THE MENOPAUSE

The Menopause is when a woman’s ovaries stop working, i.e. they stop releasing eggs, the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, and periods eventually stop altogether (this is defined by not having a period for one whole year). Usually this happens between the ages of 45-55.

The menopause is a natural process that all women will go through. Menopausal and peri-menopausal symptoms are a result of the decline in oestrogen production.

It is a common myth that only middle-aged women can be menopausal. 1 in 100 women will go through the menopause before 40, and 1 in 1000 before 30.

Premature Menopause is the term used for any woman who goes through their menopause before the age of 40.

Early Menopause occurs if your menopause occurs before 45 years of age.

Women may become menopausal in their 30s or even younger, so for some women it can happen very early.

Surgical (or forced) menopause happens when a woman’s ovaries are removed for various surgical reasons. When the ovaries are removed it will create an immediate menopause and symptoms are usually much more severe than gradual menopause.

The perimenopause is the change leading up to the menopause. During this stage, oestrogen production can go up and down and cause a fluctuation in symptoms. Perimenopausal symptoms can be the same as menopausal ones with the only difference being that a perimenopausal woman has not yet stopped having periods for 12 consecutive months.

As well as irregular periods and hot flushes, there are around 35 other symptoms of the menopause and peri-menopause. All of them are a result of the decline in oestrogen production.

The effects of the menopause can range from mildly discomforting to seriously debilitating. For each woman, the severity, duration and number of these symptoms will vary. Even during your own menopausal journey, your symptoms and severity will differ.

Symptoms can include (and are not limited to): irregular and/or painful periods; insomnia; low mood; irritability; migraines; abdominal weight gain; hair thinning; aches and pains; anxiety; brain fog; memory impairment; tearfulness; low libido; painful sex; itchy skin; hot flushes; night sweats; muscle weakness; vaginal dryness; peeing at night; recurrent UTIs; ringing ears; bleeding gums.

Newer body identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is widely considered the most effective treatment for menopausal/peri-menopausal symptoms.

There are many different combinations of HRT, and they come in the form of patches, gels and tablets.

These will contain oestrogen only (if you no longer have a womb/uterus) or using a combination of oestrogen and progesterone.

Older studies of HRT used mainly synthetic HRT rather than newer body identical HRT which are considered safer.

There are other treatment options if you cannot or do not want to have HRT.

Please see the About HRT page for more information, or Contact Us to make an appointment to discuss your options.

A healthy diet and exercise can help minimise the effects of the menopause.

For those having hot flushes, avoiding triggers such as alcohol, spicy foods, caffeine and smoking can be helpful.

Weight training can help build bone density and increase metabolic rate and help with losing weight.

Weight loss if appropriate can reduce hot flushes, and can help reduce the risk of diabetes, certain cancers and high blood pressure, as well as heart disease.

You can see a doctor whenever you feel your symptoms are affecting your life, work or family.

-if you worried or would like more information about your symptoms

-if you want a second opinion

-if your treatment is not working

-if you are having side effects on your current treatment