Lottie Ryan, Irish television and radio presenter with RTE opened up about her perimenopause experience and how she felt 'out of control' before she realized that changes in her body was going through were hormonal. She revealed that she felt she was 'losing control', as reported by the Irish Sun. She said that she initially could not understand why she was feeling so off and blamed the symptoms on stress. However, only after she had a chat with her mother that she realized her issues could be hormonal. After having a conversation with her mother, she booked a follow-up with a medical professional, who confirmed that her symptoms were due to perimenopause.Also Read: What's New In Trump's Health? A Recent 'Perfect' MRI Scan And The Will To Serve A 'Third Term' She spoke to Natural Life Magazine, and said, "At first I did not put two and two together, I just thought I was stressed, tired, maybe run down. It was not until I had a conversation with my mum about what she would gone through, then spoke to my childhood best friend, who is a women's health physio, that I started to thin, 'Hand on...this could be hormonal'."She had recently turned 40, and recalled how her symptoms began to affect every part of her life. She said, "Before I knew what was going on, I felt like I was losing control of my mind, my memory, even my sense of self."She further added, "One I got answers, it was like a fog lifted. I still have days where I have to manage things, but now I understand why they're happening, and that makes all the difference." She tells that what surprised her was the anxiety she started to feel. She revealed that she thought menopause was "about hot flushes and trouble sleeping". What she did not know was that it could affect your mental health. She says, "That was the biggest shock for me."Read More: F.D.A. Approves New Non-hormonal Menopause Drug To Reduce Hot FlashesWhat Is Perimenopause?As per a 2019 study published in Journal of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, perimenopause, or the menopausal transition, represents a period of time during which newly arising symptoms can present complex management decisions for providers. It is the period of time during which physiologic changes mark progression toward a woman's final menstrual period (FMP). The phase begins with the onset of menstrual irregularities and continues until a woman reaches menopause, or one year after amenorrhea has occurred.As Jean Miller, NP, at Franciscan Physician Network Winfield Health Center explains, "Perimenopause is the transition that occurs between a woman’s reproductive years and menopause, usually starting seven to ten years before the final period. It is important to remember that while this is a natural process, it is also one that varies for each woman, with some noticing little change and other experiencing more significant symptom."Since the average age of menopause is 51, most women start to notice perimenopause symptoms in their 40s, which is also the case with Ryan. Gynecologist psychiatrist Dr Nazanin Silver, writes for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that about 4 in 10 women have mood symptoms during perimenopause, which may be similar to PMS. She notes that women may feel irritable, have low energy, feel tearful and moody, or have a hard time concentrating.She also notes that there are multiple studies that point out the increasing risk of depression during menopausal transition. Women may feel like they are crying a lot, feel hopeless or worthless, numb or lose interest from their liked and normal activities. Anxiety too is one of the symptoms.Also Read: Fact Check: Does Moon Really Affect Your Sleep And Mental Health? Here's What A Neurologist Says She suggests during this phase, it is important to "see your ob-gyn regularly and discuss how you are feeling". Finding help can help you enter this phase with ease.
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