Understand
When cycles start changing
What tends to shift in perimenopause, and which changes should always be checked.
5 minSource: NHS

What is commonly described
Cycles getting shorter, then longer. Periods becoming heavier or lighter. Months skipped and then resumed.
Irregularity is often the first sign women notice, and it can go on for years before periods stop.
Always worth checking
Bleeding between periods, or after sex.
Any bleeding at all after twelve months without a period.
Periods so heavy you are changing protection hourly, or passing large clots.
These are not things to watch and wait on. Book an appointment.
Source
NHS menopause information. General guidance only. Anything unusual for you needs assessing in person.
The years around menopause are when bone and heart risk shift most. Understanding them early is what makes them manageable.
General information, not medical advice. Narrated never diagnoses.
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