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If you've been suffering from things such as vaginal dryness, sex drive changes and brain fog lately, then you may want to listen up.
Experts say you could be suffering from perimenopause.
Perimenopause means "around menopause" and refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.
READ MORE: 'Menopause doesn't kill your libido – sex gets way better with age'
It is also called the menopausal transition and is often experienced by women aged 30-59.
Women’s health champion, Forth, carried out some research to find the top symptoms that women may suffer when going through perimenopause, to try and raise awareness of the health issues.
According to the research, brain fog, sexual dysfunction and libido changes are the least commonly discussed but most impactful and widely experienced symptoms.
These come alongside the more recognised symptoms, which include hot flushes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness.
Focusing on the most frequently reported symptoms, the survey asked more than 6,600 women between the ages of 30 and 59, whether they had personal experience of any of the key perimenopause indicators, and how often they had experienced them.
The research revealed that 72% of the survey respondents had experienced symptoms relating to perimenopause, although different age groups reported different sets of common symptoms.
Overall, the top three most commonly held symptoms were mood changes (experienced by 87% of all respondents), poor sleep (79%), and digestive issues (78%).
And other commonly experienced indicators were: brain fog (77%), memory issues (77%), joint pain and muscle tension (74%), changed sex drive (72%), headaches, vertigo, and dizzy spells (69%) and dry or itchy skin (67%).
Despite the fact that they are among the most talked about symptoms of menopause, it is interesting to note that hot flushes (experienced by 44% of survey respondents), night sweats (55%), vaginal dryness (42%), and period irregularity (63%) were among the least experienced signs reported.
While the less commonly acknowledged symptoms, such as sexual dysfunction and libido changes, and brain fog are the ones that most impact perimenopausal women on a daily basis.
Commenting on the research, Forth’s Medical Lead, Doctor Thom Phillips said: "There are at least 32 recognised perimenopause symptoms.
"The difficulty is that many of the most common mirror the symptoms of other conditions, and without having had perimenopause diagnosed, important health issues are missed.
"Bloating, for example, can also be a sign of ovarian cancer. Increased frequency of urination is often caused by pelvic floor weakness – but it can be left untreated because it is mistakenly labelled as a symptom of perimenopause.
"Being empowered to understand the reasons why your body is producing your symptoms, via testing, means you have a better chance of managing them appropriately."
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Sarah Bolt, co-founder and CEO of Forth, also added: "Like several other women’s health issues, perimenopause can be a subject shrouded in secrecy.
"Because it is a ‘private’ matter, linked to reproduction and fertility, women are reluctant to talk about it, which can leave many feeling lost and alone at a time when they are struggling.
"One of the difficulties is that the symptoms of perimenopause can vary so much. While some women have very few symptoms, for others the impact can really affect quality of life.
"And because so many of the symptoms are associated with other conditions, it’s really important for women to be correctly diagnosed using a combinations of age, symptoms and a blood test.
"We hope that by shining a light on the subject, we can give women the confidence to both talk about their experiences and learn more."
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