Perimenopause vs. Menopause: What’s the Difference?
October marks Menopause Awareness Month and we want to take things back to basics, answering the question: what’s the difference between perimenopause and menopause?
We’re sharing everything you need to know including the average of onset for each, the duration, the most common symptoms, and more. But to get started here’s a simple breakdown:
Perimenopause is a transitional stage of life where a woman’s body starts undergoing hormonal changes that lead up to menopause itself. This phase can last several years.
Menopause indicates the specific time when a woman has not experienced a period in over 12 months. Reaching menopause is effectively one day in your life.
This graphic might help to visualize it more easily:
It can help to think of going through perimenopause as the reverse of going through puberty.
Puberty is also a transitional stage of life lasting several years (usually between the ages of 10-15) when a person reaches sexual maturity — the “turning on” of reproductive capabilities. It includes physical, emotional, and mental side effects that are a result of hormonal changes.
On the other side of that, perimenopause is the stage of life where the body starts “turning off” its reproductive capabilities. It too includes physical, emotional, and mental side effects that are a result of hormonal changes.
Why we prefer focusing on perimenopause
Menopause itself just marks the end of a woman’s reproductive life — but it doesn’t capture the entire change process that the body goes through to get there.
Here at MBODY, we use the word perimenopause a lot more frequently, because it feels more representative of the experience of symptoms over time as a woman approaches menopause.
But let’s look at each in a bit more detail…
What you need to know about perimenopause
What happens in the body
The key reproductive hormones in your body, estrogen and progesterone, start fluctuating. Levels might be higher than normal or lower than normal — basically, everything starts bouncing around a bit. But over time, your estrogen levels will be on a gradual decline. It’s a time when your hormones are more likely to be out of balance, and that’s what leads to the associated symptoms.
Age of onset:
The average age of onset is 45. However, it’s believed that this can range from your late 30s to your early 50s.
Duration:
On average, perimenopause lasts for 4-7 years, however, it can last anywhere between 2 and 15 years.
Common symptoms:
There are 34 recognized symptoms of perimenopause. The symptoms of perimenopause are what most people associate with “menopause” traditionally. Some of the most common ones include hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, mood changes, tender breasts, low libido, vaginal dryness, fatigue, abdominal weight gain, worsening PMS, hair loss, and headaches. For a complete list of symptoms and what to expect, check out Why you should track the 34 symptoms of menopause.
What to expect with your menstrual cycle:
One of the first symptoms women notice that indicates their entrance into perimenopause is an irregular period.
There is no clear-cut experience of menstrual cycles during perimenopause. You may find that your cycle becomes longer, or shorter, or the length fluctuates from cycle to cycle. You may also find that you bleed for fewer days but that it’s a heavier flow, or you may bleed longer than normal, or you may start experiencing lighter flows and spotting. Does this make it all more confusing to keep track of? Yes of course! Perimenopause is not here to make your life easier, that’s why knowing what to look out for and learning to listen to your body is so important.
Ability to conceive:
You can conceive during perimenopause! It can definitely be harder to get pregnant due to the irregularity of your cycle, which means you’re not ovulating in as predictable of a pattern. But — barring other complicating conditions — while you are still having periods it is possible to pregnant.
What you need to know about menopause
What happens in the body
When you reach menopause, it means your circulating estrogen levels have reached their “new normal”, which is a much lower level than they were before perimenopause started. You may still have some fluctuations as things settle down, but from this point forward you are considered post-menopausal.
Age of onset:
The average age a woman reaches menopause is 51.
Duration:
Remember, menopause is just one day in your life! Everything prior to that was part of your perimenopausal transitional stage. Everything after this point is considered post-menopausal.
Common symptoms:
That day you reach menopause itself is not inherently associated with symptoms, it’s not as if you’ll feel noticeably different on that day compared to others.
The symptomatic experience spans across on either side of menopause (perimenopause and post-menopause). The 12 months before you reach menopause are generally associated with the most symptom severity, and symptoms can continue for several years after you reach menopause though they will gradually subside over time.
What to expect with your menstrual cycle:
Reaching menopause means you no longer have a period and have not had one for over 12 months.
If you do experience vaginal bleeding or spotting after this time, it’s important to talk with your doctor right away.
Ability to conceive:
Once you reach menopause your reproductive hormone levels are low enough that you should not be able to conceive naturally. Conceiving through IVF after menopause is definitely possible but does come with risks and it’s important to talk to a healthcare professional if this is a route you are considering.
Final takeaways
So, why do we think the distinction between perimenopause and menopause is so important?
Since the average age that women reach menopause is 51 it’s easy to just “not worry” about it until your late 40s or even 50s. That leaves younger women blissfully unaware of what’s to come. But the sooner you start thinking about your perimenopause experience, the better. Because you can start learning more about your body, what your hormones are telling you, and making choices that can help make your perimenopause experience easier in the future. That way we can feel empowered and energized going into this new phase of life, rather than fearful and uncertain.
Do you have questions about perimenopause or menopause? Leave them in the comments below! Follow us on Instagram @mbody.official for all the latest healthy aging tips and tricks!
