Frequently asked questions
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HERE YOU CAN EXPLORE SOME COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MENOPAUSE, FROM WHAT MENOPAUSE IS, TO HOW IT MIGHT AFFECT YOUR DAILY LIFE.
Explore the full website to delve into more detail on each of these topics or click through the sections below if you're looking for quick and simple answers to your questions.
FAQs
- Menopause is when you stop having periods for more than 12 months.1-3 It happens when your body stops producing a hormone called oestrogen and you are no longer releasing eggs from your ovaries. Learn more about the stages of menopause here.2
- Perimenopause is when you have symptoms of menopause, but you still have periods, although these may be irregular. During perimenopause, your body starts to make less of a hormone called oestrogen. This stage usually lasts for around 4 years or more. Learn more about the stages of menopause here.4
- Most women experience menopause between the ages of 45-55 years, but it can happen earlier in some women (before 40 years of age).3-5 Early menopause can be caused by surgery that involves the removal of ovaries, genetics or sometimes the reason is unknown. Find out more about menopause here.1,3
- Menopause can affect anyone who has periods.3
- Menopause has a wide range of symptoms that can vary from person to person. A change to your regular periods is the first sign of perimenopause, which will lead to your periods stopping completely. Symptoms include changes to your mood such as anxiety and low mood or problems with memory (brain fog). You can also experience common physical symptoms such as hot flushes, difficulties with sleeping, headaches, joint pain, recurrent UTIs, low sex drive or vaginal dryness. You can find out more about other symptoms of menopause here.5
- Symptoms of menopause can last for months or years and can change over time. It’s important to remember that you’re not alone and there are ways that can help you manage these symptoms. Click here to find out more about symptoms.5
- There is a wide range of treatment options and lifestyle changes that you can discuss with your healthcare provider such as hormone replacement therapies. You can find out more information about what treatments may be suitable for you here.
- As your body begins to transition towards the menopause stage, your periods can become irregular as your ovaries start to produce less hormones. Even though your body is preparing for the end of the fertile stage of your life, it is still possible to get pregnant during the perimenopause stage, so contraception is still an important consideration.6
- There are a few reasons why you might have vaginal bleeding after menopause, such as inflammation of the vaginal lining caused by lower oestrogen levels, polyps (non-cancerous growths) on the cervix or womb or a thickened womb lining caused by menopause treatments.7 Less commonly, bleeding after menopause can be a sign of cancer, so you should see a doctor if you experience bleeding when you are postmenopausal.7
You might also be interested in...
- World Health Organization. Menopause [Internet]. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/menopause Last accessed October 2024.
- NICE. Menopause [Internet]. Available at: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/menopause/ Last accessed October 2024.
- NHS. Menopause: overview [Internet]. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/ Last accessed October 2024.
- WebMD. Perimenopause [Internet]. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide-perimenopause Last accessed October 2024.
- NHS. Menopause: symptoms [Internet]. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/symptoms/ Last accessed October 2024.
- Cleveland Clinic. Perimenopause [Internet]. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21608-perimenopause Last accessed October 2024.
- NHS. Postmenopausal bleeding [Internet]. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/post-menopausal-bleeding/ Last accessed October 2024.