Menopause is a natural transition that typically occurs between the ages of 45-55 when a woman's ovaries stop producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. As estrogen levels decline, women may experience a variety of symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood changes, trouble sleeping, and even cold chills.
Getting cold chills is actually a common symptom some women report with menopause. The exact cause is not always clear, but it seems dropping estrogen levels can disrupt the body's natural temperature regulation. Some theories as to why you may get cold chills during menopause include:
- Estrogen helps control heat production and loss. With less estrogen, the body may have trouble maintaining a comfortable core body temperature.
- Declines in estrogen and progesterone affect the hypothalamus, which regulates body temperature. This can make it harder to retain heat.
- Fat and muscle mass changes during menopause can reduce internal heat production needed to maintain body temperature.
Some key points about cold chills with menopause:
- They may come on suddenly and intensely, then go away
- Chills may happen day or night
- They may be accompanied by fatigue, paleness, goosebumps, or shivering
- Hot flashes and cold chills may alternate during menopause
Strategies to Reduce Cold Chills
If menopause has you feeling chilled, there are some practical strategies you can try to stay warmer:
- Dress in layers so you can add or remove clothes as needed
- Choose breathable cotton, wool, silk to trap heat without risking overheating
- Wear socks and slippers to keep feet warm
- Drink warm beverages like broth or herbal tea
- Keep your home a comfortable temperature
- Use extra blankets when sleeping or resting
- Take hot showers or baths
- Get regular moderate exercise to boost circulation
- Eat warming foods like soups and stews
For some women, menopausal chills are infrequent and manageable with lifestyle measures. But if they are excessive, severe, or interfering with sleep and daily activities, consider talking to your doctor.
Hormone therapy may help stabilize body temperature issues when bothersome vasomotor symptoms do not respond sufficiently to other therapies.
The medical experts at
Renew Medical HRT Clinic specialize in helping women address symptoms related to
perimenopause, menopause and
postmenopause including hot flashes, night sweats, chills, sleep disruption, mood changes and more. We take a personalized, whole body approach focused on lifestyle, nutrition and when appropriate, bioidentical hormone therapy. Contact us today to learn more or schedule a consultation.
