Perimenopause, or menopause transition, is the stage of a woman's reproductive life that begins several years before menopause, when the ovaries gradually begin to produce less estrogen.

Perimenopause is when your body makes less and less of the hormones that control your period -- estrogen and progesterone. But how do you know when you're in perimenopause?

Hot flashes aren’t just a menopause thing, but that is when you’re most likely to have them. They differ from woman to woman, but they start before or during menopause.