Unveiling Menopause: 3 symptoms you shouldn't ignore
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A common misconception with the menopause is when it is supposed to happen, which for most people would be in their fifties, however menopause can happen to any woman at any age.
Here are three symptoms to look out for that could indicate you are going through the menopause.
1. Hot flushes
A hot flush is the sudden feeling of warmth in the upper body, which is usually most intense over the face, neck and chest.
Your skin might redden, as if you're blushing, and beads of sweat commonly appear on your forehead. If you lose too much body heat, you might feel chilled afterwards.
A hot flush can occur at any time of the day, and usually lasts around several minutes, but an average is around four minutes.
You may have them a couple times a week or up to every hour, it can really vary depending on every woman.
Hot flushes that happen at night are known as night sweats and can cause extreme sleep deprivation if not seen to.
Whilst hot flushes are commonly associated with menopause, they can sometimes be overlooked if a younger woman experiences them, which is why it is important to raise this symptom with a doctor.
2. Brain fog
Brain fog is a very common symptom of the menopause, with many women claiming that their brains feel like ‘cotton wool’.
With brain fog, you might have noticed that you’re increasingly forgetful, can’t remember names, lose your keys, write endless to do lists, and find it hard to retain information. This can make it especially hard to function at work, and you might struggle to concentrate when reading or watching TV.
This is due to a hormone inbalance.
Two of the main female hormones, estrogen and testosterone, play an important role in cognition and memory.
When the levels of these hormones begin to fall during menopause, this can lead to a range of cognitive symptoms including memory loss, difficulty staying focused, word-finding difficulties, losing your train of thought and getting confused easily.
3. Changes to your periods
The first sign of the perimenopause is usually, but not always, a change in the normal pattern of your periods, for example they become irregular.
However, some women may stop having periods altogether.
This is due to a hormone inbalance and can be treated with HRT.
It is important to regulate your menstrual cycle to help identify if you could be going through perimenopause or menopause.
Getting advice early can help reduce the impact perimenopause and menopause could have on your health, relationships and work.
