Menopause Quiz: How to Know if “The Change” Is Happening

The term menopause has a clear meaning—it marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years and is usually medically diagnosed when you have gone 12 months without a period. Perimenopause is the stage leading up to menopause. Like puberty, perimenopause is a time of transition as the body slowly ‘winds down’ its reproductive cycles.

Often in everyday conversation, ‘menopause’ is used as an umbrella term to describe both perimenopause and menopause. And while ‘true menopause’ is pretty easy to identify (12 months without a period), the symptoms that accompany perimenopause can be broad and vary in severity from woman to woman. This can mean it’s difficult to know whether you’re in perimenopause or if there’s something else going on.

Considering Common Menopausal/Perimenopausal Symptoms

To help, we’ve devised this quiz which will cover many of the common menopausal symptoms. It’s pretty simple: If you answer with more ‘sometimes’ or ‘oftens’ than ‘nevers’, there’s a good chance you’re in perimenopause. Don’t expect to check the box on every symptom. Like PMS or pregnancy, some women experience a lot of symptoms and some women experience little or none. 

Always consider what else might be going on in your life too. Some of these symptoms may be caused by stress or being generally run down. And think about your own ‘normal’ baseline—you may experience some of these things regularly. In that case, think about whether you’re noticing more incidents of late.

Finally: This is a menopause quiz you found on the internet. As such, this is not the same as a medical consultation with a healthcare provider. If you have uncertainty or concerns about changes in your body, we do recommend a doctor’s visit. However, the answers you provide in this quiz might be helpful in preparation for that conversation.

1. How Old Are You?

According to Mount Sinai, perimenopause has two stages:

1. Early perimenopause: This can begin in your 30s but most often starts between the ages of 40 and 44.
2. Late perimenopause: Usually occurs in your late 40s or early 50s

Of course, these are average ages. Your body is unique and may defy these averages, but if you’re in or around these ages and experiencing other symptoms, you may be experiencing perimenopause.

2. Changes to Your Period

Compared to your ‘normal’ experience of menstruation, are you experiencing any of the following:

• Irregular periods (closer together, further apart, or completely missed)
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Heavier-than-usual periods (including bleeding through clothes/sleepwear)
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Worsening or constant PMS
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often

If you’ve answered ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ to these questions, you may be experiencing perimenopause. But there can be other explanations too. For further confirmation, keep going!

3. Other Perimenopause Symptoms

While your age and changes to your period are the main indicators of perimenopause, many women experience a host of other common symptoms, including hot flashes. Compared to your normal experience, are you experiencing any of the following?

• Hot flashes/hot flushes
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Night sweats
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Breast tenderness
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Racing heartbeat
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Joint pain, stiffness, or muscle tension
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Headaches, vertigo, or dizzy spells?
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often

Again, if you answered ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ to some or all of these questions, you may be experiencing perimenopause. Keep going for more indicators that you might be experiencing perimenopause.

4. How’s Your Sleep?

While many of us struggle to get a good night’s sleep (work, kids, stress, amirite?) if you notice changes to your sleep, you may have an explanation in perimenopause:

• Fatigue: Do you feel tired more often than normal?
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Insomnia: Are you having a hard time falling asleep or waking up more often during the night?
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Poor sleep: Do you just never feel properly rested?
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often

It’s important to note that sleep alone may not point to perimenopause, but if you’re checking more ‘sometimes’ or ‘oftens’ than ‘nevers’ as you go through this quiz, perimenopause might be your answer.

5. Stress, Emotions & Memory

Most women know all too well the effect hormonal changes can have on our moods. Some of us already experience quite the shift in moods throughout our monthly cycle. Again, you’re looking for changes that deviate from your norm. Maybe the symptoms are worse, or maybe they’re more frequent. 

Have you noticed an unexplained increase in:

• Mood swings (depression, sudden fits of rage)
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Anxiety (do you feel anxious?)
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Brain fog / feeling fuzzy or confused
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Increased forgetfulness or changes to your memory 
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often

6. Weight & Digestion

Sudden changes in weight or digestion can also point to perimenopause. Remember if you have a clear alternative explanation for these things, they may not be connected to perimenopause. For example, if you’re busy at work so you’ve stopped exercising as much and find yourself skipping meals and then carb-loading (hello, it’s me!), some weight gain is pretty understandable.

However, if your diet, nutrition, and exercise levels are fairly stable and you find yourself experiencing the following (along with checking some boxes in other categories), your answers are certainly pointing to perimenopause:

• Unexplained weight gain or difficulty losing weight
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Water retention or bloating
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Other digestive issues (gas, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, or heartburn)
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often

7. Sex Life

“The change” can also bring changes to your sex life and libido. Have you newly experienced the following:

• Vaginal dryness or pain during sex
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• A change in your sex drive/libido (lower desire for sex)
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often

8. Skin & Hair

One last area to reflect on is your skin and hair. Again, we all have our own issues with our skin and hair. But, generally, we know the range of what’s ‘normal’ for us. Reflecting on what you usually experience, are you noticing:

• Dry or itchy skin
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often
• Thinning hair
• Never
• Sometimes
• Often

What Is Perimenopause?

Perimenopause means “around menopause.”

The time before menopause is known as perimenopause. During perimenopause, your menstrual cycles and periods gradually come to an end as a result of fluctuating hormones.  This stage can last anywhere between 1 and 10 years. The average length of perimenopause is four years and, during that time, your period can become irregular and there can be irregular bleeding between periods.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “You may notice signs of progression toward menopause, such as menstrual irregularity, sometime in your 40s. But some women notice changes as early as their mid-30s.” Other common symptoms include hot flashes and night sweats. If these symptoms interfere with your day-to-day activities, talk to your doctor about options for menopause relief.

What Is Menopause?

Although the words perimenopause and menopause are often used interchangeably, menopause is more of a “destination point’ than a journey: Once you’ve gone 12 consecutive months since your last period, you’re considered in menopause.

Typically, perimenopause symptoms start to diminish after a woman has been in menopause for a year or more. However, every woman's experience of perimenopause and menopause is unique, and some women may continue to experience symptoms after menopause.

In women who have had their uterus removed (but their ovaries left intact), it may be difficult to identify menopause since they would not have had periods after a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus.)  You can also have your hormone levels tested, specifically follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol levels, which can help determine if you are in menopause.

If you had a hysterectomy with your ovaries removed, you would have gone through what is referred to as ‘surgical menopause’ which is a more abrupt end to the reproductive years than going through perimenopause. As such the symptoms that accompany surgical menopause can be more severe than those going through natural perimenopause and menopause.

We hope you found this post informative — but remember: we’re not doctors and this post is not medical advice! While all posts are fact-checked and well researched, we always recommend you chat with your doctor about any questions or concerns you might have regarding a medical condition. We’re here to support and educate, but never with the aim of disregarding professional medical advice you’ve been given. Phew, now that that’s out of the way, you can go on living unapologetically free.