Menopause Awareness Month

October is Menopause awareness month which is a welcome recognition and acknowledgement of the huge impact that declining oestrogen levels can have on a woman’s health and quality of life. 

The fact that nationally a whole month is dedicated to this subject reflects the fact that for many women the Menopause can be a game changer, both for their physical and mental health, which very few women are able to escape. There is a notion that the days are long gone when women could not be open about the menopause, when “the change” was rarely mentioned in public or private, with women suffering their own private hell. Some insist that the Menopause does remain a taboo subject and not something women feel freely able to discuss with family, friends and employers. When you consider for many women the symptoms can be devastating and debilitating, whilst impacting on their relationships, jobs and social life, it is shocking that many women are still not getting the care and support that they need.

Talking to a friend recently she told me her mother who is 53 suddenly developed anxiety and depression almost overnight, with no previous history of these issues. The GP prescribed anti-depressants even though she was at the prime age for the Menopause. I have also heard about women being told by their GP that they couldn’t be menopausal because they were still having periods or because they were too young. A survey of over 5000 women carried out by Newson Health discovered that a third of women wait at least three years for their menopause symptoms to be accurately diagnosed. A further 18% visited their GP 6 times before they received the support that they needed (https://themenopausecharity.org/about/) 

Most women experience the menopause between 45 and 55 but it can happen earlier or later depending on your family history and if you have had your ovaries removed, which is know as a clinical menopause. 

There are over 34 symptoms, and everyone’s experience is different. The peri menopause reflects the time when your oestrogen levels start to fall, your periods may get heavier or lighter, or you may have longer or shorter gaps in between them. Eventually your periods will stop completely and after 12 months from this point you will then be post-menopausal. 

Thankfully Menopause charities and organisations are there to support you and educate professionals. 

“The Menopause Charity” website provides a wealth of information, support and guidance for women. They also provide a symptom checker:

https://themenopausecharity.org/information-and-support/symptoms/menopause-symptom-checker/

If you are in any doubt about your symptoms being the menopause, take a look at this form and if necessary, take it to your GP. Do not suffer in silence, we need to keep this subject an open conversation for the benefit of ourselves and future generations of women.