The symptoms of perimenopause and menopause

Perimenopause, which means 'around menopause' and menopause are both transitional phases in a woman's reproductive cycle. Perimenopause is the stage before menopause when many women start to experience menopause like symptoms.

Although similar, perimenopause and menopause have some different symptoms. During perimenopause there is a drop in the levels of estrogen and progesterone the body produces. Estrogen is the hormone produced by the ovaries which is why periods start to become irregular with differing flow. Perimenopause can last from a few months to several years and usually starts in the mid-late 40s although some women experience early perimenopause before the age of 45.

Menopause, when the ovaries produce no eggs and your periods stop, is categorised as when you haven't had a period for 12 months. The average age for menopause is 51. For many women menopause symptoms will continue after this time into the postmenopause phase.