You’re exhausted. Your weight is changing even though your habits haven’t. You wake up in the middle of the night, your brain feels foggy and suddenly your body doesn’t seem to respond the way it used to.
It’s easy to look at each symptom separately.
But what if they’re connected?
In her latest video, Dr. Myra Reed breaks down 10 signs that may occur during perimenopause and explains why this transition can affect much more than your menstrual cycle.
Perimenopause Is About More Than Your Period
During perimenopause, estrogen and progesterone begin to fluctuate. Those changes can affect multiple systems throughout the body, which is one reason the signs don’t always look obviously hormonal.
Dr. Reed discusses symptoms including:
- Irregular periods
- Unexplained weight gain and changes around the midsection
- Brain fog and memory changes
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Mood changes and increased irritability
- Sleep disruption
- Joint pain and stiffness
- Bloating and digestive changes
- Heart palpitations
- Hair thinning and skin changes
Someone experiencing several of these symptoms might end up discussing them with several different specialists without ever having a conversation about how they could be connected.
The Gut-Hormone Connection Most Women Haven’t Heard About
One of the most interesting connections Dr. Reed discusses is between perimenopause and gut health.
Inside the gut is a collection of bacteria known as the estrobolome. Put simply, the estrobolome is the part of your gut microbiome involved in metabolizing estrogen.
That creates an important relationship: Hormonal changes can affect the digestive system, while changes in the gut microbiome can influence how estrogen is metabolized.
It’s one reason Dr. Reed doesn’t look at hormones and gut health as two completely separate conversations.
Your Symptoms Are Information
Perimenopause doesn’t look exactly the same for every woman.
For one person, irregular periods and hot flashes may be the first clue. For another, it may be suddenly struggling with sleep, brain fog, unexplained weight changes or digestive issues.
Rather than guessing based on symptoms alone, Dr. Reed discusses looking more comprehensively at hormones, thyroid function, metabolic health, inflammation and gut health to better understand what may be changing.
And that’s ultimately the message behind this episode:
The changes you’re noticing deserve to be understood, not simply dismissed as “getting older.”
Could You Recognize the 10 Signs?
In the full video, Dr. Reed walks through all 10 signs, explains what may be happening behind each one and dives deeper into the surprising relationship between your gut and your hormones.
WATCH: 10 SIGNS YOUR BODY MAY BE IN PERIMENOPAUSE
Live Smarter. Stronger. Longer.™
“Don’t let your first symptom be your last.”