According to Menopause Support, approximately 13 million peri, current and post-menopausal people are living in the UK today.
This makes up a whole third of British women.
Despite making up such a large portion of society, a lot of women find themselves feeling ashamed, shunned or invisible due to their symptoms and the lack of discussion surrounding the subject of menopause.
What is menopause?
Menopause simply means no periods for 12 months and usually begins between the ages of 45-55, but it may start earlier. 80% of women are menopausal by the age of 54 years, so an average woman spends one third of her life being menopausal. In the lead up to menopause, women often experience symptoms of ‘perimenopause’. Changes in the menstrual cycle, hormonal fluctuations and ‘hot flashes’ can all occur as the ovaries begin to stop producing eggs. It is important to note that menopause is a natural transitionary period in life and is not a disease or illness.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
80% of women suffer some symptoms.
Meaning 20% of women have no symptoms at all, and of the 80 % who do suffer some symptoms, only 25% want or need treatment.
Some of the physical symptoms of menopause may include, but are not limited to:
- Night sweats
- Hot flushes
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Recurring UTIs
- Stiff joints, aches and pains
- Heavy periods
- Insomnia
- Itchy skin
- Osteoporosis
- Weight gain
Menopause is not only characterised by physical health symptoms, but mental health can also be affected by it too.
Some symptoms might include:
- Anxiety
- Memory loss
- Depression
- Reduced concentration
- Brain fog
How can I manage symptoms for menopause?
A healthy diet and regular exercise, alongside simple lifestyle changes, may improve some symptoms and are important parts of the toolkit in dealing with menopause. Reducing nicotine, alcohol and caffeine intake further assist in reducing symptoms as well.
‘Phytoestrogens’ also help, and these are found in foods like soya protein, beans, yams and nuts. These non-hormonal treatments should always be tried first before hormonal treatments like HRT, which top up hormone levels.
World Menopause Day
World Menopause Day is recognised every year on October 18th to attempt to break the stigma around menopause and highlight the support available to women when they’re experiencing symptoms.
This year’s theme is based on HRT and the various pros and cons.
HRT works by replacing the hormones lost in the menopause process and can relieve symptoms of menopause to a manageable degree. Many women see it as a necessity for managing their menopause symptoms.
However, studies have shown that HRT can slightly increase the risk of breast cancer. This may sound concerning but the risk reduces when using oestrogen only HRT, rather than combined. HRT for managing menopause is an ongoing discussion in the medical field, but a lot of women experiencing menopause find the benefits outweigh the risks, and your GP will be able to advise whether HRT is the right solution for you.
How can Fleet Street Clinic help me?
If you think that you are beginning to experience symptoms of perimenopause or are suffering with your current symptoms, it may be time to book a GP appointment to discuss your menopause and see how we can help you.
Menopause can be a scary transition, but we want to do everything we can to make it as easy as possible for you.
Book a GP appointment today and let us support you.
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