What to expect from the period beyond 40

after your period is complete Before it stops, your body transitions to menopause in a phase called perimenopause, which can last between 2 and 10 years. During this time, when hormonal levels fluctuate and eventually drop, the various changes in your cycle are fair game.

What can you expect

In your 40s – maybe even your 30s – the yo-yo’s estrogen and progesterone can make periods unpredictable. They can come more often. Or they may happen less often. Traffic can be very heavy, or – preferably – very light. Sometimes, you skip one or a few altogether. (But to be clear, you don’t have menopause until you haven’t had your period for 12 consecutive months.) Other menstrual symptoms, such as cramps and irritability, may become more intense. Or you may not be getting the painful and moody instructions that your period is coming.

“Because it’s unpredictable, it can be very difficult for women because they don’t have it”, Director of Midlife Health at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, Joanne Pinkerton, MD, said.

what can you do

A healthy lifestyle can help ease the menopause transition. “Women who are able to maintain regular exercise, eat a healthy diet and manage stress — because stress can contribute to perimenopausal symptoms,” says Pinkerton Worsening—may find the perimenopausal transition easier for them.”

Medication can also ease your symptoms. Birth control pills or a long-acting IUD can help relieve heavy bleeding and severe cramping, and sometimes even eliminate a period entirely. A surgical procedure called endometrial ablation, which destroys the lining of the uterus to reduce or stop bleeding.

Talk to your doctor if heavy bleeding, cramps, or irregular periods are affecting your quality of life.

Ask your doctor

Menstrual irregularities in your 40s should not cause the same concerns as those in your 20s or 30s. However, if any of these are true, please consult your doctor.

• Changes in your menstrual cycle make you feel bad about yourself life.

You use a tampon or Sanitary napkins over 2 hours.
Bleeding continued for more than 7 days.
Bleeding occurs between periods or after sexual intercourse.