Perimenopause symptoms accumulate slowly. Your hair falls out in the shower. You need more coffee to get through the day. You walk into rooms and forget why. Six months of small changes add up to something unrecognizable. You wonder what's happening to your body.

Dr. Iliana Lega confirms perimenopause can last up to 10 years for some women. Hot flashes average seven years of duration. In Ontario, nothing is covered for 50-year-old women unless they have disability or private drug plans. That includes everything, not just hormone therapy. She flags the healthcare provider knowledge gap: women get told there's no role for hormone therapy or receive outright misinformation. Studies show massive undertreatment. Sleep emerges as the central issue. Disrupted sleep cascades into cognitive problems, irritability, zero libido.

Discover why Dr. Lega compares modern expectations to 10,000 years ago when life looked different. Learn which medical societies provide reliable patient resources. Understand why she warns against TikTok except for Canadian Jen Guttner's evidence-based content.

GUEST: Dr. Iliana Lega | @‌ilianalega

Originally aired on 2026-01-19