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Menopause

Menopause is when your periods stop forever. This usually happens to people who have periods between the ages of 45 and 55.

If you have the symptoms of menopause, but your periods haven’t stopped, this is called perimenopause.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of the menopause might include, but are not limited to the following:

Anxiety
Mood swings
Brain fog and problems with memory
Hot flushes and night sweats
Irregular periods
Changes in skin conditions (skin is more dry or more oily than usual)

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Discomfort during sex, vaginal dryness and less sex drive
Hair loss or thinning
Headaches or migraines
More facial hair than normal
Joint stiffness, aches and pains
Heart palpitations – you can feel your heartbeats more in your chest
More UTIs (urinary tract infections) than normal
Tinnitus (ringing in your ears)

These symptoms can start years before your periods stop and can carry on afterwards.

Use the Women's Health Concern symptom tracker

Read the NICE (national) guidelines for what NHS care you should expect during the menopause

Diagnosing the menopause

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) menopause guidance, first published in November 2015, states that perimenopause should be diagnosed on symptoms alone without blood tests in healthy women over the age of 45.
Use information you can find here from Women's Health Concern and keep a symptom tracker to help you to speak to your GP.
Take a look at top tips from Powered By Diversity on how to best advocate for yourself with your healthcare professional.

What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) helps to replace the hormones that are changing and depleting during the menopause. Research has shown that it is the most effective treatment for menopause symptoms.

Find out more about HRT from Women's Health Concern

Top tips to stay well during the menopause

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Get lots of rest – have a regular sleep routine
Eat a healthy diet
Have calcium-rich food like milk, yoghurt and kale to keep bones healthy
Stay active
Try to keep your stress levels low
Talk to people going through the menopause or get support with your mental health if you need it

Talk to your GP about things that could help
Get support to quit smoking if you smoke
Try to stay cool by wearing light clothing, keeping your bedroom cool at night, taking cool showers and avoiding triggers like spicy food, caffeine, alcohol and smoking.

Get support with menopause symptoms

The menopause can be really difficult to live with. If you need support to manage your symptoms, you can find different types of information, advice and support below:

Speak to your GP if you need support with symptoms of the menopause.
Join the Havering Pause - Time for a Change Menopause Support Group (online & in-person sessions available).