So what is the average age of perimenopause?
Most professionals would respond around the age of 45. But in reality, you may start experiencing symptoms in your late thirties. For some women, it can come much earlier and they notice hormonal changes starting in their twenties.
The duration time can also vary. Some women are perimenopausal for a mother of 4 months. Others for a whopping 10-15 years.
So if you’re one of those women in your 30s and 40s plagued by serious premenopausal symptoms, rest assured, you’re not alone.
More and more women are experiencing health problems due to hormonal imbalance. And at a younger age than ever.
Why is that?
For various reasons, actually. One of the causes is our environment. Humans are now exposed to more toxins than ever before in history. These toxins have the ability to disrupt our entire endocrine system, the group of glands responsible for producing our hormones.
Xenohormone toxins mimic our own naturally produced estrogen in our bodies. The result is overwhelmingly high levels in the body. And while elevated estrogen levels may not seem like such a bad thing as we approach menopause, they can actually wreak havoc on your body.
Our hormones and the glands that produce them depend on each other to function well. If one rises, another rises or depletes in response.
Estrogen is more closely related to the hormones progesterone and cortisol. When estrogen increases, progesterone decreases. If cortisol rises, so does estrogen, further lowering progesterone levels.
This condition is called estrogen dominance, and it can cause serious perimenopausal symptoms like infertility, fatigue, brain fog, fibroids, cysts, and weight gain, to name a few. It can even lead to certain female cancers.
And it’s not just middle-aged women who suffer from estrogen dominance. Women in their 25s or 30s are also affected. Even young girls show signs of this condition and as a result have their periods as early as 9 or 10 years old.
Estrogen dominance has become a global epidemic and can literally rob you of your youth. Not only does it cause conditions like infertility in younger women, but it also makes perimenopause hell for those entering middle age. For many, it causes them to experience symptoms well before the average age of perimenopause.
The biggest culprits are toxins and stress. Unfortunately, modern life has become increasingly stressful. We also continue to be exposed to more and more toxins on a daily basis. As a result, we can only expect estrogen dominance to become more prevalent in the years to come.
Never fear. The condition is reversible. With exercise, the right diet, vitamins, and stress management, you can relieve symptoms and enjoy vibrant health, well into the menopausal years and beyond.