All the perimenopause signs are there – an irregular menstrual cycle that seems to be the cause of your mood swings and irritation, hot flashes that seem to go off at the wrong places at the wrong time, night sweats that seem to go on forever, an insomnia that just won’t let you rest to your heart’s content, middle-weight gain that you are resigned to finally accept as fate, etc.

Estrogen dominance is touted as the main reason why women experience these perimenopausal changes. This occurs when your body is over-producing estrogen – it’s either that or your body is not making too much progesterone, another sex hormone that is necessary to maintain the normal hormonal balance of the body. It is this imbalance that causes the symptoms that we now know as part of the change that is perimenopause.

Unfortunately, perimenopause is not an illness – it is a normal facet of a woman’s life; no woman is exempt from it. But there are ways to manage and alleviate the symptoms, although there is not one treatment that would relieve all of them. There are a lot of treatments for say, mood swings that may lead to mild depression. The treatment for that is different from a treatment for hot flashes.

A lifestyle change would definitely help though. Change to a healthy diet, eliminate smoking and drinking if possible. (If you can’t bear the thought of parting with your favorite bottle, then at least limit it to social drinking.) And of course, exercise regularly. Believe it or not, 30 minutes a day can do wonders for your body, most especially blood circulation (which gives new oxygen to vital organs, heart and lungs included).

You don’t need to go to the gym just to exercise (although it is a pretty viable option). You can do some within your own backyard – or even your own stairs. Yes, walking is good exercise, especially if you’ve been a couch potato for the past years and you’ve just now decided to do something about keeping fit. Stretching is another form of exercise, although not as active as we’d like to think.

Running or jogging is also good for the heart. Start your run at around 6 or 7 in the morning when the air is still fresh and devoid of harmful pollution. Run with a friend for better enjoyment. If you’re the adventurous type, you can do cycling (provided you have your own bike), hiking, aerobics, pilates and even weight training.

Trust me, you’ll feel better in no time.