Healthwise: Menopause - don't suffer in silence

GP Dr Dara Hume looks at the menopause and how it affects women...

Hello everyone and Happy New Year! Thank you all for your questions submitted, and please keep them coming! Quite a number of questions have come in relating to Women's Health, and Menopause in particular, so I thought I would combine them and cover some general menopause related issues this month. Especially given that 50% of the world's population (ie all women) will 'get' this condition at some stage in their lifetime!

Menopause is now thankfully a much talked about topic, having featured prominently in the media. No longer is it something to 'just get on with'. In fact, we have received so many queries in my own practice that I have decided to start a dedicated Menopause/Women's Health Clinic, open to all patients, covering Menopause, Contraception etc, but more about that at another time - watch this space!

Countless decades of women suffered in silence in the past, and also there was a lot of misinformation linking HRT to breast cancer in the 90's, which thankfully has since been clarified, so a generation of women lost out on the wonders of HRT in those difficult years.

So what is Menopause? It is a 'pause in menses', when periods have stopped for a year. However women can have up to 10 years prior to this of a 'pre-' or perimenopause. Symptoms range from physical symptoms of period change, flushes, night sweats, sleep changes, weight and hair changes among others, and emotional symptoms of loss of confidence, loss of memory, anxiety, depression, irritability (often women have said to me: 'I think I'm going crazy'). These are just some of the 34 reported symptoms! The perimenopause is definitely the most difficult time with fluctuating symptoms, and the first sign is usually a change in your cycle, where it becomes shorter/longer, heavier/lighter.

So what do you do if you think you're menopausal? You don't need blood tests to diagnose menopause, however it is helpful to check in with your GP from a general health point of view, and to ensure other medical issues aren't present and causing your symptoms. It is a time to aim to be as healthy as possible heading into your 50s and beyond. However it is also an extremely vulnerable time in a woman's life, and we need to acknowledge that, and be kinder to ourselves in these years.

The first stage of management of your menopause is to acknowledge it, and do some research. Looking in particular at diet and exercise regime, stress management, possibly with supplements from your local pharmacist/health shop. See your GP for a general check-up, and then if your symptoms are progressing, and becoming more distressing, certainly that is the time to talk to your GP for 'now what do I do?'.

As GPs, we treat Menopause with HRT (hormone replacement therapy). And the gold standard combination is Mirena (a type of coil) and transdermal oestrogen (gel or patch). This is done after a consultation with your GP, a physical examination, and perhaps blood tests if appropriate. After menopause women's risk of heart disease and osteoporosis both increase, so it is certainly worth looking at and dealing with cardiovascular risk factors like smoking, obesity, diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure and stress, especially if there is a strong family history present.

It is always helpful for women to do some reading themselves, looking at self-help and self care. I find www.menopausematters.co.uk a website that is particularly helpful for patients to access and understand. It's in plain English and written by doctors. It can also be helpful for spouse / partners to read to help them understand what the woman in their life is going through.

The key take home message readers is that the Menopause happens to every woman at some stage, and no-one has to suffer in silence. So please talk to your friends and family, seek help from your GP, and enjoy the next 4 or more decades in comfort, style and grace. Women need to support each other - never more so than this week following the brutal murder of the beautiful young teacher Ashling Murphy, may she rest in peace.

Be safe out there, and keep your questions coming.

* If you have a question, email deardrdara@anglocelt.ie

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https://www.anglocelt.ie/2021/10/08/healthwise-dear-doctor-dara/