Written by James Renney - January 27, 2023
When approaching the time for menopause, a woman’s periods can start to get longer and make it a bit harder to keep up with her cycle. Generally speaking, menopause happens to women between 45 and 55 years of age, although some women have already gone through it at younger ages. During this time, their periods may become increasingly irregular, lasting longer than before or not happening at all.
But what exactly causes these changes in a woman’s menstrual cycle prior to menopause? Let’s take a look!
Hormonal Changes
The main cause of longer periods leading up to menopause is due to the decrease in hormones like estrogen and progesterone. During perimenopause (the period before menopause), there is usually a decrease in your body's production of both these hormones, which can lead to lighter or heavier bleeding and longer cycles. Lower levels of estrogen can also lead to an increase in other symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.
Lack of Ovulation
Another factor contributing to longer periods before menopause is the lack of regular ovulation that comes with it. During ovulation, your body produces progesterone which helps thicken the lining of your uterus so it can shed during your period. When you don't ovulate as regularly or even not at all during perimenopause, the hormone levels become unbalanced resulting in extended menstrual cycles. This means that you may notice that your period lasts for more days or that it just skips months altogether which is all completely normal for this stage!
Other Factors\In addition to hormonal changes and lack of ovulation leading up to menopause is diet, stress levels and lifestyle choices like smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol which can also contribute. All these different factors play into how your body responds during perimenopausal stages so keeping an eye on them can help you better manage any symptoms that arise from these changes!
Having long cycles isn’t something you should be worried about if everything else is going smoothly; however if you are concerned about any other health issues related to this it makes sense check out any hormone replacement clinics such as HGH Pro clinic where they provide supportive care & services tailored specifically for women navigating through perimenopausal transitions like yours!
Some tips when dealing with long menstrual cycles are:
Menstrual cycles getting longer before menopause is quite normal; especially when coupled with other related symptoms like hot flashes or mood swings which typically accompany hormonal imbalances common during this transitional phase for women around 45-55 years old. Don’t forget that staying aware & turning towards hormone replacement clinics like HGH Pro clinic offer unique treatment options tailored specifically for women navigating through this challenging yet special period of life so make sure take advantage today!