As part of our Wellness Wednesdays campaign, we’ll be sharing a blog every Wednesday from Healthily – our preferred health partner – to give you tips, advice and guidance on a wide variety of health conditions. This blog is about menopause – the symptoms, treatment available and when you should go and see your doctor.
What is the menopause?
Menopause is when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally.
Periods usually start to become less frequent over a few months or years before they stop altogether. Sometimes they can stop suddenly.
Menopause is a natural part of ageing that usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age, as a woman’s oestrogen levels decline. In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach menopause is 51.
Symptoms of the menopause
Most women will experience menopausal symptoms. Some of these can be quite severe and have a significant impact on your everyday activities.
Common symptoms include:
- Hot flushes;
- Night sweats;
- Vaginal dryness and discomfort during sex;
- Difficulty sleeping;
- Low mood or anxiety;
- Reduced sex drive (libido);
- Problems with memory and concentration.
Menopausal symptoms can begin months or even years before your periods stop and last around four years after your last period, although some women experience them for much longer.
When to see your doctor
It’s worth talking to your doctor if you have menopausal symptoms that are troubling you or if you’re experiencing symptoms of the menopause before 45 years of age.
Your doctor can usually confirm whether you are menopausal based on your symptoms, but a blood test to measure your hormone levels may be carried out if you are aged 40 to 45.
Blood tests may also be carried out to help diagnose suspected premature menopause if you’re under 40 and have menopausal symptoms.
Treatments for menopausal symptoms
Your doctor can offer treatments and suggest lifestyle changes if you have severe menopausal symptoms that interfere with your day-to-day life, including:
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – tablets, skin patches, gels and implants that relieve menopausal symptoms by replacing oestrogen;
- Vaginal oestrogen creams, lubricants or moisturisers for vaginal dryness;
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – a type of talking therapy that can help with low mood and anxiety;
- Eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly – maintaining a healthy weight and staying fit and strong can improve some menopausal symptoms.
Your doctor can refer you to a menopause specialist if your symptoms don’t improve after trying treatment or if you’re unable to take HRT.
What causes the menopause?
The menopause is caused by a change in the balance of the body’s sex hormones, which occurs as you get older. It happens when your ovaries stop producing as much of the hormone oestrogen and no longer releases an egg each month.
Sometimes it’s caused by a treatment such as surgery to remove the ovaries (oophorectomy), some breast cancer treatments, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Alternatively, it can be brought on by an underlying medical condition, such as Down’s syndrome or Addison’s disease.
You can read the full article in the Healthily Health Library where it was originally published.
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