Whilst some sail through the menopause, 80-85 percent of women will experience at least once symptom in the peri-menopause and menopause and around 25 percent of women can suffer from debilitating symptoms that can affect their quality of life.
What are some of the common symptoms that can occur?
There are over 30 different symptoms of the perimenopause and menopause and every woman will be different in terms of which (if any) symptoms that they present with. Here are some of the more common symptoms.
Period changes – one of the more obvious symptoms to alert you to hormonal changes is an alteration in your menstrual cycle. Periods can become heavier or lighter, or they can become more frequent or less frequent as a result of changes and fluctuations in hormones, and eventually menstruation will stop.
Pre-menstrual symptoms – these occur often a few days before a period and usually settle soon after a period arrives. Symptoms can vary and examples include headaches, mood changes, breast tenderness, bloating, poor sleep and more. If ovulation occurs, some women can experience symptoms at this time too. Women who have existing PMS may find that their symptoms worsen in the peri-menopause, and others may experience PMS for the first time.
Brain fog – one of the most troubling symptoms that women report, this is the inability to focus, often with confusion, poor memory and lack of mental clarity. Often described like living in a cloud, brain fog coupled with mood changes can really made you feel like you are not yourself anymore. This can be a result of factors such as hormones, lack of sleep, stress, and diet.
Poor sleep – difficulty getting to sleep or interrupted sleep can occur as a result of hormonal changes affecting thermoregulation which can lead to night sweats or feeling hot at night, and increased frequency of needing to pee which can get you up. Stress can increase cortisol levels which can impact on the ability to get to sleep or stay asleep.
Weight gain – it is not uncommon for weight gain to occur particularly around the middle. This can be difficult to shift, despite making sensible dietary changes and exercising. Insulin resistance can occur at this time as a result of factors such as lowered oestrogen levels and stress on our body from emotions, diet, lifestyle and poor sleep, resulting in central obesity. Other hormones can play a role in weight gain too such as low or high testosterone, low progesterone or an underactive thyroid.
Mood swings and anxiety – in particular this can be in the days before a period, although it can feel like emotions are all over the place at different times, especially if menstrual cycles start to become irregular. Oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone can impact on the levels of the neuro-transmitters serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin helps to stabilise our mood and promote feelings of well-being, and dopamine plays a role in pleasure and motivation. Alterations in our hormone levels can therefore have an effect on regulation of our emotions as well as e.g. sleep problems, stress, poor diet and lifestyle.
Low libido – this can result from hormonal change, in particular from a drop in oestrogen and testosterone which can decrease sexual desire, and lead to vaginal dryness which may cause pain during sex. Other factors include fatigue, mood swings, stress or other psychological causes such low self-esteem from e.g. weight gain at the time of menopause.
Fatigue – oestrogen and progesterone interact with the adrenal and thyroid hormones which are associated with energy. The instability from changing hormone levels at this time can have a big effect on the body and can lead to crashing fatigue which can come and go or be more persistent. Other factors such as lack of quality sleep, stress, brain fog, low mood, diet, dehydration or nutrient deficiencies can also contribute.
Urinary symptoms – low levels of oestrogen levels can lead to changes in the pH and natural microbes in the urinary tract making it more susceptible to infections, and can also lead to thinning of lining of the urethra and weakness of the pelvic floor muscles which support the bladder and urethra. This may result in increased frequency of needing to pee or incontinence.
Hair loss or thinning – many women at the menopause and perimenopause notice thinning of the hair either all over the head, or on the front or sides rather than bald patches. Hair loss at this time is almost always related to hormones, which can lead to shrinking of hair follicles and slower hair growth. Other factors can contribute such as nutrient deficiencies, stress and illness.
Hot flushes and night sweats – a classic menopause symptom which affects most women, hot flushes are a sudden and often intense feeling of warmth and sometimes sweating usually on the chest and face. They are as a result of altered control of the body temperature from changing hormones, in particular from changes in oestrogen and progesterone levels.
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