Common Symptoms

Hot flushes are the most common symptom of the menopause and are experienced by 85% of women, and often begin before the periods stop, sometimes for 3-4 years before the last period, usually occurring during the week before a period, they can vary greatly in their frequency and intensity.

They tend to come more frequently after the periods stop and can persist for several years. They are harmless, being caused by a malfunction in the body’s normal methods of controlling its temperature, but can be quite distressing, and can occur at any time of the day or night. Women often describe hot flushes as a sudden feeling of intense heat, starting in the chest area, rising through the neck and face, sometimes accompanied by sweating, they can happen at any time causing difficulty and embarrassment.

When hot flushes occur at night they are often associated with excessive sweating causing a woman to awaken feeling hot and sticky, occasionally necessitating in washing and changing of nightclothes, needless to say this can cause stress within a couple’s relationship since the partner is regularly awoken during the night also. These may continue for some time, night after night, week in week out leaving the woman tired and drained as a result of lack of sleep, which can impact on her day to day activities.

Women also describe emotional or psychological symptoms, including irritability, mood swings, tiredness, lack of energy, poor memory and concentration, increased anxiety, panic attacks which may be linked to the menopause, although mid-life is often a time of social and emotional upheaval which may be contributory factors to psychological symptoms.

Poor sleep patterns due to night sweats and insomnia may also have an impact on psychological symptoms. Generalised aches and pains may become a complaint at this time, although it is difficult to say if this is hormone or age related. Skin changes may be noticed, such as dryness, loss of elasticity and tingling sensations. Urogenital symptoms may be noticed, including bladder symptoms such as urgency of urine, some stress incontinence and nocturia (needing to pass urine during the night), some dryness and soreness of the vaginal which can cause pain and discomfort during sexual intercourse.

Women may also notice a decrease in their sexual interest and desire with a reduced sexual response, which may be hormone related can also be a psychological, for example, as a response to incidences of painful sexual intercourse.

The post menopause is the time after a women’s last period, obvious following a surgical or medical menopause, but with a natural menopause cannot be determined until 12 months after the event, until her life’s end. After the periods stop, hormone changes can continue for some time, some women may only experience hot flushes for a few months for example, some may continue with these into their 60’s. However, for many women, most menopausal symptoms will have abated by age 55.

The menopause can be used as an opportunity to reassess health and lifestyle and, with increasing longevity, it is important that the postmenopausal years are as healthy as those before, looking after our heart, bone and general health and wellbeing.