Confirming Signs and Symptoms of Perimenopause: Medical Tests
Cathy (not her real name) is a successful career woman. Entering the corporate world at a very young age and being promoted to CEO makes her feel so in control of her life. However, as of late, she has been experiencing some strange symptoms – irregular menstrual periods, hot flashes, and irritation for the slightest thing that doesn’t go her way. At the age of 40, she feels she is too young to be in menopause, so she decides to see a doctor.
If you are one of the fortunate few who found a doctor that’s open-minded to perimenopause, then he may hear out your symptoms and give you some tests to confirm your fears (just like Cathy’s doctor, lucky girl). Before being tested, your doctor will want to know more about your experience – age, history of menstrual periods, and symptoms. Hence, you need to arm yourself with “The List”.
What is The List? And why do I need it?
It’s always best to come prepared with a diary of your menstrual cycles and symptoms. Preferably, make The List at least two months prior to the visit to your doctor. This will help you keep track of what’s been happening to you. It will also show your doctor that you are not paranoid and are not making things up (as some doctors are wont to believe).
Look out for irregularities in your menstrual cycle, emotional changes (and if possible, what happened that day which could have triggered it), and other physical symptoms (like hair growth, back pains, etc.). Trust me, your doctor will love you for it and will listen to you more.
What kinds of medical tests can be given for perimenopause?
It’s been said that there is no real reliable test for diagnosing perimenopause. (It’s a normal phase in a woman’s life, so really, it isn’t an illness you need a diagnosis for.) However, these tests will help you and your doctor understand what you are going through. And if you’re suffering from a serious medical condition which needs to be treated immediately, like a thyroid problem or a breast abscess, then these tests will be helpful in pinpointing them. Also, these tests will determine what type of treatment should be given to you.
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Pregnancy test. Yes ladies, this should be the first test done. As mentioned in other articles, the symptoms for perimenopause and pregnancy have a lot of similarities. This is to rule out the possibility of you being pregnant before moving on to other tests and treatments which may invariably affect the fetus.
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Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) test. Though there have been debates over FSH being a reliable test for determining perimenopause, this is still being used by most doctors. This test predicts bone mineral density changes at the spine and hip, which inevitably also has an effect on estrogen and progesterone production. It also tests whether you have reached menopause.
FSH levels are high after menopause, and levels increase during perimenopause. If you have a level that is higher than usual, then chances are, you may be in perimenopause already.
Page Two: Hormone Tests & Other Tests for Perimenopause (Confirming Signs and Symptoms of Perimenopause: Medical Tests continued)
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