The first half of the menstrual cycle is dominated by estrogen, whose role is to build the lining of the uterus in preparation for a potential pregnancy. If you think you are experiencing very early signs of menopause, it is really not all that typical. Hot flashes are due to the hypothalamic response to declining ovarian estrogen production. Menopause may occur naturally anytime between the ages of 40 to 65, but here in the US the average age of menopause is 52 years old.
Some hyterectomized women whose ovaries were left intact also experience perimenopause. Even when their lives seem to be going well with everything moving in a positive direction, women will be strangely unhappy or full of angst. Technically, you don’t actually “hit” menopause until it’s been one year since your final menstrual period.
