Add to that all of the symptoms that you end up having to deal with, and it’s no wonder that so many women want to be done with it as soon as possible.
However, what makes the process even more drawn out are the stages before and after menopause.
The symptoms of menopause, such as fatigue, joint pain, and dizziness, can often start at a much earlier time than people expect. Sometimes months, even years earlier than expected, in the perimenopause.
So, what exactly is the perimenopause, exactly? When exactly does it happen? What are some of its symptoms, and is dizziness one of them?
That’s what we’re going to answer in this guide! Here, we’ll be taking a look at what exactly this stage is of the menstrual cycle, as well as where exactly it fits in the menopausal cycle.
We’ll also cover some of the symptoms that it and menopause have in common, as well as where dizziness fits into this whole, frustrating stage of a person’s life.
What Is The Perimenopause?
So, while plenty of people will have heard of menopause, there’s a good chance that far fewer people will have heard of the perimenopause, and be confused as to what exactly it is and how it relates.
Perimenopause refers to the period in a woman’s life where their menstrual cycles start to change, before reaching menopause.
Once a woman reaches a certain point in their life, their body will stop producing as much estrogen as it used to. Because estrogen plays such a vital part in starting women’s menstrual cycles, the lower amounts of estrogen start affecting when and how periods happen.
It is important to note that, while a person’s menstrual cycle does change, periods do still happen. They just happen at a slower rate, and continue to slow down until a woman gets to menopause.
This usually happens for a woman or person in their mid to late 40s (45 or older), but perimenopause can happen at any age. People have been known to have them in their mid to late 30s, or up into their late 50s. It happens at different times for
(It should be noted that this is the case for cis women, but it will be different for people with fertility or hormonal issues, as well as transmasculine people who are in the early stages of transition.)
Stages Of The Menopausal Cycle
With this new information, some people may be wondering how many stages of menopause there are.
There are generally considered to be 4 technically, or 3 major stages of menopause specifically.
The first stage is premenopause, where a woman’s natural menstrual cycle takes place. This is the stage that most women will be at for the first half of their adult lives.
This is arguably not a major stage to the complete menopausal cycle, just the stage that most women will be at until their start approaching it.
The second stage is the perimenopausal stage, the part that we have already discussed. This stage typically starts around a woman’s mid-40s and will last a couple of years.
The third stage is menopause, the stage that most people will have heard of. This stage officially starts when a person has not had a menstrual cycle/period for at least 12 months.
The final stage is post-menopause which is the stage that a woman will be at for the rest of their life. When exactly this stage starts is a little contentious, as it effectively means any point after menopause begins. Menopausal symptoms can persist at this stage, but they usually go away with time.
So, with all of that information out of the way, we need to answer the main question that we posed at the beginning of this guide: IS dizziness a symptom of the perimenopausal stage? Well, the answer is yes, it is.
Because the perimenopausal stage is affected by the same hormonal issues that menopause is, menopause symptoms are also likely to appear when you are going through the perimenopausal stage. And one of the most commonly reported symptoms is vertigo or a feeling of dizziness.
Perimenopausal Symptoms
Alongside dizziness, there are several symptoms that someone can have when going through perimenopause. These are some of the most common.
Heat Flashes
Probably the symptom that most people will identify with menopause, heat flashes, are feelings of intense heat that spread across the body. These can last for a few moments or several minutes. They’re extremely common, too, with up to 75% of women going through menopause experiencing hot flashes at some point.
The same is true for cold flushes, with cooler or chilly temperatures seemingly spreading across the body just as fast as hot ones.
Changed Metabolism
Along with those hormonal changes that we talked about, menopause and perimenopause also often come with a change in the metabolism of that person.
This will have several noticeable effects, such as changes in your overall energy levels, weight gain, and many more.
Insomnia
Many of the symptoms that we have discussed can often feed into others, making the whole experience more frustrating.
The hormonal changes that start to happen during the menopausal cycle, perimenopause included, can all contribute to an increased issue with insomnia, or otherwise struggling to fall asleep and rest at night.
This symptom can even feed into the wider dizziness that women experience, with a lack of sleep being a major cause of feelings of dizziness.
Final Notes – Treating Menopausal Symptoms
So, it’s clear that dizziness is as much a part of perimenopause as it is the normal menopause. So what can people do, exactly?
Well, while it is a process that needs to happen, there are plenty of things that you can do to help counter that. Being more active, doing more exercise, drinking less alcohol, and eating healthier, are great ways to combat these symptoms.
I'm Clare, the owner and operator of Off The Couch, where I serve as a qualified Nutrition & Health Coach.
Based in Dublin, Ireland, I offer coaching services both locally and globally, providing personalized strategies in nutrition, stress management, sleep quality, and fitness.
My journey into this field began as I navigated my own chronic illnesses, including early menopause, Interstitial Cystitis, Lyme Disease, and hydrocephalus.
