I first heard about Peri menopause from the queen of talk show herself, Oprah. So when I started having symptoms of menopause like hot flashes and night sweating, I kind of knew what was happening. Peri menopause is the phase before menopause and it can last for as long as 5 to 15 years.

Most women in the Peri menopause stage experience changes in menstrual cycle. Instead of having a total cycle of 28-30 days, it goes down to 24-26 days, therefore resulting in more frequent periods. This drop in estrogen causes symptoms like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep problems, mood swings, breast tenderness and other complications.

Some physicians suggest starting this early to get estrogen/progesterone/testosterone therapy or Bioidentical Hormone Replacement. Most women though go through Peri menopause without taking any medical intervention.