Perimenopause means “around menopause” and refers to the time that your body is making the transition to menopause. 

The average American woman enters menopause at age 51, but the hormone level shifts that trigger menopause can actually begin years earlier. Perimenopause, also known as the menopause transition, usually starts in your 40’s but for some women, it can begin as early as your mid-30’s and can last anywhere from a few months to 4-8 years.

This Ochsner Health blog by women's health expert, Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, shares questions and answers women may have as they enter perimenopause and menopause age.