medically reviewed by Dr.Aswathy Krishnan

9 mins read
Updated on December 16, 2024

Perimenopause Relief: 11 Tips to Feel Better 

Perimenopause also called the menopausal transition, is an inevitable phase in every menstruating woman's life. Many of you experience symptoms for several years before menopause. During this time, your ovaries gradually begin to make less estrogen. This is a transitional period from the menstruating phase to the menopause, which is the complete cessation of menstruation. 

Generally, perimenopause symptoms start around your 40s, typically 8-10 years before menopause. But it can even start earlier or later. During this phase, the level of estrogen in your body fluctuates unevenly during perimenopause. You may have your period, but your menstrual cycle may be irregular. You may not have a period for several months during the last year or two of perimenopause. You may also experience heavy or scanty bleeding.

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Common Symptoms You Experience During Perimenopause

Symptoms similar to those experienced during menopause may also bother you during perimenopause. Throughout the perimenopause, various physical and psychological changes may occur in your body. 

  • Irregular periods
  • Hot flashes and night sweats
  • Breast tenderness
  • Lower sex drive 
  • Sleep problem
  • Mood swings
  • Fatigue 
  • Vaginal and bladder problems
  • Vaginal dryness
  • Decreasing fertility
  • Changes in sexual function
  • Memory problems
  • Reduced bone density

Read more on Understanding Premenopause, Perimenopause, and Menopause.

Understand Perimenopause and Its Impact on Women's Health

To effectively deal with any health problem, it is essential to understand it in detail. Health problems experienced during the perimenopause are no different. 

You need to understand things like what perimenopause is, what causes health issues during this issue, at what age it occurs, whether it is natural, how severe it is, etc. Thus, having the right knowledge about the problem makes it easier to overcome that problem. By avoiding the causes that aggravate the problem, it will be possible to find solutions through simple ways.

  • Perimenopause is the phase of transition to menopause. It is an inevitable phase in every menstruating woman's life. As you head towards menopause, your hormones start to fluctuate. You may experience variations in your hormone levels for a few years before you attain menopause. 
  • Your ovaries produce estrogen and progesterone, which control your menstrual cycle. Initially, your progesterone levels drop. A drop in progesterone levels causes irregular menstruation. It can also cause weight gain, as fluctuation of this hormone affects fat metabolism in your body. 
  • When you are nearing menopause, your oestrogen level also starts to fall. Oestrogen has some role in thermoregulation. So, when oestrogen levels start decreasing, you start experiencing hot flashes and night sweats. A fall in oestrogen level can cause sleep disturbances, affecting serotonin production. It can also lead to mood swings, anxiety, depression and irritability.

Generally, perimenopause symptoms start around your 40s, typically 8-10 years before menopause. But it can even start earlier or later, too. On average, the perimenopause phase can last for around ten years.

11 Tips to Feel Better During Perimenopause

Explore these 11 important tips to ease the symptoms of perimenopause and support yourself in integrating overall well-being during this challenging period of your life.

1. Lifestyle Tips to Manage Perimenopause 

Diet and lifestyle changes are not the only solution for managing perimenopause symptoms. However, your eating habits and how you live can make a big difference in the quality of your life. Paying attention to your food and lifestyle choices can help you maintain long-term health as you enter the perimenopause stage. It can also help you find relief from some of the unpleasant symptoms that occur during this period.

Lifestyle plays a vital role in managing perimenopause. We cannot blame only a poor lifestyle for the discomfort caused during perimenopause; a healthy lifestyle can definitely help ease the symptoms of perimenopause. Lifestyle-based approaches such as a healthy diet, physical exercise or wholesome routines, and stress management may help improve the condition during perimenopause. 

Lifestyle modifications and natural remedies help reduce the intensity of the symptoms and promote overall well-being. They also help manage stress and maintain healthy sleep hygiene. 

  • Consume a diet rich in fibre and low in fat. Include more fruits, vegetables, lean chicken and fish in your diet. But avoid red meat and fried foods.
  • Having sufficient quantities of liquids can fix issues related to urinary tract infections and improve overall health. In addition to plain water, you can have any decaffeinated and noncarbonated beverages to hydrate yourself.
  • Engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week. Exercise can help maintain a healthy body weight and bone mass, reducing your risk of osteoporosis.
  • Wear breathable or ventilated cotton clothes. This will help you maintain your temperature when you feel a hot flash coming on. 
  • Maintain a cooler temperature in your room and switch on the fan when you are inside. Avoid foods that trigger hot flashes, such as alcohol, caffeine, and spicy recipes.
  • Perimenopause symptoms worsen by smoking. Avoiding smoking can help you in this regard and also reduce the risk of many types of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
  • Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga, breathing exercises, and meditation. If your mind becomes out of control, seek help from a psychotherapist.

Read more on Perimenopause Symptoms and their management with Ayurveda.

2. Maintain a Balanced Diet for Hormonal Health

When considering a healthy diet, you should address two things: choosing nutritious, healthy foods and the other one is avoiding foods that lack nutrition. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products are good choices. 

What to Eat?

A well-balanced diet is essential during any stage of life, especially during menopause. Here is the best diet for perimenopause.

  • Your muscle mass starts to decrease during perimenopause. So, you have to increase protein intake, which helps maintain muscle mass. Protein also helps regulate appetite and maintain normal blood sugar levels. And it can also help balance your hormone levels. 
  • The best protein sources are peanut butter, baked salmon, chicken, beans, nuts, eggs, lentils, and yoghurt.
  • Omega-3 fatty acids can help decrease inflammation, elevate moods, and help with depression, which is common during perimenopause. Fish oil supplements can supply the required quantities of omega-3 fatty acids. You can also add flaxseed oil to your diet to fight mood swings and irritability.
  • Weight gain is a common concern during perimenopause. So, consuming fibre, which can keep your hunger in check, is very good for tackling weight gain. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans are good sources of fibre. Remember that the more processed a food is, the less fibre it contains.
  • As the age progresses, you are more prone to develop osteoporosis. So, make sure that you intake sufficient quantities of calcium-containing foods. Include dairy products, leafy greens, almonds, fish, legumes, and sardines.
  • Other foods to include in your list are fatty fish, flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp seeds, brown rice, whole wheat, barley, oats, dark berries, soybeans, chickpeas, peanuts, grapes, plums, green tea, meat, fish, and legumes.

What to Avoid?

Not all foods are good for your body. It would help if you concentrate on avoiding healthy foods as you choose healthy foods. These are the list of some unhealthy foods to avoid in perimenopause:

  • Saturated fats from meat and dairy products increase your risk for cardiovascular diseases. So, have plant-based fats. 
  • Avoid white bread, pasta, and baked foods like refined carbs. These can spike your blood sugar and cause constant cravings. Sugar, caffeine, and alcohol can aggravate hormone symptoms, so limit these for maximum benefits.
  • Spicy foods can raise your body temperature and trigger hot flashes and night sweats. Try to avoid spicy food or limit it to a minimum.
  • Also, avoid highly processed foods such as tinned fruits and vegetables, candy, potato chips, sausage rolls and fried foods.

3. Regular Exercise to Combat Symptoms

Regular exercise during perimenopause can enhance your quality of life during the perimenopause phase and can also be a really useful tool in helping to reduce menopausal symptoms. 

Did You Know?

Women who exercise less than three times a week experience more severe perimenopause symptoms, including weight issues, sleep disturbances, and anxiety. Symptoms will be three times more severe than those who do regular exercise. 

  • Exercise can help balance your hormones. If you exercise regularly, it will help balance your oestrogen and progesterone levels and ease all the major and minor symptoms of your perimenopause journey.
  • Exercise may help reduce the severity of hot flashes and night sweats, which is one of the main problems that bother you in perimenopause. Exercise can help reduce the severity of the vasomotor symptoms of menopause compared to no treatment. 
  • When you get older, your oestrogen level decreases, and bone density weakens as well. This increases the risk of osteoporosis. In such conditions, simple exercises like walking at least 10 to 15 minutes a day, jogging, and dancing can all help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. 
  • The next thing is your mood and sleep. When you exercise, your body produces endorphins, which can help elevate your mood. It also reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. Regular exercise is known to promote a better quality of sleep, so you sleep deeper, which means you are less likely to wake up with hot flashes and sweats. 
  • Exercise increases muscle tone and strength, which can help you control your weight because your body burns more calories daily.

Now, you may be wondering what exercise you should do. 

Any exercise you enjoy and stick with over time will likely be beneficial. Swimming, running, walking, resistance training, and yoga will significantly help you. Aerobic or cardio exercise increases heart rate and breathing rate and increases the body's oxygen consumption. Aerobic exercises engage the body's large muscle groups rhythmically.

Include at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. Strength or resistance training helps increase muscle power and bone density and improves hormone levels and metabolism.

4. Manage Stress through Mindfulness and Meditation

Perimenopause stress relief techniques mainly include mindfulness and meditation.

Mindfulness practices may help ease perimenopause symptoms like hot flashes, stress and anxiety. 

  • The practice of deep breathing and staying focused in the present allows patients to be aware of the present moment without concern for past or future consequences. Mindfulness refers to attention training and delay of judgment. This delay helps you gain the time needed to process a negative emotion or experience. Mindfulness may also allow you to focus less on your symptoms and what negative effect the symptoms have on your health.
  • Fluctuating hormones cause anxiety and panic attacks during perimenopause. This can leave you feeling overwhelmed and can hit unexpectedly and at any time. You may experience tremors, palpitations, clamminess and difficulty catching breath. Anxious people tend to hold their breath and speak in a high-pitched voice as they exhale. To combat short and hurried breathing, you should practice slow breathing. Different breathing techniques (Pranayama) help you regain your normal breathing rhythm.

Meditation only requires a little time or special skills and training. You can practice it anywhere, anytime. The main thing required is a willingness to practice. Meditation may be difficult for you to follow at first. But practice will help you become more comfortable in your ever-changing body by adjusting to your needs and calming your stress response.

5. Prioritize Sleep for Better Health

Disturbed sleep can affect all areas of your life. Lack of sleep can make you feel irritable or depressed. It might cause you to be more forgetful than normal and could lead to more falls or accidents. 

  • Maintaining a regular sleep schedule can make many changes in your perimenopause life. 
  • Sleep and wake up at the same time every day, go to bed early and wake up early in the morning, and sleep at least 8 hours a day. 
  • Keep your bedroom comfortable, not too hot or cold, and as quiet as possible.

Research shows that waking up from sleep may trigger hot flashes rather than the other factors. Incorporating healthy habits at bedtime can help you get a good night's sleep. 

6. Herbal Remedies for Symptom Relief

You have many ways to treat and get rid of perimenopause symptoms, including prescription medications. For some people, prescription medications work well, but not everyone wants to take them. There are other ways to treat your perimenopause and menopause symptoms.  

Perimenopause natural remedies are also a good option. Herbal remedies for perimenopause are discussed further.

You have multiple choices of herbs, and they help you overcome symptoms or reduce their intensity. However, it is advised not to start any herbs without discussing them with your healthcare practitioner. Only a professional healthcare person can advise a suitable herb with an accurate dosage for daily intake.

  • Some herbs you may consider using to manage the symptoms of perimenopause include ginseng, kava, evening primrose, wild yam, maca, black cohosh, and red clover. However, you should note that no sufficient research exists to confirm their safety.
  • Black cohosh can help reduce hot flashes and night sweats. But remember that it is not well-studied or recommended for safe and effective use in treating menopause symptoms or any disease.
  • Research suggests that red clover contains isoflavones, plant-based chemicals that produce estrogen-like effects in the body. Isoflavones have shown potential in the treatment of several conditions associated with menopause, such as hot flashes, cardiovascular health, and osteoporosis. However, there is no good scientific evidence to support any of these uses, and its safety is not proven yet.
  • Evening primrose oil contains high levels of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and linolenic acid, omega-6 fatty acids that help reduce inflammation. It can be taken orally or applied topically. 

However, it is important to discuss your dosage with your healthcare practitioner. If the dosage is too high, you could experience painful side effects.

7. Bioidentical Hormones as a Natural Treatment Option

Bioidentical hormones for perimenopause are refined hormones designed to have effects similar to those made by your body's glands. 

When you are unable to find relief from your perimenopause symptoms with diet correction, lifestyle modification, exercise and herbal supplements, bioidentical hormones can help you correct hormonal imbalances that occur during perimenopause. 

  • Replacing deficient hormones helps improve symptoms. But, there is not much evidence to support that bioidentical hormones are equal to conventional hormone therapy. 

You must discuss with your healthcare provider for hormone replacement based on your symptoms and health history.

8. Stay Hydrated to Manage Hot Flashes and Dry Skin

As you age, your body does not retain as much moisture as it used to. This decreased water content in the body affects your health more during perimenopause. Drinking sufficient quantities of water is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your health and ease your symptoms of perimenopause.

During this phase, hot flashes and night sweats can lead to additional water loss, requiring increased fluid intake to stay hydrated. 

  • You must drink 6 to 8 cups glasses of water a day. You may need to drink more than this if your body loses more water, for example, if you are in a hot environment or physically active.
  • The food you eat contains about 20% of your daily water requirement. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help you meet your daily fluid intake. Watermelon, strawberries, spinach, celery, and kale are good sources of high water content.
  • Drinking plenty of water helps keep skin cells hydrated. It also helps skin maintain its elasticity and firmness, possibly slowing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles that commonly appear with age.

9. Incorporating Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Mood Stability

  • Omega-3 fatty acids help decrease inflammation, which is beneficial for managing joint pain and stiffness often experienced during menopause.
  • It improves your moods. Studies have shown that omega-3 supplements can help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, providing emotional stability during the menopausal transition.
  • Include salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts in your diet, which are excellent sources of omega-3s. This can help you get enough omega-3 fatty acids.

10. Consider Acupuncture for Symptom Management

  • Acupuncture helps ease the perimenopausal transition by mitigating symptoms and restoring balance.
  • It can also help cool you down by promoting blood vessel dilation, stimulating the release of endorphins, and regulating the hypothalamus, your body's internal thermoregulator. This will help ease hot flashes and night sweats by controlling the body heat. 
  • Acupuncture can also relieve sleep issues. It improves sleep quality. Acupuncture reduces stress and anxiety by stimulating the release of endorphins. This, in turn, helps in quality sleep.
  • Acupuncture regulates the production and release of hormones in women by affecting the hypothalamus. Thus, it can help you overcome hormonal imbalances during your perimenopause.

11. Limit Caffeine and Alcohol Intake to Reduce Symptoms

  • Caffeine and alcohol can trigger your symptoms of perimenopause. Especially hot flashes and night sweats get worse with caffeine and alcohol.
  • Alcohol can make it harder to get a good night's sleep. Many of you think a glass of wine might be nice to get a nice sleep; it disrupts your sleep quality. This is something to be mindful of, and perhaps cut back on or eliminate your alcohol use before bedtime.

Caffeine is known to enhance arousal, mood and attention. Sensitivity to caffeine will differ from person to person, but a significant percentage of women have shown triggering of symptoms by caffeine use. Try to avoid or limit the amount of caffeine you drink and switch to decaffeinated varieties or drinks that are lower in caffeine, like antioxidant-rich green teas.

What to Remember

Going through an inevitable phase of your life called perimenopause is not an easy task. Although perimenopause is not a disease, the problems you experience during that phase or its symptoms are as severe as a disease. Although this phase is unavoidable, there are many solutions to prevent or reduce the severity of the discomfort you experience.

By understanding perimenopause in-depth, you can bring about many changes by incorporating a proper diet, lifestyle, and daily exercise. Also, managing your body's hydration, using herbal supplements, maintaining mental health, and sleeping well can help you a lot.

A combination of strategies will help you overcome the difficulty. However, to handle such a combined strategy plan, you may need the advice of a doctor. The doctor will choose a suitable plan for your age, body type, symptoms, and lifestyle. Our Nirva platform team of doctors and health consultants is always ready to craft a strategy outline that fits your needs. Why wait? Start your journey to relief from perimenopause discomfort at least a day in advance. Consult with our experts now!

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Dr. Sudarshan Cheral

Dr Sudarshan Cheral is an Ayurveda practitioner with over 9 years of rich clinical experience. Also, as an experienced Ayurveda medical writer with more than 4 years in the field, he has skillfully contributed to Ayurveda literature, assisting in writing 4 books and translating 2 essential texts. Dr. Sudarshan is deeply committed to the art of teaching and has guided numerous international students on their journey to mastering Ayurveda.

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