In our perimenopausal years, it’s incredibly important to ‘build your resilience muscle’ if you will. Because between the loss and erratic fluctuation of hormones in this stage of life, and all that we’re dealing with, we are less able to handle stress.
In this episode I want to dive a bit deeper into hormone replacement therapy, because there’s a lot of controversy around it. Starting HRT is a personal choice, depending on your comfort level, needs, budget and preference. When making any decision about your health, it's important to get educated and weigh the benefits vs. risks with a trusted provider.
One common misconception about HRT - which is that you have to wait until menopause to start but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, the use of HRT in younger women had a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, reducing coronary disease and all-cause mortality. And according to Menopause Specialist, Dr Louise Newson, HRT is most effective to start when you are perimenopausal, which is the years leading up to menopause.
We're living in a fast-paced, high stress world, with lots of competing demands for our attention, time and energy, coupled with the stress we sometimes *unknowingly* place on ourselves. Our body’s fight or flight response is constantly being activated, so I want to dive into the stress + perimenopause connection.
In this episode I’m covering another very common symptom that women struggle with as their hormones decline: anxiety. Women are about twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and take anti-anxiety medications. About 15% to 50% of perimenopausal women may experience anxiety, often accompanied by depression, insomnia, and forgetfulness.
