Do you need prescription medication? Ask Your Dr for confidential and convenient access to certain medications. Enter your postcode to find your nearest pharmacy that can help.Hormonally Yours: Ringing the changes
As women get older their bodies start producing smaller amounts of oestrogen and other hormones that control their menstrual cycles. When there arenít enough hormones to stimulate ovulation, the result is no more periods. In other words, the onset of the menopause.
Currently, the average age for a woman having the menopause is 51, though it can affect women in their 40s or younger. The good news is that it doesn't have to be a problem.
Recognise the signs
During the years leading up to the menopause (perimenopause) your periods may change, becoming lighter and less infrequent or more frequent and heavier.
Then there are the hot flushes and night sweats that occur in around 70 per cent of women going through menopause. During a hot flush you may feel a surge of warmth to your upper body making you feel very uncomfortable and embarrassed. If you experience night sweats, you may wake up with your bedding drenched.
Around half of all menopausal women also suffer from vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence or recurrent urinary infections. Meanwhile psychological problems, such as mood swings, memory loss and poor concentration, affect 25 to 50 per cent of menopausal women.
Long-term consequences of the menopause can affect your health too. That's because prior to the menopause oestrogen protects the heart and bones – but when oestrogen is in short supply, the result is an increased risk of heart disease and osteoporosis (thinning bones).
What can you do?
See your GP Not sure it's the menopause? Ask your doctor for a blood test to measure your hormone levels. If your symptoms are severe, your GP can offer a range of treatments.
Check your heart If you're menopausal or post-menopausal it's essential to keep your heart healthy. Many local pharmacies offer blood pressure and cholesterol testing, plus your pharmacist can offer advice on keeping your bones strong too.
Live healthily To combat menopausal symptoms succesfully it's essential to have a healthy lifestyle, which means giving up smoking and sticking to official guidelines for drinking alcohol, plus eating a balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Consider HRT Your GP may suggest hormone replacement therapy as a way of relieving your symptoms. It is, however, important to weight up the pros and cons of taking HRT carefully with your doctor, since there may be undesirable side effects of taking hormones in the long term. Your pharmacist can also offer valuable advice if you're still not sure.
Boost nutrition Specially formulated menopause supplements are available from pharmacies that contain menopause-symptom-reducing nutrients. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a suitable product.
Get fit If you're not as active as you used to be, now's a good time to change since keeping fit reduces the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease, not to mention middle-age spread.
For more information visit www.menopause-exchange.co.uk
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