Menopause has gotten a lot of bad press over the years. From depictions of hot flushes, mood swings and worse, the negative press and secrecy around this very normal stage of life have left a lot of women in the dark.
Thankfully, recent years have seen conversations about menopause emerge into mainstream conversations, challenging stigma and leading to huge achievements such as funding injections for menopause services.
Despite this long overdue and very welcome change, menopause can remain a bit of a mystery and prone to misinformation. So let’s dive in and find out what the real deal is when it comes to menopause.
What is menopause?
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Menopause is referred to as the final menstrual period, which is confirmed by looking back over the previous twelve months of having no periods, without any other cause. Although technically menopause occurs as a single point in time, it’s actually the culmination of a process that lasts around 2-4 years where we see a decline in reproductive hormones, most notably oestrogen, a time referred to as perimenopause.
In that lead-up, menstrual cycles (your period) can do many confusing things – get longer, get shorter or change how light or heavy they are.
In Australia, the average age of menopause is 51 years, but can normally occur anywhere between 45 and 55 years.
Menopause is not an illness or a disease but rather a natural change in the various reproductive hormones.
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What happens during menopause?
As hormone levels fluctuate, women can experience a number of symptoms that can be unpleasant, distressing and impact day-to-day life.
The duration and severity of symptoms can fluctuate widely. Some of the more common symptoms include:
- hot flushes and sweating
- night sweats
- sleep disruption
- mood changes including anxiety and low mood
- skin changes such as wrinkles and loss of elasticity
- changes in libido
- vaginal dryness
- recurrent urinary tract infections
- weight gain
The cause of these symptoms is complex and still being completely worked out but has a lot to do with changes in oestrogen levels and other widespread and complex changes in a whole host of hormones and processes that occur in the body.
Aside from these unpleasant changes, menopause is also marked by an increased risk of a number of health conditions including diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis (so-called ‘thinning’ of the bones).
How to manage menopause
From a health perspective, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when it comes to managing menopause.
The first is that these symptoms can be incredibly disruptive and even debilitating for some women. They can impact their ability to work or enjoy life in all of its facets. Years of stigma have also contributed to many women feeling as though they have to suffer in silence and not reach out for help. Managing the symptoms of menopause helps women live unincumbered by some of these changes.
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The second consideration in menopause is that it is a very definite period where women have to be alert to a number of health considerations. Menopause is an important time to up the ante on health checks to help prevent future problems.
In terms of managing menopause symptoms, there are a number of options available. One of the most frequently talked about options is hormone replacement therapy (HRT) where a replacement dose of hormones including oestrogen can be used.
Some forms of menopausal hormone therapy include tablets or patches to increase the body’s overall hormone levels, others include topical oestrogen in various forms that are used to combat genital and urinary symptoms by pessaries, gels or creams. HRT should only be given under the supervision of a doctor because it needs to be prescribed safely – HRT is not a suitable option for every woman and the risks and benefits need to be weighed carefully.
Other treatments can include
- pelvic floor exercises
- counselling or psychology
- other medications to manage symptoms
- diet and exercise are also useful for managing symptoms and improving overall health
Some women also report feeling better with some natural treatments, but do keep in mind natural treatments can have side effects or interact with other medications.
Finally, menopause is an important time to stay on top of any regular health checks. Although important for women of many different ages, health checks such as mammograms, cervical screening (also known as Pap smears) and heart health checks take on increased importance after menopause.
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Reviewed by the healthylife Advisory Board August 2022
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