Menopause is a natural biological process. But the physical symptoms, such as hot flashes, and emotional symptoms of menopause may disrupt your sleep, lower your energy or affect emotional health.
Night sweats are hot flashes that happen during sleep. They can be so intense they wake you up.
The menopausal transition most often begins between ages 45 and 55
The menopausal transition affects each woman uniquely and in various ways. The body begins to use energy differently, fat cells change, and women may gain weight more easily. You may experience changes in your bone or heart health, your body shape and composition, or your physical function.
It happens because female sex hormone levels naturally go down as you get older. Your ovaries eventually stop releasing eggs, so you’ll no longer have periods or be able to get pregnant.
Are You Headed for Menopause?
You may start to notice changes months or years before you are in menopause. You may have hot flashes and irregular periods. This time is called perimenopause.
You won’t know exactly when your menopause will hit. All you can do is pay attention to how you’re feeling and notice changes. Keep in mind that symptoms vary greatly from woman to woman. Some women have no symptoms at all.
Common symptoms of menopause
- – Anxiety
- – Changes in mood – such as low mood or irritability
- – Changes in skin conditions, including dryness or increase in oiliness and onset of adult acne
- – Difficulty sleeping – this may make you feel tired and irritable during the day
- – Discomfort during sex
- – Feelings of loss of self
- – Hair loss or thinning
- – Headaches or migraines
- – Hot flushes – short, sudden feelings of heat, usually in the face, neck and chest, which can make your skin red and sweaty
- – Increase in facial hair
- – Joint stiffness, aches and pains
- – Loss of self-confidence
- – Night sweats – hot flushes that occur at night
- – Palpitations – heartbeats that suddenly become more noticeable
- – Problems with memory, concentration and ‘brain fog’
- – Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), such as cystitis
- – Reduced sex drive (libido)
- – Tinnitus
- – Vaginal dryness and pain
There are myths around HRT which unfortunately, prevent lots of women to get the correct help.
Talk to your GP and find out if the HRT can be prescribed. There are research showing that HRT doesn’t cause breast cancer. Follow the link – https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/risk-of-breast-cancer-with-hrt-depends-therapy-type-and-duration/
Can Hypnotherapy Help?
RCT 2013. Clinical hypnosis in the treatment of vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes) in post menopausal women
- – 187 post menopausal women – 7 hot flushes a day or 50 a week
- – Subjective hot flush frequency reduced from baseline to 17.13% in control group
- – Subjective hot flush frequency reduced from baseline to 74.16% hypnotherapy group
- – Hot flush score reduced by 15.38% control group
- – Hot flush score reduced by 80.32% in hypnotherapy group
- – At 12 week follow up 56.86% reduction on hypnotherapy – 9.94% control
- – Sleep quality also improved in hypnotherapy group
