Perimenopause

Navigating perimenopause? Our articles provide practical advice on a range of topics, from diet and supplements to relationships and HRT, all to support your wellbeing during perimenopause.

Which HRT treatment is best for me?

Dr Hannah Allen, a GP with a special interest in menopause, gives us the lowdown on the range of HRT treatments available and which ones might be best suited based on your circumstances.
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Menopause-friendly Christmas food swaps

The festive season is a time to kick back, relax and eat, drink and enjoy yourself. That said, it’s unrealistic to pretend...
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World Menopause Awareness Day 2024 and World Menopause Month

World Menopause Day is held annually on the 18th October to raise awareness, break the stigma and offer support for all those going through the menopause.
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10 ways to establish (and maintain) healthier new habits

Read Health & Her's Top 10 tips to create healthy new habits that stick!
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The ultimate guide to taking supplements: 10 tips for maximum benefits

Read our comprehensive guide to help you get the most out of your supplements.

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Do allergies get worse during perimenopause and menopause?

Learn about the connection between hormones and allergy symptoms, and get tips for managing these changes.
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What is ‘couplepause’, and how can it affect relationships in your 40s and 50s?

Couple-pause refers to when both partners in a relationship (generally in their 40s and 50s) are experiencing significant hormonal shifts at the same time - such as menopause and andropause.
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Is there a link between Perimenopause and poor mental health & depression?

Health & Her have conducted research that shows 9 in 10 women will suffer mental health issues as a result of perimenopause, 77% of whom have never struggled with mental health before.
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Genes and Menopause: Is the age you start menopause genetic?

Are menopause symptoms hereditary? Here are the known links between genes and menopause. How your genetics can affect menopause and whether you’ll experience early menopause because your mum did.

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Going vegan for menopause - Tips and meal inspiration

Increasing research suggests a wholly plant-based vegan diet might not only improve your overall health but could also be particularly beneficial if...
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Can a vegan diet help perimenopause and menopause?

Most of us have got the message that eating more vegetables is both beneficial for our health and that of the planet,...
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6 healthy benefits of having sex

Whilst no-one ever initiates or engages in sex with the intention of staving off heart disease there are a number of proven...
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11 Ways To Support Your Libido

Female sexual desire can be fickle at the best of times. Frustratingly, it can be thrown off course by a range of...
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Small changes, big differences: Menopause resolutions you can stick to in 2024

Let's stop fooling ourselves! How many of you are actually sticking to your New Year's resolutions? The problem is, we set out...
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Can cold-water swimming help menopause?

Could now be the time to dip your toe into cold water swimming to help ease your menopause symptoms? Cold-water swimming, sometimes...
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Menopause Belly - What is it and how to get rid of it?

It should come as no momentous surprise to learn most of us pile on a few pounds as we get older. According...
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Does drinking alcohol affect menopause?

BBC presenter, author, and advocate of natural living Janey Lee Grace shares her journey through menopause and sober living.
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Don’t let periods or leaks dampen your style

There’s no skirting around it. Changes to flow around menopause can bring with them sudden, unexpected periods and heavier flows that can...
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Tips for Surviving Ramadan during perimenopause and menopause

GP Dr Hannah Allen and Nutritionist Helen Roach give their tips on how to women experiencing peri and menopause can navigate their way through the month of Ramadan so they can fully enjoy it.
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Natural menopause remedies and supplements that work

When you’re thinking about managing your menopause naturally, it can often be a challenge to understand where to start, especially if you’re...
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Menopause and Perimenopause Stories

One of the most difficult parts of the perimenopause and menopause experience can be the feeling that you are going through this...
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Is it PMS, PMDD or Perimenopause

It is a rare woman who has never experienced some symptoms of PMS (Premenstrual syndrome) and it is estimated that at least...
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Breast changes during perimenopause and menopause (and the reason you need to keep checking yours)

It’s completely normal and natural for your breasts to shift in size and shape and/or become more sensitive as your oestrogen levels...
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What happens to testosterone levels during menopause? And how can it affect us?

Testosterone tends to be primarily spoken of as a ‘male’ hormone but, along with oestrogen and progesterone, it is also an important...
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Can Intermittent fasting help women during menopause

The current buzz around intermittent fasting for women has linked it to everything from improved gut and heart health to a better...
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Top 10 tips for a healthy gut during perimenopause and menopause

And why it is important during perimenopause and menopause… Research is emerging almost daily showing that having a healthy balance of gut...
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Does a Mediterranean diet help Menopause?

A Mediterranean-inspired diet could help balance your hormones, minimise your perimenopause and menopause symptoms, keep your weight down, reduce your belly fat...
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Foods that increase testosterone in females during menopause

When you’re going through perimenopause and menopause, you’re probably used to hearing the words oestrogen and progesterone bandied about. Not least because...
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What is menopause?

The term menopause – derived from the Greek ‘men’ which means month or monthly and ‘pausis’ which means end or stop –...
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Signs HRT is Not Working: Can HRT make your symptoms worse?

For many women HRT is the answer they have been searching for when it comes to minimising, or stopping, their often soul-sapping perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms. 
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Does HRT help prevent dementia?

Alzheimer’s dementia is one of the greatest health fears for most of us – and a condition that disproportionately affects women. Now...
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What top 10 triggers make perimenopause and menopause worse (and what you can do about them)

An estimated six million UK women are currently going through the perimenopause and menopause – a stage when the sex hormones including...
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Diet and recipes ideas to help balance hormones in menopause

Eating a healthy balanced diet is important at any age but at the time of perimenopause and menopause it becomes even more...
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What is Perimenopause?

Perimenopause translates literally as ‘around the time of the menopause’. Put simply, it is the stage of life when you’re still having...
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How to survive Christmas with menopause

As the year comes to an end it’s time to fess up. I don’t like Christmas. There. I’ve said it. For as long as I can remember Christmas has rarely been something I look forward to, or even get excited about. It
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Everything you need to know about menopause and contraception

If you think that going through the menopause means you don’t have to worry about contraception any longer, think again. Here Dr...
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Herbal remedies for night sweats

Qualified Medical Herbalist Anita Ralph discusses natural and herbal remedies for night sweats alongside other herbal-based methods to try to control night sweats. Well-tolerated, safe and highly effective, can medicinal herbs and food plants provide a natural route to a calmer, cooler night’s sleep?
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Easy stretches for aching joints

Here is a simple routine you can do every day to ease aching joints – a menopause symptom that is common but...
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How to cope with with your emotions during menopause

by Dr Deborah Lancastle, ⊕ medically reviewed by Dr Rebecca Tomlinson on 10th October, 2022 Many women experience low mood, anxiety and sudden...
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Makeup tips for hot flushes by Caroline Barnes

How do you modify your makeup bag for menopause? Hot flushes might well be your biggest worry. Watch as celeb make up...
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Menopause mood changes and brain fog – the surprising cognitive and psychological symptoms

Many women are surprised by the changes to cognitive function that can occur around the menopause; brain fog might sound funny, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way. Psychological problems and low mood can be very common too – anxiety, phobias and panic attacks can occur for the first time.
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A quick tour of menopause symptoms

Ruth Devlin of the fantastic coaching consultancy Let’s Talk Menopause has been helping us to demystify this time of life for the...
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Menopause yoga nidra for disturbed sleep and low mood

Yoga Nidra is a special kind of yoga that helps you rest and restore through what’s called ‘yogic sleep’. It’s a kind...
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Best exercises for menopausal weight gain

We all know that getting moving and being mindful about diet are the best way to fight menopause weight gain. But what...
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What to eat for a healthier, happier menopause

Tucking into tasty food to relieve menopause symptoms? It can’t be that simple… can it? Rosie Letts is a qualified nutritional therapist,...
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What is the best nightwear for menopause night sweats?

Do you regularly wake up drenched in sweat, night clothes soaked through, stuck to your sheets? Menopause night sweats are a really...
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How to Talk to Your Manager About Menopause

If you are struggling to cope with perimenopause or menopause symptoms at work, you are not alone. 5.1 million women[1] in UK...
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Everything you need to know about diet for perimenopause

It’s old news now that the way you eat can have a massive impact on how you feel. With fad diets popping...
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The top 5 best exercises for Menopause

Menopause can put your body through the ringer, both physically and mentally. With joint aches, hot flushes, migraines and fatigue, alongside a...
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Yoga for menopause: restorative yoga types & poses for menopause

The benefits of yoga for your body, mind, and all around emotional and physical wellbeing seem to have no end. Research has...
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Blood tests for hormone levels in menopause

by Dr Kate Burns, ⊕ medically reviewed by Dr Rebecca Tomlinson on 10th October, 2022 For many women, working out whether or...
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Phytoestrogens - what are they and how can they help in menopause?

For many women, the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause can be frustrating and can affect everyday life. Though there are options available...
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How to boost and protect your immune system during menopause

Our immune system is complex and highly responsive to everything around us, playing a crucial role in fending off viruses and bacteria....
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Natural ways to improve your sleep in menopause

Want to understand your menopause sleep problems from a nutritional perspective? Rosie Letts, qualified and registered nutritional therapist, explains what’s happening, and...
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How to talk to your teenagers about perimenopause and menopause

How can we best educate our own children about the changes that happen at this difficult time? We asked menopause coach, author and advocate Ruth Devlin to provide her typically frank and straight-talking guidance on the subject
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How to make female friends

Having spent much of my life as a fully paid-up member of the ‘loner brigade’ it finally dawned on me how impoverished this was. Perhaps I was a late developer, whatever. I now cherish and truly value the enriching, uplifting, and absolute delight my girlfriends have brought to my life.
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Makeup for menopause tutorial by Caroline Barnes

Makeup for menopause… is it different?   Should you change formulas to beat those hot flushes? What about skincare? Is it time...
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Is it the menopause or is it life?

The menopause experience explored by our leading Health Psychologist Dr Deborah Lancastle. Dr Deborah is a Registered and Chartered Health Psychologist and Principal Lecturer at the University of South Wales.
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What is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and Who is It Intended For?

What is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), and could it be for you? Our GP Shilpa McQuillan has created the really useful guide to demystify HRT.
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CBT for menopause and hot flushes

Does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for hot flushes and other menopause symptoms really work? In this article she introduces Cognitive Behavioural Therapy...
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How to talk to your GP about menopause

by Dr Shilpa McQuillan, ⊕ medically reviewed by Dr Rebecca Tomlinson on 5th September, 2022 Not sure where to start when it comes to...
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How to deal with menopause at work

Many woman hours are being lost to menopause here in the UK every year. However, the personal and professional cost of menopause...
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What are the best perimenopause and menopause supplements on the market?

What are the most helpful menopause supplements? Do they really work?  Here’s registered nutritionist and Health & Her’s supplements expert Shona Wilkinson’s...
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Menopause skincare tips by Caroline Barnes

So you’ve finally got your skincare regime just perfect: you’ve found the products you love, and you’re feeling at home in your...
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Incontinence at menopause – urinary changes and why they happen

Suddenly having little leaks? Increased urinary frequency or urgency, and incontinence at menopause happens – even if you’ve never had problems in this area before – but you needn’t, and shouldn’t, just put up with it! 
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Headaches during menopause – does diet make a difference?

What causes headaches at menopause, and how can you reduce them? Qualified nutritional therapist Rosie Letts explains what’s going on – and...
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Painful sex and relationships – how to talk about it and improve things together

Are menopause symptoms making sex painful? Relate, the UK’s largest provider of relationship support, has worked with Health & Her to develop...
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Menopause vaginal pain & painful sex what’s happening and how to feel more comfortable

Why do some women start to find sex painful around menopause? Vaginal and anatomical changes can lead to poor lubrication, as well as changes to the shape of your vagina – it can actually become shorter, less wider, and less stretchy.

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Hot flushes in Menopause

GP Dr Shilpa McQuillan discusses hot flushes – what are they, why do they happen, and how can you reduce the impact...
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Menopause Headaches A GP’s overview

by Dr Shilpa McQuillan, ⊕ medically reviewed by Dr Rebecca Tomlinson on 5th September, 2022 GP Dr Shilpa McQuillan discusses headaches at menopause. Why do...
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Yoga for menopause joint pain

According to the British Menopause Society, around 18% of women find that their joints become sore and achy at menopause. In fact,...
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Herbalist Advice for Managing Hot Flushes

Qualified Medical Herbalist Anita Ralph discusses natural ways to control hot flushes. Well-tolerated, safe and highly effective, can medicinal herbs and food plants provide natural relief for you?
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Yoga for hot flushes

Can yoga help you take control of your hot flushes? Though you may not be able to stop that hot tide rising,...
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How to dress for hot flushes

Here are our stylist’s secrets to manage your wardrobe even if your temperature’s out of control.  Have you ever ended up in...
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How to combat low energy levels during menopause

Are you tired all the time? Do you wake exhausted, stumble through the day and fall home too tired to properly engage...
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How to look and feel fabulous, whatever your waist size

So you’ve breezed through the hot flushes, taken control of the emotional rollercoaster… but you’re feeling down because your dress size has...
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Why do periods get worse before menopause?

Many women hope their periods will slow down, lighten and then stop at menopause… but unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Though they can space out, periods in menopause can very often become more frequent and heavy for many women.
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Loss of libido in perimenopause and menopause - Working through it with your partner

Libido, sex drive, sizzle, in the mood… call it what you will, your desire to have sex can take a real hit as...
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Loss of libido in perimenopause and menopause – is it biological or psychological?

If you’ve noticed a change in your sex drive – and you’re not comfortable with the situation – you might be worried about what’s happening. Do hormones play a part? Is it more about what’s happening in life?
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How to cope with stress and anxiety during menopause: expert advice from a GP

by Dr Shilpa McQuillan, ⊕ medically reviewed by Dr Rebecca Tomlinson on 5th September, 2022 Some of the most challenging menopause symptoms are the ones...
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How to manage stress, anxiety and anger and keep your relationship strong

Relate, the UK’s largest network of relationship counsellors, has worked with Health & Her to develop advice to help you and your...
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Menopause vaginal changes explained

by Anne Henderson, medically reviewed by Dr Rebecca Tomlinson on 5th September, 2022 At menopause, many women experience vaginal changes including dryness, shortening and tightening....
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Menopause, perimenopause and post-menopause – A doctors overview

by Dr Shilpa McQuillan, ⊕ medically reviewed by Dr Rebecca Tomlinson on 5th September, 2022 From the time you start noticing changes and symptoms to...
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Whoever stole my body, please return it immediately

The time has come for drastic action. Emigration to the Southern Hemisphere is my only hope. Either that or adopt the posture of a pipistrelle bat. Both drastic, both necessary. 
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