Most of us know that hot flushes are part and parcel of the menopause. However, feeling hot and bothered is just one symptom associated with the months and years around a woman’s last monthly period. Doctors have identified 34 issues linked with the menopause. Do you recognise any of these?
The time of a woman’s life when her ovaries stop releasing an egg (ovum) on a monthly cycle, and her periods cease
Full medical glossary
1. Hot flushes
When you feel a rising wave of heat – like your internal pipes are overheating. Hot flushes affect around 75% of menopausal women.
2. Night sweats
You wake up drenched in sweat, often having to change your sheets and nightwear. Like hot flushes, this is a vasomotor symptom – a temperature dysfunction that occurs due to changes in hormones.
3. Irregular periods
Periods can become erratic; sometimes they are very heavy, at other times light. PMS may occur without a period.
4. Mood swings
A third of women report feeling inexplicably moody.
5. Vaginal dryness
As oestrogen levels, drop, you may notice itchiness as well as discomfort in the vaginal area. The inner mucosa of the vulva become quite irritated. Hormone Replacement Therapy can help.
The time of a woman’s life when her ovaries stop releasing an egg (ovum) on a monthly cycle, and her periods cease
Full medical glossary
9. Burning mouth
Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is a condition that affects the tongue and the inside of the mouth and lips. Symptoms include a burning, stinging or tingling, and some people experience numbness, dryness or a metallic taste. One study says it affects 18 to 33 percent of postmenopausal women. Hormone imbalance is behind this weird sensation.
10. Joint pain
Decreasing oestrogen levels mean joints can lose flexibility and there is an increase in inflammation.
11. Digestive problems
Hormonal changes can lead to IBS-type symptoms, such as stomach upsets bloating, indigestion, constipation, diarrhoea and cramps. However, you should always talk to a doctor about this, as bloating and pain may be a symptom of other more serious conditions, including ovarian cancer.
12. Electric shocks
Oestrogen plays an important role in in your brain. It’s believed that seesawing hormone levels can cause an electric shock type sensation.
13. Muscle tension
Stress and anxiety won’t help, but the menopause also leads to cell deterioration which will increase the feeling of sore muscles.
The time of a woman’s life when her ovaries stop releasing an egg (ovum) on a monthly cycle, and her periods cease
Full medical glossary
14. Gum problems
Up to a third of menopausal women experience problems with their gums
15. Tingling
Tingling, also known as paresthesia, is caused by oestrogen’s ups and downs during menopause that affects the central nervous system.
16. Itchy skin
Studies have shown that skin thickness declines in women after the menopause. Hormonal dips mean skin collagen is also affected.
17. Fatigue
Exhaustion is common during the menopause. Oestrogen, progesterone, thyroid and adrenal hormones are all involved in energy levels and when these are disrupted, it leaves us with depleted energy.
The time of a woman’s life when her ovaries stop releasing an egg (ovum) on a monthly cycle, and her periods cease
Full medical glossary
18. Anxiety
Feeling anxious during the menopause is common. This in part, is due to the usual stresses. The feelings become more acute when combined with hormonal changes.
19. Disrupted sleep
The menopause brings particular sleep challenges for women, including vasomotor symptoms, mood changes and Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM). Sleep apnoea, which although more common in men, has been found to worsen for women after the menopause, even when controls are allowed for weight and smoking.
20. Hair loss
Hair loss is not uncommon. This might manifest itself in a receding hair line, especially around the temples or an increasingly wider hair parting. Blood tests will indicate whether this is due to an increase of androgens which can be because of the menopause or certain oral contraceptives pills or polycystic ovarian syndrome.
21. Memory lapses
Trying to find the ‘right’ word and memory lapses can occur during menopause. It that fluctuating oestrogen again!
22. Difficulty concentrating
A common symptoms of the menopause, a lack of focus responds well to treatment with oestrogen replacement therapy.
The time of a woman’s life when her ovaries stop releasing an egg (ovum) on a monthly cycle, and her periods cease
Full medical glossary
23. Weight gain
People often experience an increase in body fat during menopause. This is linked with reduced oestrogen levels, poor sleep, and sluggish metabolism, as well as losing muscle mass.
24. Dizzy spells
As the level of oestrogen and progesterone seesaws, this impacts circulation and blood vessels. The resulting fluctuations in blood pressure can cause dizziness.
25. Bloating
Bloating is common at the start of the menopause. This is because oestrogen causes the body to retain water. Always check with your doctor if you have unexplained bloating that is persistent.
26. Stress incontinence
Age will increase your chances of leaking urine, experiencing a feeling of urgency and painful urination.
27. Brittle nails
Lower oestrogen levels and dehydration can leave your nails feeling brittle and can make them snap or break more easily.
28. Allergies
Many women develop allergies during the menopause. Falling oestrogen levels stress out the nervous system, causing the body to produce more histamine, the powerful chemical that leads to allergy symptoms including pollen, dust, pets, chemicals – and sometimes wine!
The time of a woman’s life when her ovaries stop releasing an egg (ovum) on a monthly cycle, and her periods cease
Full medical glossary
29. Irregular heartbeat
Women should bear in mind the menopause can cause palpitations because of changing hormone levels. Often, but not always, this may be linked to hot flushes. If these palpitations are accompanied by shortness of breath or feeling faint, then do seek medical advice.
30. Body odour
Naturally, hormones cause us to have a certain scent – women who have experienced pregnancy will note their body smelled differently. And many women report body odour before and during a period. Expect your scent to alter during and after the menopause.
31. Irritability
Feeling ratty is commonly reported during the menopause. If you have experienced PMS, it’s likely to feel turbo-charged now. Be kind to yourself or seek out some help from a menopause specialist.
32. Depression
Depression is four times more likely to affect women of a menopausal age than a woman below the age of 45. The tragedy for women is that usually the association between hormonal fluctuations and depression is not recognised by their doctors who will instead treat them with antidepressants. Hormone Replacement Therapy can help.
33. Panic disorder
Panic disorder may be most common in women with many physical symptoms of menopause.
34. Osteoporosis
Women’s risk of osteoporosis increases after the menopause. This condition causes the bones to crumble and become fragile. Unfortunately, it is associated with higher mortality and needs to be taken seriously. Oestrogen levels dramatically decrease after the menopause, and as much as half of a woman’s total bone loss occurs within the first 10 years following her last monthly period.
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The time of a woman’s life when her ovaries stop releasing an egg (ovum) on a monthly cycle, and her periods cease
Full medical glossary
