Menopause can be a difficult time. Perhaps the scariest part is when you first start experiencing symptoms but you’re not sure what they are. Sometimes you can feel like you’re going mad with all the strange things going on in your body.
In a study by the British Menopause Society, 45 of women felt like the symptoms had a negative impact on their work. As well as work, menopause symptoms can cause our social lives to suffer, with 33% of women feeling less outgoing in social situations due to the menopause.*
We’ve gathered together some examples of common symptoms that may be a sign that you’re entering menopause. Of course, there may be other reasons you are experiencing these symptoms, but a few of these symptoms combined could mean its time to talk to the doctor about the menopause.
Sleep, or Lack Of It!
Sometimes during the menopause, our sleep patterns are disturbed. Although this is a symptom of the menopause it’s often due to anxiety, hot flushes, restless legs or heart palpitations as a result of menopause.
Mood Swings
Many people think of mood swings as something women experience even when not going through menopause! But in the menopause, these mood swings are due to low levels of oestrogen that can cause irregularities in the brain
Panic/Anxiety
Overwhelming anxiety and fear can result in feelings of dread, rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, and feelings of extreme terror. If you have never experienced this kind of thing before it can be shocking to the system.
Night Sweats
Night sweats are typically classified as severe hot flushes that occur during sleep. They normally result in having to change the bed sheets, shower and then try to get some more sleep. Unfortunately the lack of sleep because of this can make you feel lousy the next day!
Loss of Libido
Normally related to falling levels of oestrogen, a reduced sex drive becomes more common in women during the menopause. Combining the hormone reduction and dealing with other menopause symptoms can often leave a woman with no sexual desire or leave them feeling unsexy in themselves. 52% of women that the British Menopausal Society spoke to said that menopause has affected their sex lives and 42% said the menopause had made them feel less sexy.*
Fatigue
Chronic exhaustion in menopause can have a drastic impact on daily life, putting a strain on relationships, productivity, and your quality of life. The characteristics of fatigue may include decreased attention span, irritability, and apathy.
Hot flushes
Probably the most relatable and talked about symptom of the menopause, a sudden intense warmth spreading through the whole body, creating a need to take your layers off!
Bloating
Bloating or a swollen belly can be related to changes in the hormone levels. It’s normally caused by built-up gas in your gastrointestinal system. It can also be related to stress levels and diet.
Hair loss
Due to the decline of oestrogen, you may find you may lose some hair during the menopause and it may also become brittle and drier than usual. This is a time to invest in a professional shampoo!
Got more questions? Download our menopause guide for tips, details on treatments and your menopause questions answered!
*On behalf of the British Menopause Society, Edelman Intelligence conducted online interviews with 1,000 adults in the UK (698 women and 302 men) who were aged 45+ and either peri-menopausal, menopausal or post-menopausal or partners of those who are in a relationship with a woman who is either peri-menopausal, menopausal or post-menopausal, nationally representative of the online population in terms of regional spread.
https://thebms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/BMS-Infographic-10-October2017-01C.pdf
