How to ease your perimenopause symptoms

What is perimenopause?

"Perimenopause means 'around menopause' and refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause," explains Dr Edward Morris, President of the الكلية الملكية لأطباء النساء والتوليد (RCOG).

Otherwise known as the 'menopause transition', perimenopause is the period of change from a woman's reproductive years to postmenopausal years, whereby her ovaries lose their productive function and ability to conceive children diminishes. This process usually comes about naturally with age, as the store of eggs in the ovaries decreases and less oestrogen is produced.

Women's Health Concern (WHC) describes this menopausal transition as gradual, pointing out that "the body does not stop producing oestrogen overnight, and the process can even take several years, during which symptoms arise gradually."

The average age at which women start the perimenopause is 46 years, with the انقطاع الطمث normally occurring between the ages of 45 and 55, according to official National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance. Premature menopause describes women who start before 40 years.

There are also other factors that can trigger perimenopause or menopause besides ageing. These include قصور المبيض المبكر, chronic health conditions, and the removal of ovaries either to reduce risk of developing certain cancers or to remove the pain associated with الانتباذ البطاني الرحمي or other conditions.

Once the perimenopause begins, there are many possible symptoms. Every woman's experience with perimenopause symptoms is different, including the number of symptoms she has, how frequently they occur, and how much discomfort, pain, or disruption they bear on her life.

The reason for perimenopause symptoms is down to your hormones. Two hormones called oestrogen and progesterone have the task of regulating your menstrual cycle. Morris describes what happens:

"During perimenopause, hormone levels are gradually declining, resulting in changes to periods and menopausal symptoms. Hormone levels constantly fluctuate in the lead up to the menopause, which is why menopausal symptoms can be inconsistent, and change from one month to the next."

Dr Paula Briggs, consultant in sexual and reproductive health, highlights that perimenopause symptoms can be physical as well as cognitive:

"Low mood, anxiety, difficulty coping and decreased sex drive are some of the symptoms that might not be as much in people's minds when anticipating symptoms. This is why having access to the right knowledge and right sources is important."

With such a wide range of symptoms that could indicate the start of perimenopause, it's important to know what to look for and to consult your GP if you're struggling. Possible perimenopause symptoms include the following:

• Irregular periods.

• Heavy bleeding during periods.

• Hot flushes.

• Night sweats.

• Poor sleep.

• جفاف المهبل and discomfort during sex (urogenital atrophy).

• Bladder problems (eg constant urges to relieve bladder, pain and leakages).

• Joint or muscle pain.

• الصداع.

• Racing heart (palpitations).

• Changes in the hair or skin.

• Loss of interest in sex (low libido).

• Emotional instability (including mood swings involving irritation, anger and sadness).

• القلق (including trouble coping in situations that were once fine, worsening phobias).

• الاكتئاب (including lower moods than previously experienced, and lack of motivation).

• Forgetfulness.

• Poor concentration.

For some women, perimenopause symptoms are short-lived. But for many, they can continue for many years.

Use our مقياس غرين لانقطاع الطمث to check how perimenopause symptoms are affecting you.

In a استطلاع by the British Menopause Society (BMS), 50% of women report that the menopause - and perimenopause - had affected their home life and their sex life. On top of this, 36% believed their perimenopause symptoms have impacted their social life, and over one third said it had affected their work life.

Despite the huge impact symptoms have, which for 42% of those surveyed were worse than expected, BMS found that 50% of women experience menopause without consulting a healthcare professional. Yet, accessing the support available can drastically improve your quality of life during this period.

Briggs believes that accessing good-quality information, ideally before perimenopause symptoms progress, is an important step in preparing yourself. There are a number of trustworthy online resources including WHC and مسائل سن اليأس. Briggs also has a useful booklet on Fast Facts for Patients: Menopause, which also allows women to monitor their perimenopause symptoms.

Alongside self-education, it is important to consult a healthcare professional if your life is disrupted. They can talk you through all perimenopause treatment and management options, from the available clinical treatments to the lifestyle changes at home.

"Some women find that these early perimenopause symptoms can be eased through changes to their lifestyle and diet," advises Morris. "These changes can also help some women manage the longer-term effects of declining oestrogen."

The following perimenopause symptoms may be either improved or more easily managed at home:

Managing and treating heavy bleeding

• Wearing panty liners or protective underwear if periods are unpredictable.

• Using high-absorbency tampons or pads during your period change.

• Taking ibuprofen, which may reduce flow by up to 30%.

Managing hot flushes

• Wearing several thin layers that you can remove quickly.

• Carrying a fan.

• Splashing your face with cold water.

• Avoiding triggers like spicy food, alcohol and caffeine.

• Checking whether any of your existing medications increase the risk.

• Adopting relaxation and تقنيات التنفس to avoid stress and anxiety.

Managing night sweats

• Wearing fewer clothes at night.

• Using two single duvets for you and partner, and buying cooling pillows.

• Avoiding spicy food, alcohol and caffeine.

• Checking existing medications for increased risk.

Managing and treating vaginal dryness

• Using lubricants during sex.

• Trying over-the-counter vaginal lubricants moisturisers.

Managing bladder problems

Constant urges to relieve urine, leakages, or pain when you pee.

• Practising قاع الحوض strengthening exercises such as Kegel, yoga and Pilates.

• Having your last drink at least one hour before bed.

• Avoiding spicy food, alcohol and caffeine.

Managing mood and mind

• Maintaining an physically active lifestyle.

• Following a healthy نظامك الغذائي.

• Spending time outdoors.

• Adopting relaxation and breathing exercises.

• Telling loved ones if you're struggling.

Managing low sex drive

• Exploring other types of intimacy.

• Using alternative ways to show affection and connect with your partner.

• Following advice for vaginal dryness.

Managing poor sleep

• Avoiding alcohol and caffeine from early evening (or possibly even earlier in the day).

• Adopting relaxation and breathing exercises if you're stressed.

It may also be a good idea to speak to your employer about any adjustments that can be made at work to make you feel more comfortable while experiencing perimenopause symptoms. These could include more flexible working hours if you need more sleep, taking regular breaks, good ventilation, moving your desk to have better toilet access, or changes to your work clothes or uniform.

While making adjustments at home can make a large impact on your perimenopause symptoms, they may not be enough. It's important to talk to your GP if you have any concerns or if your symptoms are negatively impacting your home, social, or work life. Some of the perimenopause treatments they can provide include:

Ruling out other health complications

• For heavy bleeding.

• For feeling more tired than usual, which could be due to فقر الدم.

Prescribing medication

• For hot flashes, prescription medications called SSRIs, SNRIs, or pregabalin, gabapentin and clonidine are sometimes recommended. However, these can have significant side effects and your doctor will want to discuss the risks and benefits for you.

• For your mood and mind, SSRIs, SNRIs, or مضادات الاكتئاب.

• For an overactive bladder.

• For vaginal dryness, prescription moisturisers, hormone pessaries, creams, or a vaginal ring that delivers low doses of oestrogen.

Referrals to health specialists

• For bladder issues you may be referred to a specialist physiotherapist for exercises to improve your urogenital tissue quality.

• For mood and mind it may help to see a معالج سلوكي معرفي.

• You could be referred to a gynaecologist who specialises in women's reproductive health.

For the more severe cases, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is considered to be the most effective treatment for alleviating perimenopause symptoms. The BMS and WHC 2020 recommendations on HRT advise: "A holistic and individualised approach in assessing menopausal women, with particular reference to lifestyle advice, [and] diet modification, as well as discussion of the role of HRT."

Morris explains how the treatment works: "It aims to top up the declining levels of hormones. Topping up oestrogen levels can help to manage symptoms related to an oestrogen deficiency, including hot flushes, mood changes and night sweats. The progestogen that is contained in HRT can also be helpful to manage period problems associated with perimenopause symptoms."

Another benefit is that HRT also reduces the long-term consequences of the menopause. This said, you should discuss both the benefits and the risks of hormone therapy with a healthcare professional. The main health concerns are the increased risk of breast cancer and heart disease. While both the 2020 Women's Health Initiative trials and the 2012 Denmark trials have shown more promising results for the links with breast cancer and heart disease retrospectively, a major review of other studies in 2019 shows the risk of breast cancer need to be weighed up against the benefits.

As WCH advises: "If your family doctor does not have sufficient knowledge of the current situation concerning the benefits and risks of HRT, and many have lost confidence in prescribing because of the recent scares, then it is your right to request advice from a local menopause clinic or a specialist."

Your age will also be a factor in your GP consultations for HRT as a treatment for perimenopause symptoms. If you are under 60 years of age and in good health, BMS believes that the benefits of HRT far outweigh the risks, and that if you are going through early menopause you should be encouraged to use the therapy at least until the average age of the menopause.

The fact that HRT can be administered in tablets, patches, gels, spray or implants means that the treatment can be tailored to your needs. For example, a patch, gel or spray may be more suitable if you have a higher risk of blood clots or have any underlying health issues.