Perimenopause Often Missed and Undertreated, Leading to Significant Health and Life Impacts
Perimenopause, the transitional phase before menopause, is frequently under-recognized, misdiagnosed, and undertreated in women, despite affecting every woman who lives long enough to experience it. According to Dr. Suzanne Gilberg, an integrative medicine specialist and OB-GYN, and Dr. Sue Decotiis, a triple board-certified physician, women in their late 30s and early 40s often present with symptoms like sleep problems, anxiety, brain fog, and heart palpitations, which are rarely attributed to perimenopause. This diagnostic gap is attributed to fluctuating hormone levels that make lab tests unreliable, short doctor appointments, stigma, ageism, and a medical culture that often ignores or pathologizes women's aging. Consequently, many women are treated symptom by symptom, often receiving diagnoses for anxiety or depression, without addressing the underlying hormonal changes.
