Menopause

Menopause simply means the end of your monthly periods. Once your ovaries stop producing eggs, your hormone levels start to drop, and the cycle that produced your monthly period eventually stops. Medically, menopause is defined as one day, twelve months after your last menstrual bleed. The average age women experience menopause in the UK is 51.

The period before menopause, called perimenopause, is when your hormone levels start to fluctuate, and you might start experiencing symptoms. For some women, these symptoms can be debilitating, affecting all aspects of their lives and those around them. Many women start experiencing perimenopausal symptoms in their late thirties and early forties, although they may not recognise them.

Symptoms can continue for an average of four years after your last period, although they may last much longer than that for some women.

Menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels. Usually, this happens naturally between the ages of 45 and 55.

Some women will experience menopause following a hysterectomy or cancer treatments like chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This is known as surgical or medical menopause.

A small number of women will experience premature menopause in their thirties, twenties and even their teens. 

Menopause and perimenopause can cause symptoms like anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, hot flashes and irregular periods. These symptoms can start years before your periods stop and carry on afterwards.

Menopause and perimenopause symptoms can impact your life, including relationships and work. Fortunately, there are proven, natural ways you can help your symptoms. Menopause experts agree that an active lifestyle and a healthy, balanced diet can help your body cope with menopausal changes. There are a host of herbal and nutritional supplements, which along with lifestyle changes, can help reduce symptoms and make a big difference to your life.

Some of our best-selling menopause supplements include A Vogel Menopause Support, BioCare Menopause Multinutrient, Cleanmarine Menomin, Doctor Seaweed Weed & Wonderful Menopause+ and Pukka Organic Menopause Serenity.

Postmenopause is everything after twelve months and one day without a period, and many women believe that postmenopause means no symptoms. For some, this is not the case, and for a few, symptoms can continue for many years.

Oestrogen, Progesterone and Testosterone are the three main hormones responsible for menopause symptoms. It's important to remember that women have oestrogen receptors all over their bodies which might help to explain why the symptoms can be so varied.

Progesterone levels are usually the first to fall, and when this happens, sometimes quite rapidly, you may start to feel tense, nervous, anxious and irritable.

Whilst your progesterone levels continue to fall, your oestrogen levels start to fluctuate, sometimes wildly, leading to a host of symptoms that, unless recognised as menopausal, can seem unconnected. Some of the most common are; broken sleep, brain fog, exhaustion, muscle and joint pain, hot flushes, night sweats, loss of libido, vaginal dryness and soreness and increased urinary symptoms.

Oestrogen levels can peak and dip daily and even hourly, which is why you may move from happy to sad and angry to tears at the flick of a switch. 

Testosterone supports bone strength, muscle strength, energy levels and self-confidence. Women, like men, experience a reduction in testosterone production as we age, and like men, some women will be more affected than others.