It’s estimated that a third of the female population in the UK are currently perimenopause or menopause. This means, around 13 million women are currently experiencing varying symptoms of menopause.

Despite so many women going through this often difficult stage in life, the topic is still a relatively  taboo subject. Despite increased media attention in recent years, thanks to high-profile celebrities sharing their menopause experiences, many still feel uncomfortable discussing it or seeking proper support.

We’re joining millions around the world this November for menopause awareness month to help ensure that each year that goes by, women feel more seen, heard and supported than ever before.

What is the Menopause? 

Menopause is a transition which happens to women as their hormone levels drop, it is when your periods come to a stop. The age at which women become perimenopausal varies but is often described as between 45-55, around 10 years before menopause. Symptoms can begin during this time and differ from person to person. You are then classed as menopausal 12 months after your last period and symptoms can then continue for around 5 years. 

What are Some of the Symptoms of Menopause? 

The menopausal transition affects every woman differently and is unique person to person. Some women will experience very few symptoms and find the transition relatively straightforward with minimal issues. On the other hand, some women will find it impacts most areas of their lives including their physical health, mental health, relationships, work and social life. 

It’s important to understand that menopause can have an impact on both women’s physical health, and mental health. 

Physical symptoms of the menopause:

•Changes in the pattern of periods

•Hot flushes

•Night sweats

•Difficulty sleeping

•Vaginal dryness

•Discomfort during sex

•Loss of libido

•Changes to your hair (thinning/drier/breakage etc)

•Nails become brittle, dry and can split

•Weight gain

•Changes to your skin 

Physiological and emotional symptoms of the menopause:

•Brain fog (difficulty concentrating or remembering things)

•Low mood – feelings of sadness or depression

•Mood swings

•Feeling irritable or frustrated

•Anxiousness

•Lack of motivation

•Loss of confidence

•Finding life overwhelming/struggling to cope

Many of these symptoms can affect women at work, their relationships, their social lives and their relationship with themselves. Some women may only experience a few of these symptoms, some may experience many. 

What Support is Available for Women Struggling with Menopausal Symptoms?

It’s important to mention that support is available for all women, no matter whether they suffer from 1 symptom or 10 symptoms. No woman should struggle through this period in life with no support, we urge any women finding it difficult to reach out to friends, family, health care professionals, support groups or their GP. As the saying goes, often a problem shared is a problem halved and many women will find that their friends are going through similar experiences. 

There are a number of treatments and supplements available to help improve hair, skin and nails which have been affected by the menopause. There are weight loss injections available if weight gain has been a key symptom. There are also polynucleotide injections which can be used to help improve vaginal dryness and reduce UTIs. 

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy 

Many women going through the menopause will be familiar with HRT. HRT is a treatment available on the NHS which helps to reduce menopausal symptoms. Although HRT is suitable for many women, it is a one size fits all approach and cannot be tailored to each individual and their specific symptoms. 

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is a treatment available through a number of private GP practices across the UK. BHRT is a bespoke form of HRT in which a doctor will carry out a blood test to see which specific hormones are affected by the menopause. Following this blood test the doctor can then create a tailored prescription of HRT to replace and rebalance the hormones that the individual is lacking, in turn improving specific symptoms of menopause. BHRT can be administered in a range of forms and is entirely bespoke to each individual woman.

Don’t suffer in silence

There is help and support out there for all women going through the menopause. Whether you just need someone to talk to or whether you need medical help in managing your symptoms, please seek support. If you’d like to discuss your symptoms with us and explore treatments to manage them, please contact us to book an appointment.