October is World Menopause Awareness Month

By Geraldine Canepa

What is the Menopause?
Menopause; a word most women come to dread. It is commonly associated with the end of a woman’s reproductive years, in fact a woman is only considered to be in the menopause after a whole year without a period. Younger women can also go through the menopause when taking strong medication, chemotherapy, surgery or suffering from Primary Ovarian Insufficiency. The menopause is also a time of significant physical and emotional change. The symptoms that accompany menopause can dramatically affect a woman’s life; influencing her health, well-being, and even her career and personal relationships.

Menopause marks a natural biological transition in every woman’s life, yet for too long it has been a subject avoided in conversation, often leaving women unprepared for its effects. Menopause has long been ignored, stigmatised, and treated as a private burden that women must suffer. For decades menopause has been a topic that has been silenced, shrouded in misconceptions, and largely ignored in society. Why has this been the case? The answer lies in a combination of lack of education, not enough research, inaccurate information, and societal stigma.

Women have not been adequately informed about the various phases of menopause. For instance, many women experience symptoms up to ten years before the menopause - the perimenopausal years. This usually begins to occur when a woman is in her forties. It is a time when hormones are declining and fluctuating, causing a hormone rollercoaster. In my experience, many women at this stage do not realise they are indeed experiencing perimenopausal symptoms as they are under the misconception that they are ‘too young’ for the menopause.

Most women experience some symptoms at some stage. It is estimated that as many as 90% of women suffer from symptoms such as hot flushes, anxiety, sleep disturbance, brain fog, aching joints. What most women do not know is that there are at least thirty-four symptoms related to the menopause. Other less known menopause symptoms are tinnitus, burning tongue, dizzy spells, itchy skin, restless legs syndrome and vertigo to name a few.

It is also estimated that 1 in 5 women suffer from severe symptoms that impact their everyday life including relationships with family, their career and mental health.

The Importance of Awareness and Education
It is time to bring menopause out of the shadows and into the public conversation. Indeed, it is an inevitable condition for practically half of the population.
As the majority of women are working during this period, employers can play a crucial role by creating menopause-friendly workplaces with policies that accommodate women’s health needs. Last year 2,000 women age 40-60 took part in a survey, 23% considered resigning from work due to the impact of menopause, and 14% said that they were planning to hand in their notice. ‘Menopause brain’ which includes memory lapses and difficulty focusing, can impact work performance, leading to frustration and a sense of inadequacy.

A survey conducted last year by Newson Health in the UK presented with 73% of women blaming the menopause for the breakdown of their marriage. This is why it is essential for women to seek the right support and be educated on the menopause – women need to know that they are not alone and need to feel supported through this journey.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), once widely prescribed to help alleviate menopause symptoms and protect women’s future health, came under scrutiny in the early 2000s due to a now controversial study published by the Women’s Health Initiative. Media reports about the risks of HRT led to widespread fear of using the treatment, leaving many women without a clear alternative.

Research has since shown that modern forms of HRT, in particular the transdermal and bio-identical hormones, can be effective and safe for women. However, the legacy of these early fears has contributed to the ongoing neglect of menopause as a serious health issue that can put a woman’s future health at risk.

Reversing the Stigma
It is my view that menopause is far more than a normal biological transition that all women need to go through. Menopause deserves to be recognised as a deeply personal journey that women need to be educated on, so that they can make their own informed choices as regards treatment and a holistic support.

My message to women during World Menopause Month is that it is important to pay attention to your bodies; nurturing yourselves with healthy foods, exercising, using hormone replacement therapy if recommended by a doctor, taking the correct supplements and embracing the emotional changes. Many women feel a sense of loss as they move away from their reproductive years. The sense that a phase of life has passed can lead to feelings of emptiness or uncertainty about their future roles. These feelings can trigger complex emotions, including sadness and confusion. However, for some women menopause becomes a time of renewal, where they focus on themselves and their own needs after decades of caring for others.

Thankfully, we are beginning to see a shift in the way society views menopause. We acknowledge the progress that has been made in the last few years. Conversations are becoming more open, and the medical community is paying greater attention to women’s health in midlife. However, I still feel there is room for improvement. We must advocate for an easier and quicker access to a Women’s Health doctor at the GHA, with an extended appointment slot for menopause and not the usual ten minutes slot. It is also essential to push for more awareness and more education so that we ensure no woman has to suffer in silence ever again.

Geraldine Canepa is a Women’s Health Practitioner providing a holistic approach to women’s health with a special interest in hormone balance and Menopause. She is also a therapist for 23 years specialising in Stress and Anxiety.