When will it happen to me?
Most Western women experience the changes associated with menopause between the ages of 45 and 55.
Although you may have no symptoms, changes in female hormones which herald the onset of this process can often be detected in your early forties.
The average age of the menopause hasn't changed over the last few centuries. What has changed is a woman's life expectancy. At the turn of the century (1900) average female life expectancy was only around 50. Today we can expect to live until the age of 80.
The result? The menopause now has profound implications for our physical and mental health which didn't concern our female ancestors.
How do I know if I'm through the change?
If you're going through the menopause, you're likely to suffer from some or all of the following symptoms:
- Absent or irregular periods
- Hot flushes
- Night sweats
- Mood changes
- Vaginal dryness
- Inability to sleep
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Lack of Concentration
- Lack of short term memory
- Vaginal Dryness/ discomfort during intercourse
- A need to urinate frequently
- Reduced Libido (sex drive)
Why do these symptoms occur?
During our reproductive years our ovaries produce the hormone oestrogen, which affects many of our bodily organs and functions. But after menopause, our ovaries no longer produce any significant amounts of oestrogen.
This means that after the menopause you will experience both short and long term physical and psychological changes. Not every woman will have symptoms, or the same combination of symptoms. Some women will get these symptoms more severely, or for longer, than others.
In the long term, a reduced oestrogen production has an effect on the bones, the heart and possibly the brain. Post-menopausal women are at higher risk of these problems:
- Osteoporosis
- this describes the loss of bone structure and strength and is associated with a reduction in oestrogen production. Bones in the hip, spine and wrist are most commonly affected, leading to a higher risk of fractures in these areas.
- Heart attacks and strokes:
- Before the menopause women have fewer heart attacks and strokes than men of the same age. But after the menopause they have approximately the same risk . That's because oestrogen appears to have a protective effect against heart attacks and strokes which is lost after the menopause.
- Vaginal irritation or dryness and bladder problems:
- Oestrogen keeps the tissues of the vagina and bladder healthy. After the menopause, when little oestrogen is produced, many women experience vaginal irritation or dryness. This can make sex uncomfortable or even painful.
Many women find using extra lubrication, such as KY jelly, helpful.
- Some women also experience bladder problems. You may find it painful to pass water or you may experience a sensation of urgency to pass water. Leakage of urine can also occur.
- Brain disease:
- There is now some evidence that Oestrogen may have a significant effect on brain function. Low levels of the hormone mean that post-menopausal women may be more prone to diseases such as Alzheimer's (a brain disease that invariably leads to progressive dementia)
