Menopause
The 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.
The 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 the menopause is
51. However, around 1 in 100 women experience the
menopause before 40 years of age. This is known as premature menopause or
premature ovarian insufficiency.
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.
Schematic diagram showing the symptoms of menopause.
When to
see your doctor
It is worth talking to your doctor/ GP if you have
menopausal symptoms that are troubling you or if you are 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're 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 are 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 release an egg each month.
Premature or early menopause can occur at
any age, and in many cases, there's no clear cause. Sometimes it's caused by a treatment such as
surgery to remove the ovaries (oophorectomy), some breast cancer treatments, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or it can be brought on by an
underlying medical condition, such as Down's syndrome or Addison's disease.
Source: NHS Choices.
Source: NHS Choices.