Hi, it's Maya.
Welcome to the first issue of Midlife with Maya. I'm starting with the question I hear most: "Is this perimenopause?"
Here's the short version of my video on the 20 signs. Every figure comes from the sources listed under the video.
The ones everyone knows
Hot flushes: a sudden wave of heat through the face, neck and chest, usually lasting 1 to 5 minutes. They affect up to 80% of women around menopause.
Night sweats: the same heat while you sleep. In the SWAN study, women with frequent hot flushes and night sweats had them for a median of 7.4 years.
Cycles changing length: the Australasian Menopause Society dates the start of perimenopause to differences of 7 days or more between one cycle and the next, coming back again and again.
The ones women rarely connect
Low mood out of nowhere, anxiety, irritability and rage
Waking at 3am, and exhaustion you can't shake
Brain fog, and words that vanish mid-sentence
Aching joints, frozen shoulder, and strength quietly slipping
Thinning hair, and drier, thinner skin
The same weight on the scales, but a bigger belly
Headaches and sore breasts
Bladder urgency and more UTIs
Heavier, longer periods
The one that surprises most women
Symptoms can start while your periods are still completely regular. And a normal blood test doesn't rule it out, because hormone levels swing from day to day. In the UK, the NICE guideline says perimenopause can be diagnosed in women over 45 from their symptoms alone.
What to do this week
Keep a simple diary for two or three months: dates, bleeding, sleep, mood, and any of the signs above. Then take it to your doctor and say plainly what you think is happening.
If you haven't got it yet, my free Symptom Map includes a 4-week symptom diary and an appointment planner.
Hit reply and tell me which of these surprised you most.
Maya x
Education, not medical advice. Always talk to your own doctor.