears around women going into the menopause and perimenopause without knowing what to expect. Yvonne Lloyd did not realise what was happening to her until she spent "long hours" researching her symptoms.
Common symptoms:
- Changes to your periods - The first sign of the perimenopause can be a change in the normal pattern of your periods
- Mental health symptoms - Such as changes to your mood, low self esteem and problems with memory or concentration
- Hot flushes - Sudden feelings of hot or cold in your face, neck and chest which can make you dizzy
- Difficulty sleeping - Which may be a result of night sweats and make you feel tired and irritable during the day
- Palpitations - Your heartbeats suddenly become more noticeable
- Headaches and migraines that are worse than usual
- Muscle aches and joint pains
- Changed body shape and weight gain
- Skin changes including dry and itchy skin
- Reduced sex drive
- Vaginal dryness and pain, itching or discomfort during sex
- Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Women’s health experts Forth conducted a survey of over 4,000 women in the UK, finding that the most common symptoms were changes in mood, changes to memory, poor sleep and brain fog.
However, research suggests diet can play a big part in managing some of these symptoms and so Forth’s team of women’s health experts have revealed the top foods that can ease symptoms, including:
Lean meats, such as chicken or turkey, to provide protein and reduce snacking between meals.
Oily fish, such as salmon and mackerel, for Vitamin D and Omega-3 to support the heart and joints.
Leafy greens, such as kale, increase iron and produce healthy red blood cells.
Whole grains, like barley and brown rice, are high in magnesium to maintain bone strength.
Greek yogurt is high in calcium and assists with bone strength as well as maintaining a healthy gut.
Nuts, particularly peanuts and almonds, contain both magnesium and iron, and assist with brain functionality.
Along with eating the right types of foods, a reduction in eating high sugary content food, alcohol, high caffeine drinks and processed foods can help ease symptoms. NHS advice on what you can do to ease certain symptoms can be found here.
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