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Management of the Symptoms of Perimenopause

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Handbook of Gynecology

Abstract

The term “perimenopause” refers to the time period when women transition into menopause. Many see the beginning of this transition as when a woman starts to have fluctuating menstrual cycles, which can include amenorrhea for up to 3 months. The perimenopause transition ends, and menopause begins, when a woman has had no menstrual cycles for 12 consecutive months. Many women begin to experience perimenopause in their 40s with average onset of symptoms 4 years prior to menopause. This transition time is often characterized by hormonal fluctuations and oligo-ovulation. The symptoms that can be experienced range from menstrual irregularity and hot flashes to mood changes and genitourinary symptoms. Severity and frequency of symptoms can vary widely from patient to patient. In this chapter, we will discuss some of the most common symptoms that occur during perimenopause and will explore the different options for how each of these symptoms can be managed.

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Correspondence to Courtney Ketch .

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Ketch, C., Weedin, E., Gibson, B.A. (2017). Management of the Symptoms of Perimenopause. In: Shoupe, D. (eds) Handbook of Gynecology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17798-4_44

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17798-4_44

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-17797-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-17798-4

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