Diagnosing Peri-Menopause

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Dr. Joshua Vogel with Carolina OBGYN, a division of Wilmington Health Associates, and I'd like to talk to you today about diagnosing perimenopause. Perimenopause is a four to five year transition period from you menstrual, regular menstrual cycles, in to you full menopause and absence of menstrual cycles. During this time, your menstrual cycles will change in many potentially different ways, and typically experience hot flashes. The diagnoses of perimenopause is actually what we call a diagnoses of exclusion. There is a blood test called FSH, or Follicle Stimulating Hormone, that your doctor can check to diagnose menopause, and what you should typically expect to find is a very elevated FSH. While this test is often performed on women in the perimenopause, unfortunately, it is typically going to still be normal during the early and mid perimenopause, so sometimes it is effect way to make the diagnoses for you, but even in the event of a normal FSH, if your symptoms are typical, and there is nothing else wrong, then probably you are experiencing perimenopause. So, if you're having menstrual changes that include missing periods, lengthening or shortening of your menstrual cycles, heavier flow, or lighter flow associated with hot flashes, it certainly is worth while to have a visit with your doctor to explore any possibility of something else being wrong, but in the absence of another illness state, the symptoms themselves make the diagnoses. This has been a discussion of diagnosing perimenopause."