Managing Menopause: Symptoms & Treatments

Menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels and marks the end of a women's reproductive years. Most women experience menopause between the ages of 45 and 55 years as a natural part of biological ageing. Menopause can happen naturally, or for reasons such as surgery to remove the ovaries (oophorectomy) or the uterus (hysterectomy), cancer treatments like chemotherapy, or a genetic reason.

Most women will experience menopausal symptoms. Some of these can be quite severe and have a significant impact on your daily life. Symptoms usually start months or years before your periods stop - this is called the perimenopause. 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

• hair loss or thinning

• headaches or migraines

• joint stiffness, aches and pains

• heart palpitations

Menopause treatments aim to ease symptoms and help you to manage them throughout your menopause journey.

Lifestyle Changes

Regular exercising, such as running, walking and swimming, may help with hot flushes and night sweats, as well as improving your mood. Cutting back on caffeine and alcohol will also help to manage hot flushes.

Non-Medicated Treatments

Counselling, CBT and and hypnosis can help with low mood and anxiety caused by menopause and perimenopause, whilst also aiding with physical symptoms like hot flushes and joint pain, and improving any sleep problems.

Non-Hormonal Drug Treatment

Some medication has been shown to reduce hot flushes and night sweats: Antidepressants (which can also help with low mood and anxiety), Gabapentin and Clonidine. However these may not help with other symptoms, like vaginal dryness.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

This involves using oestrogen to replace your body's own levels around the time of the menopause. There are different types and doses of HRT: oestrogen comes as skin patches, implants, tablets and gel or spray, or combined HRT with the addition of progesterone comes as patches, coil or tablets. HRT can relieve most of the symptoms of menopause, and will reduce the risk of hormone-related health problems.

Testosterone Gel

If your sex drive is affected by the menopause and HRT does not restore it, you might be offered testosterone gel or cream, which can also aid in improving mood and energy levels.

Vaginal Oestrogen

As a result of the menopause your vagina may become dry and painful, or itchy. You can apply oestrogen to the vagina using a vaginal cream, tablet or ring. It can help ease vaginal dryness, pain with intercourse and some urinary symptoms.