So what can a woman expect from perimenopause? What kinds of symptoms are common — or even possible — and what do they mean? If you have to listen to your body in order to understand its condition and needs, how do you interpret the messages of perimenopausal symptoms? And how do you know if your symptoms are related to perimenopause or some other part of the aging process?

You Are the Expert on What's Normal for You

First, it's important to understand that, if you think it may be peri-menopause, it probably is. No one is more familiar than you are with your body's feelings and reactions during your monthly cycles. As the following sections demonstrate, women have reported a wide variety of symptoms during and after perimenopause. Remember, some women experience no symptoms at all.

It's also important to keep in mind that everyone can expect to experience some physical and mental signs of aging. As women age, many of their physical changes are triggered or exacerbated by hormonal fluctuations. The good news is, any overt symptom that is associated with changing hormone levels can be temporary — and may even be diminished through diet, exercise, or other healthy options.

Perimenopause isn't like measles; you don't wake up one day with a clear sign that you've come down with a case of waning estrogen. So identifying when you enter perimenopause isn't always easy. If you start noticing obvious changes in the length of your periods, the intervals between them, or the heaviness of your flow, and you're between the ages of thirty-five and sixty, you should start checking for other signs of perimenopause.

Other Early Changes

Changes in your cycle may not be your first indicator that perimenopause is approaching. Many women report symptoms of perimenopause while their periods remain much the same. Most women feel some or all of the following symptoms as their bodies prepare to stop ovulating:

• Hot flashes

• Mood swings

• Decreased sexual drive

• Weight gain

• Difficulty concentrating

• Heart palpitations

• Migraine headaches

• Irregular and/or heavy periods

• Involuntary urine release and bladder urgency

• Insomnia

• Vaginal dryness and painful intercourse

• Anxiety or panic attacks

Add to that list everything from aching joints and muscles to the onset of chin whiskers and you've still only started to talk about the wide variety of symptoms perimenopausal women have reported. Though some women report no symptoms of approaching menopause, most women do experience symptoms so chances are good that you will too. Thinning hair, hot flashes, aching joints — these and other symptoms may seem like inevitable side effects of the aging process. But many symptoms of the aging processes can be triggered or exaggerated by the hormonal fluctuations of perimenopause.

If the preceding list paints a scary picture of perimenopause, it's also important to mention that even among women who experience one or more of these symptoms, their effects can be mild, transient, or otherwise bearable. Your body is adjusting to varying rates of hormones during perimenopause; the signs and symptoms of that adjustment are often temporary and disappear after your body has acclimated itself to its new hormone levels. The following sections offer you a closer look at these symptoms so that you have a better idea of what to expect.