Menopause management
Menopause management
What is menopause?
Menopause
is your final period.
As you approach menopause, your reproductive hormones (e.g. oestrogen) drop. Most women reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55. In Australia, the average age to reach menopause is 51 to 52.
Menopausal symptoms
Menopause is different for everyone. Some women have no symptoms at all, while others have symptoms that interfere with their daily life.
Symptoms of menopause may include:
hot flushes
night sweats
aches and
pains
low mood
sleep problems
headaches
or
migraines
difficulty concentrating.
You may also experience:
vaginal dryness
urinary problems
reduced sex drive (libido)
painful sex.
Managing menopausal symptoms
There are many ways to manage menopausal symptoms. It may take time to find the right approach.
Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT)
Menopausal symptoms are caused by a drop in hormone levels, mainly oestrogen.
MHT
replaces these hormones and i
t’s an effective and safe way to reduce symptoms. MHT may also reduce the risk of developing conditions, such as osteoporosis and heart disease, in the future.
If you’re thinking about taking MHT, talk to your
doctor
. Note that MHT is not suitable for everyone, for example if you are older than 60 or have hormone-dependent cancer.
Non-hormonal medicines
Some women cannot use MHT.
Others don’t want to use MHT and prefer to try non-hormonal prescription medicines for symptoms like hot flushes and sweating. Non-hormonal medicines include:
certain antidepressants
gabapentin (
epilepsy
medication)
clonidine (used to treat migraine and
blood pressure
).
Your doctor can give you more information.
Menopause and natural therapies
Natural therapies are part of a broad range of
complementary medicine and therapies (CMT)
.
Sometimes herbs are used to manage symptoms of menopause. There is some research supporting the use of black cohosh and red clover extract. Other herbs commonly used for
insomnia
,
anxiety
and
fatigue
include lemon balm, valerian and passionflower.
While these herbs may be commonly used, more research is needed to understand how effective and safe they are for managing menopausal symptoms.
Some studies suggest that
cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)
can help reduce menopausal symptoms.
Make sure you get advice from a qualified health practitioner before using natural and complementary therapies. It’s also important to tell your doctor if you use herbal remedies as they can affect other prescribed medicines.
Healthy lifestyle
Healthy lifestyle choices can help you manage symptoms of menopause and reduce the risk of developing health conditions. Try to:
eat a
healthy diet
achieve and maintain a
healthy weight
do regular
physical activity
develop good sleep habits
reduce or stop drinking
alcohol
quit smoking
and other
drugs
.
It’s also important to look after your emotional health. For example:
take time to do things you enjoy
be kind to yourself
talk to your partner, close friends or family about how you feel
practise relaxation techniques
work with a therapist.
When to see your doctor
See your doctor if your menopausal symptoms are affecting your quality of life. It’s important to seek accurate and reliable information before you start any treatment.
More information
For more detailed information, related resources, articles and podcasts, visit
Jean Hailes for Women’s
Health
External Link
Where to get help
GP (doctor)
Dietitians
Australia
External Link
Jean Hailes for Women’s
Health
External Link