It is estimated that eight out of ten women in the UK experience symptoms leading up to the menopause, and of these, 45% will find their symptoms difficult to deal with.
In most cases, the first symptom of the peri-menopause is a change in your usual menstrual pattern. You may find that your period starts to appear every two to three weeks, or you may not have one for months at a time. The amount of menstrual blood loss may also change, with most women finding that it increases slightly.
Other common symptoms of the peri-menopause, menopause and post-menopause are detailed below :
Hot flushes and night sweats
A hot flush is a sudden feeling of heat in your upper body, which can start in your face, neck or chest, before spreading upwards and downwards. You may find that the skin on your face, neck and chest becomes red and patchy, and you may start to sweat. You may also experience a change in your heart rate; it may become very rapid (known as tachycardia), or irregular and stronger than usual (known as palpitations).
Hot flushes that occur at night are called night sweats. Most hot flushes only last for a few minutes, and are most common in the first year after your final period.
Sleep disturbance
Many menopausal women have trouble sleeping due to night sweats, but sleep disturbance may also occur as a result of anxiety or insomnia. You may find that a lack of sleep makes you irritable, and that you have problems with your short-term memory and ability to concentrate.
Vaginal symptoms
During the peri-menopause, you may experience vaginal dryness, itching or discomfort. This can cause sex to become difficult or painful, which is known as dyspareunia. These symptoms combined are known as vaginal atrophy.
Approximately 30% of women experience the symptoms of vaginal atrophy during the early post menopausal period, and up to 47% of women have them during the later post menopausal period. However, in some cases it is possible to experience vaginal atrophy more than 10 years after your final period.
Urinary symptoms
During the menopause, you may find that you become prone to recurrent lower urinary tract infections, such as cystitis. You may also experience an urgent need to pass urine, and need to pass it more often than normal.
How long do menopausal symptoms last ?
Without treatment, most menopausal symptoms are self-limiting, which means they gradually stop happening naturally. This usually happens two to five years after the symptoms start, but some women can experience symptoms for many more years.
If you experience vaginal symptoms, such as dryness, itching and discomfort, it is likely that they will persist or worsen over time unless they are treated.
Protecting your bones from osteoporosis
Loss of bone bulk and osteoporosis are natural features of ageing, but loss of oestrogen accelerates the process in post menopausal women.
You can reduce your risk of osteoporosis by taking short, frequent sessions of weight-bearing exercise, eating plenty of calcium, giving up smoking and moderating alcohol consumption. If you cannot get enough calcium from your diet, it might be worth trying calcium supplements - but see your doctor before you start taking these.
The above information thankfully comes from the nhs.uk at the following link.
