Menopause
Menopause is the term used to describe the natural cycle in life when the monthly menstrual cycle (periods) stops.
Medically, the definition of menopause is when you have not had period for at least 12 months.
However, menopause and perimenopause are commonly used as a catch-all terms to encompass many of the symptoms that come with changes in your hormone levels whether naturally or through illness or treatment.
- The average age to go through the menopause is 51
- If you are aged under 45, it is called an early menopause
- If you are aged under 40, it is known as premature menopause or Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)
- By the age of 54, 80% will stop having periods
There are many different symptoms associated with the menopause but the most common are:
- Hot flushes and night sweats
- Insomnia
- Aching joints
- Weight gain
- Psychological symptoms
- Sexual and other health considerations
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Irregular periods
- Memory loss
Everyone experiences menopause in different ways. Rock my have a useful guide to help track your symptoms and support conversations with your GP or healthcare professional
Perimenopause is the time that your body starts to make the transition to menopause. It starts when the amount of the hormone oestrogen produced by the body begins to decline.
Symptoms of the perimenopause and menopause are indistinguishable. The average time a person will experience menopausal symptoms is 7 years.
People will experience menopause differently. Approximately 25% of people will experience little or no symptoms, but for the majority there will be some symptoms.
For some, symptoms can be more severe and can negatively affect daily life.
There are treatment options and it is always important to check with your GP about anything you are experiencing to see if it is linked to your menopause.
Treatment can include:
- Diet and lifestyle changes
- Herbal therapies
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) which replaces the homones which decline in your body through the perimenopause and menopause.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) does not act as a contraceptive.
In general, you can stop contraception:
- One year after your last period – if aged over 50
- Two years after your last period – if aged under 50
- When you reach 55
Neither HRT or contraception will protect you against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), so if you have changed partners it is advisable to have an STI test.
You can find out more about contraception options for people aged over 40 here.
