If you’re struggling with menopause symptoms, then it’s important to remember that you’re not alone.
Nearly one billion women across the globe are coping with menopause and over 80% say that symptoms interfere with their daily life. Sixty percent of women also say that menopause is negatively affecting them at work.
Some of the most common symptoms of menopause include hot flushes, sleep issues, weight gain, brain fog, and bladder problems. Symptoms can start months or years before your periods stop and often last around four years after your last period. Though, for some women symptoms can go on longer.
Dealing with these symptoms can be frustrating and debilitating. Adding to the problem is the fact that two-thirds of women say that there isn’t enough help or understanding when it comes to menopause.
We completely agree, which is why we’ve partnered with Stella – an online menopause clinic focused on helping you through this stage in your life.
Beginning with an in-depth online assessment, Stella recommends personalised treatment options based on your medical history, symptoms, lifestyle, and preferences, including HRT and lifestyle changes. Plans are designed to help your specific symptoms, such as sleep issues, mood changes, low libido, bladder problems, weight gain, hot flushes and sweats, and more.
If you’re eligible for HRT, you can order online and your prescriptions will arrive within five days. You can also speak to a doctor specialising in women’s health and menopause and get ongoing support.
You can try Stella’s free online assessment below to find out more about your treatment options. And, if you decide to subscribe, you can use the code REST23 for £15 off.
We’ve also worked with Stella to pull together five common symptoms of menopause and offer tips on how to ease them. We hope you find them useful.
5 common symptoms of menopause and how to ease them
1. Brain fog
Brain fog is an umbrella term for the various different cognitive symptoms that women can experience during menopause, such as forgetfulness, confusion, difficulty concentrating, and not being able to think clearly.
You might find that you can’t remember names and dates as easily, you’re struggling to concentrate when you read or watch TV, or you become more reliant on to-do lists. Many women say they feel as though they’re wading through thick mud or that their brain has turned to cotton wool.
So, what causes brain fog? Brain fog is caused by a drop in oestrogen and progesterone levels, which play an important role in cognition and memory.
Oestrogen in particular helps existing brain cells to create new connections, supports the growth of new brain cells, and keeps neurons firing. It also encourages our brains to burn glucose for energy – and lower energy levels in the brain can trigger symptoms such as anxiety, depression, hot flushes and brain fog.
If you’re struggling with brain fog, you’re certainly not alone. Around two-thirds of women report some sort of brain fog in perimenopause, which describes the years leading up to menopause.
There are also a number of things you can do to help…
- Learn something new. It’s never too late to learn something new. Doing so can help your brain strengthen existing neuron pathways, and produce new neurons and pathways. This increases brain plasticity, which supports learning and memory, and increases the brain’s ability to change and adapt.
- Eat brain foods. There are certain foods which are particularly good for brain health, such as blueberries, oily fish, and avocados. A Mediterranean diet has also been associated with improved brain function.
- Focus on one thing at a time. Brain fog can leave you feeling overwhelmed, so it can help to break tasks down into smaller, more manageable chunks and to think about them one at a time. Often, trying to multitask can make things worse, so this is best avoided.
2. Urinary incontinence
A loss of bladder control might take you by surprise during menopause, as it’s probably one of the symptoms that people speak about least. However, it affects 30-40% of those in the run-up to menopause, rising to 50% post menopause.
Urinary incontinence can affect your confidence and leave you feeling vulnerable. You might notice that you leak when you laugh, cough, sneeze, or lift something heavy. Dashes to the loo with little warning can also become more frequent, often with little to no warning signs.
This is because oestrogen helps to keep your bladder and urethra healthy, so when levels drop, the pelvic floor muscles that support your bladder can become weaker, which can cause incontinence.
Though this can be distressing, the following tips might help…
- Plan ahead. If you’re going out for the day, it can help to find out in advance where your nearest toilets will be. You might also want to try wearing absorbent pants or knickers to manage leaks and help you feel more confident. These days, there are plenty of companies online that make attractive knickers that are also absorbent.
- Strengthen your pelvic floor. There are plenty of quick and easy exercises you can do to help reduce the risk of leaks. The Stella app can provide you with a personalised pelvic floor plan.
- Talk to your doctor. If the feeling of always needing to pee is affecting your quality of life, you might want to talk to your doctor about taking a bladder relaxant. In some cases, these can work well alongside bladder training and pelvic floor strengthening exercises.
3. Hot flushes
A hot flush refers to the sudden ‘creeping’ feeling of heat that spreads upwards throughout the body. It can last anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes (with around four minutes being most common), and is sometimes accompanied by flushed skin, sweating, and a rapid heartbeat.
For many, hot flushes can be uncomfortable and embarrassing, which can make the heat feel even more intense. Others also have drenching night sweats, which can leave them feeling exhausted the next day.
Though the exact reason for hot flushes is still not properly understood, research generally suggests that they happen when the body’s thermostat (hypothalamus) becomes more sensitive to slight changes in body temperature. If it thinks your body is too warm, it will begin attempts to make you sweat to help you cool down.
Though hot flushes can be incredibly difficult to deal with, by avoiding certain things that can cause blood vessels to dilate and making some lifestyle changes, it’s possible to manage symptoms.
For example, you could try…
- Incorporating regular exercise into your routine. Stella recommends aiming for 500 minutes a week, including 2.5 hours of cardio exercise, such as jogging or pedalling at a pace that causes sweating and increased heart rate. Research suggests that regular exercise can reduce hot flushes by 60%.
- Avoiding spicy foods, and reducing your caffeine intake. These increase your heart rate and dilate blood vessels, which can trigger hot flushes.
- Using tips and tricks to stay cool. This could include wearing lightweight layers that you can remove quickly, and using sheets and blankets for bedding instead of a duvet. Fans and cooling face sprays can also be helpful for cooling you down once the heat hits.
The Stella app also offers techniques that can help you remain calm during hot flushes and sweats.
4. Sleep issues
Nearly half of women report sleep issues related to menopause, with those aged 60+ at a greater risk of sleep disruption. And when you’re tired, you can become more prone to other menopause symptoms, such as anxiety, brain fog, and weight gain.
There are various different ways that menopause might affect your sleep. For example, menopause symptoms such as anxiety, depression, bladder problems, and night sweats can make it more difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. Health experts also believe that progesterone decline may cause sleep disturbance because progesterone has a sleep-inducing effect.
The Stella app suggests plenty of natural remedies and lifestyle changes that can help to improve the quality of your sleep.
These include…
- Trying not to eat too late in the evening. It can make it more difficult for your body to rest if it’s digesting a big meal close to bedtime. It’s best to avoid stimulants like coffee and alcohol in the evening too, as these can make you need to pee at night.
- Creating a sleep routine. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can reinforce the circadian rhythm (your body’s sleep-wake cycle). You might also find it useful to keep a sleep diary to gain a clearer understanding of what triggers might support and disturb your sleep.
- Reducing screen time. It can be easy to get into the habit of sitting in bed on our mobile phones, tablets, or laptops – but these devices emit blue light which can make us feel more alert. Try to put electronic devices away at least 30 minutes before bed to allow your body to wind down. You could read a book or try some meditation instead.
The Stella app explains how to create the perfect wind-down routine – as well as a sleep schedule for a better night’s sleep.
5. Weight gain
Weight gain during and after menopause is common. You might also notice that your usual nutrition and exercise habits are no longer helping with weight loss or maintenance, and there are a few different factors that cause this.
The hormonal changes of menopause can change the way we store fat, with many of us storing more fat around the tummy, hips, and thighs – and this fat can be trickier to lose. Muscle mass also tends to decrease during menopause, which means that your body needs fewer calories. So, if we continue eating the same amount of calories as we always have, we may gain weight.
The menopausal years can also be a time of huge transition (moving home, changing careers, finding yourself with an empty nest, and accepting menopause itself), which can cause stress and lead to weight gain. Other causes of weight gain during menopause can be sleep issues, giving up smoking and drinking, and taking certain medications; as all these things can increase appetite.
While weight gain might not always be welcomed, there are some things you can do to make losing or maintaining weight easier during menopause.
For example, you could try…
- Adding resistance training to your exercise routine. The more muscle you build, the more efficiently your body will burn fat, which can help with weight loss and maintenance. The Stella app has a range of exercise videos including strength training and yoga classes.
- Keeping an eye on your stress levels. Stress can cause us to turn to sugary, fatty foods, cigarettes, or alcohol to feel better – all of which can contribute to weight gain. Instead, try to find a positive outlet when you feel stressed, such as journaling, getting out for a walk, or calling a friend for a chat.
- Eating and drinking everything in moderation. One of the best ways to lose or maintain a healthy weight is to eat a varied diet with plenty of fibre, protein, leafy, vegetables, and fruit. However, this should include treats too. By having the occasional glass of wine or a few squares of chocolate here and there, and not eliminating certain foods altogether, you’re less likely to crave them and overindulge.
Final thoughts…
Menopause symptoms can be different for everyone, so it’s possible you might be experiencing one, all, or none of the symptoms above.
Though we’ve chosen five common ones, there are at least 34 recognised symptoms of menopause. Some not mentioned include skin changes, headaches, fatigue, and general vaginal discomfort. You can find out more about these in Stella’s symptom library.
If you want to explore your treatment options, including HRT, you can take Stella’s free online assessment. If you decide to move forward with a Stella subscription, you can get £15 off by using the code REST23.
