How long does menopause last?
Everything you need to know about menopause symptoms, West Malling, Kent
Menopause is diagnosed when a woman has had no periods for 12 consecutive months. The average age of menopause in the UK is 51, but women often notice a change in their health and periods from their mid to late 40s – the perimenopause. However, one in 100 women will have premature menopause under the age of 40. There is often some confusion about how long menopause lasts exactly and how long women can expect to experience symptoms. So, what exactly does signal the end of menopause? This is everything you need to know.
Is there any way to confirm whether I’m going through the menopause?
If you’re over 45 and have irregular periods with symptoms of the menopause then you don’t need to have any tests, to diagnose menopause. The diagnosis is made by your symptoms alone.
If you’re under 45 and experiencing symptoms of menopause, your doctor may decide you need to have tests. The most common is a blood test measuring the level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This is the hormone that regulates the amount of oestrogen in your body. If you have low levels of oestrogen, your FSH level is usually raised – if this is the case, it is very likely that you are menopausal.
When does it end?
You have officially reached menopause after 12 consecutive months with no periods. But this doesn’t necessarily mean an end to all of your symptoms – for example, you might still experience hot flashes for many years, even decades. Menopause symptoms usually last for between four and eight years. So, there isn’t really a defined start and end point. And, although the average age of menopause is 51, it is very common for women to experience menopause symptoms for several years before this, throughout the perimenopause.
If I explore hormone intervention (HRT or BHRT), am I just delaying the inevitable?
Many women worry that if they take HRT, any menopausal symptoms will recur as soon as they stop. Fluctuations in hormones cause most of the symptoms associated with menopause. Hormone replacement therapy overrides that, and while symptoms can recur when stopping, if you wean off HRT slowly, you can avoid or minimise symptoms.
Will all menopausal symptoms eventually resolve?
Most symptoms associated with menopause, such as night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, and sleep disturbances, improve over time. Unfortunately, dry skin and loss of elasticity in the skin remain, as does dryness in the vagina. This affects over half of all menopausal women and can seriously affect relationships, as dryness causes pain during intercourse. It is a symptom that too many women just put up with, but it can be remedied with hormone intervention or by using a non-hormonal vaginal cream available over the counter in pharmacies.
There is help available
No woman needs to suffer in silence. There are plenty of remedies that you can try to help ease your menopause symptoms. The best solution is to replenish hormone levels in the body through hormone replacement therapy or bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). It involves taking hormones such as oestrogen, testosterone, and progesterone to help improve mood and reduce hot flashes and other symptoms.
Exercise can drastically improve your physical and mental health, and you can be entirely in charge of this. A combination of cardiovascular and resistance exercise is the best way to release feel-good endorphins and improve your general health.
Assess your diet and choose wholesome, fresh, fibre-rich foods and lean proteins. They provide folate, omega-3 fatty acids and the nutrients to help improve your symptoms naturally.
Want to discuss the options available? Click here to book a consultation or to enquire.
Disclaimer: Please be aware that results and benefits may vary from patient to patient taking into consideration factors such as age, lifestyle and medical history.
