The few years before the menopause, in which oestrogen levels start to fall.
A transition period leading to menopause, the cessation of menstruation. Symptoms of perimenopause usually begin in a woman’s 40s, about 3 to 5 years before her final menstrual period. The initial symptom is commonly irregular menstrual cycles.
The phase prior to the onset of menopause (known as the menopausal transition) and the first year after menopause. It includes three distinct elements: the time during which menstrual cycles become increasingly less regular and follicle stimulating hormones rise; the last menstrual period; and the first 12 consecutive months during which no menses occur.
The two to six years or so that precede the end of menstruation. It is characterized by irregular menstrual periods and mood swings, loss of concentration, and hot flashes.
The phase just before menopause (when egg production stops and menstruation ends). In the perimenopause, estrogen levels start to decline. Hormone fluctuations lead to irregular menstrual cycles and give rise to symptoms like hot flashes.