Healthier with Tina

Perimenopause is often confused with menopause or even called “premenopause,” but it’s a distinct phase all on its own. It’s the period when your hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone, start to shift in preparation for menopause. And for some women, it can start as early as their 30s. While menopause is marked by the absence of periods for 12 consecutive months, perimenopause is the unpredictable transition leading up to that moment. It can last anywhere from 4 to 10 years, and the symptoms you’re feeling? They’re not just “part of getting older”—they’re signs your hormones are fluctuating.

Many women assume that if their symptoms aren’t extreme—like hot flashes or skipping periods—what they’re experiencing must be normal. Maybe it’s just stress, aging, or bad luck. But here’s the truth: those joint aches, brain fog, mood swings, and random bouts of anxiety? Those are perimenopausal symptoms—ones that aren’t talked about nearly enough.