While we talk as if menopause lasts years, it's actually only a moment in time: 12 months after your final period. In the years before, we're actually going through perimenopause, characterised by irregular periods and classic symptoms like hot flushes, sleep disturbances, and mood swings.
Menopause signals the end of perimenopause and the start of postmenopause, when symptoms begin to ease. However, you may still need the medications (i.e. HRT) and lifestyle changes you took up to deal with the perimenopause symptoms.
