Menopause is reached after one full year without a period, with an average age of around 51. Perimenopause can cause periods to become irregular and sometimes much heavier, which can deplete iron stores and may continue for up to ten years. Iron deficiency can exist without anemia, allowing symptoms to go undetected if blood counts alone are relied upon. Common perimenopausal symptoms can include breathlessness, joint issues, and a general slowing down. People experiencing unexplained fatigue or other symptoms should request assessment of iron status and appropriate evaluation and treatment.
For starters, menopause is defined as one full year without a period, and the average age at which this occurs is 51, according to Dr. Bethany Bannow, assistant professor in the Division of Hematology at OHSU's School of Medicine and an American Society of Hematology expert. Perimenopause is kind of like puberty in reverse, Bannow says. Because our periods become irregular again, they can also become very heavy as a result, and that can cause dips in your iron levels. This can sometimes go on for up to 10 years before we actually reach menopause, she says.
Can you have iron deficiency without anemia? You can, Bannow says, which is why it can go undetected in many people. Many of us - doctors included - think you have to be anemic to have symptoms of iron deficiency. So if you feel crummy, call it out. I think of iron deficiency and anemia like a Venn diagram. There's a circle that's iron deficiency, and that just means, hey, you
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