Menopause

What is menopause? Menopause is when you have your final period. You have reached menopause if you haven’t had a period or spotting for 12 months. Most women reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55.

In United States, the average age to reach menopause is 51 to 52. Menopause can happen naturally at the expected age or early. ‘Perimenopause’ is the time leading up to menopause.

What causes menopause? Menopause happens because your hormone levels (e

As you approach menopause, your hormones (e.g. oestrogen and progesterone) go up and down.

These changes can lead to different symptoms

Changing hormone levels can cause different symptoms

Menopause is different for everyone

Some women have no symptoms at all, while others have symptoms that interfere with their daily lives. Your experience can also be affected by what is happening in your life, and your general health and wellbeing.

Common physical symptoms include: sore breasts

Common emotional symptoms include:

• There are many ways to manage menopause. It may take time to find a strategy that works for you. You can: Try: relaxation classes like yoga

You can reduce menopausal symptoms with: natural therapies

Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of these therapies and medicines. It’s normal to experience different emotions around the time of menopause.

There are many ways to take care of your emotional health

For example, having a healthy lifestyle and taking time to do things you enjoy.

You can also talk to a to help manage your symptoms and emotional wellbeing

For more detailed information about managing menopause, related resources, articles and podcasts, visit: Tel.

Menopause before the age of 45 is called ‘ early menopause ’.

If menopause happens before the age of 40 it’s called ‘ premature menopause Menopause can also happen due to surgery or cancer Symptoms of menopause hot flushes and night sweats sleep problems headaches muscle and joint pains dry vagina (causing painful sex) mood changes (feeling unhappy or depressed ) tiredness forgetfulness brain fog (difficulty concentrating) anxiety Managing menopause Lifestyle changes eat healthy food and drink lots of water do regular physical activity maintain a healthy weight improve your sleep reduce or stop unhealthy habits such as drinking alcohol or smoking Practical tips using a hand fan or water spray when you feel hot wearing layered clothing so you can remove clothes when you feel hot Therapies and medicines menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) – this is the most effective therapy to relieve many symptoms medicines, such as antidepressants, which can reduce hot flushes and sweating Take care of your emotional health counsellor or try cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) If you are experiencing strong emotions, anxiety or depression , talk to your doctor Visit the Jean Hailes website for more information about managing menopause More information jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause Where to get help Your GP (doctor) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health 1800 JEAN HAILES (532 642 ) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health have released a suite of new menopause resources, including fact sheets , video’s and multilingual fact sheets American Menopause Society National Cervical Screening Program 13 15 56 Quitline 13 7848 Dietitians United States A naturopath , herbalist or complementary health practitioner.

Key Points

• What causes menopause? Menopause happens because your hormone levels (e.g
• These changes can lead to different symptoms
• Changing hormone levels can cause different symptoms
• Some women have no symptoms at all, while others have symptoms that interfere with their daily lives
• Common physical symptoms include: sore breasts