Symptoms of Menopause
Menopause literally means the final menstrual period. Although sometimes the periods stop abruptly, for many women, they have a period of menstrual irregularity which can be combined with menopausal symptoms (the peri-menopause) and can last for several years before the periods stop. Women become post-menopausal when your periods have ceased for 1 year. Most women go through the menopause between the ages of 44 and 55, with the average being 51 years.
As the ovaries stop working properly, estrogen levels decline and can give rise to a wide range of menopausal symptoms including:
- Hot flushes
- Night sweats
- Mood swings
- Brain fog
- Poor concentration
- Vaginal dryness
- Low sex drive
- Breast tenderness
- Bloating
- Weight gain
- Joint pain
- Hair thinning
- Dry skin and eyes
- Fatigue
- Palpitations
- Insomnia
- Anxiety and depression
Blood tests and health assessments
Some women may go through a surgical or medically induced menopause (if the ovaries have been removed, or damaged from treatment such as chemo or radiotherapy). In this situation the onset of menopause is more abrupt and so the symptoms can be more severe.
Current guidelines say that menopause or perimenopause can be diagnosed on history alone (irregular periods with menopausal symptoms) without the need for blood tests. Sometimes however, hormonal blood tests may be recommended to confirm the diagnosis or rule out other causes for your symptoms.
Menopause is a time in a woman’s life when the risk of many common health conditions such as heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer start to increase. It is an excellent opportunity to have a holistic assessment of your general as well as hormonal health.
We can provide an individualised health assessment with tailored advice about how to look after your long term health and manage the menopause transition.