Actress Halle Berry has recently opened up about a health scare that turned out to be something totally different that what doctors originally diagnosed. It was a shock to her and now shocked fans are seeing it as a lesson to learn from.
Berry reportedly got real personal when talking about her experience with perimenopause during a women's health discussion with first lady Jill Biden at the A Day of Unreasonable Conversation summit in Los Angeles Monday. According to People magazine, her doctor mistook her symptoms for herpes, when she was in fact, only perimenopausal.
Berry went on to explain that when she was 54 she met the “man of my dreams” and started dating Grammy-winning musician Van Hunt. Sharing details about her sex life, the Oscar winner recalled having extreme pain after intercourse one day so she immediately visited her doctor.
“I feel like I have razor blades in my vagina. I run to my gynecologist and I say, ‘Oh my God, what's happening?’ It was terrible,” she recalled, teasing that she has “no shame” sharing her story because it can help other women. “He said, ‘You have the worst case of herpes I've ever seen.’ I'm like, ‘Herpes? I don't have herpes!’”
"First of all, my ego told me that I was going to skip (perimenopause) — I’m very safe, I’m healthy, I managed to get myself off of insulin and manage my diabetes since I’m 20 years old," Berry said. "So that makes one think, ‘Oh, I can handle menopause. I'm going to skip that whole thing.’ I was so uneducated about it at that time."
Perimenopause is the transitional time the body starts to transition to menopause. Menopause is when a woman's periods stop. It's marked by changes in the menstrual cycle, along with other physical and emotional symptoms. This time can last 2 to 10 years. During this time, your body:
- Releases eggs less regularly
- Produces less estrogen and other hormones
- Becomes less fertile
- Has shorter and more irregular menstrual cycles
What causes perimenopause?
According to the Mayo Clinic, perimenopause is a natural process caused when your ovaries gradually stop working. Ovulation may become erratic and then stop. The menstrual cycle lengthens and flow may become irregular before your final period.
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Symptoms are caused by the changing levels of hormones in the body. When estrogen is higher, you may have symptoms like you might have with PMS. When estrogen is low, you may have hot flashes or night sweats. These hormone changes may be mixed with normal cycles.
Perimenopause Symptoms
No two women will experience perimenopause in the same way. These are the most common symptoms:
- Mood changes
- Changes in sexual desire
- Trouble concentrating
- Headaches
- Night sweats
- Hot flashes
- Vaginal dryness
- Trouble with sleep
- Joint and muscle aches
- Heavy sweating
- Having to pee often
- PMS-like symptoms
Berry said after she got the initial misdiagnosis, she immediately confronted her love at the time, Van Hunt, about it. However, the couple later both tested negative for the sexually transmitted disease (STD).
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“I realize after the fact, that is a symptom of perimenopause,” the actress said, noting that dryness is a symptom of the transitional period. “My doctor had no knowledge and... didn't prepare me. That's when I knew, ‘Oh my gosh, I've got to use my platform. I have to use all of who I am, and I have to start making a change and a difference for other women.”
Berry ended the conversation asking the audience to “help us change the way culture views women at this stage of our life.”
How is perimenopause treated?
Perimenopause does not need to be treated unless symptoms are bothersome. Treatments may include:
- Hormone therapy using estrogen or estrogen and progestins to level out hormone levels
- Antidepressants to stabilize moods
Your healthcare provider may suggest other lifestyle changes:
- Eat a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
- Get at least 1,000-1,200 mg of calcium each day through your diet or supplements.
- Exercise regularly.
- Find what triggers your hot flashes (for example, alcohol, coffee or tea) by keeping a record.
- Discuss the use of other treatments in relieving symptoms with your healthcare provider.
You may hear about herbal supplements that claim to help manage hot flashes. It's important to remember that the FDA does not regulate these supplements. They are not tested like traditional medicines to prove their effectiveness and safety.
Talk to your healthcare provider before using any herbal supplements.
