The difference between a sign and a symptom can be blurred however, since what is evident to the sufferer might not be evident to her friend or family, but immediately evident to a doctor, or vice versa. The period when the signs of menopause onset are seen is called perimenopause. While mood swings often go along with PMS, they are also associated with menopause.
Low levels of estradiol, a form of estrogen, can indicate that your ovaries are starting to fail. Menopause is essentially a transition. Technically, you enter menopause following 12 consecutive months without a period. A woman shouldn’t have to worry that she is losing her mind when she goes through “the change of life” but that is what some will feel.