What can you do to help yourself during the menopause?

The menopause affects half of the world’s population. Some women may not encounter any symptoms at all, but for the 75% that do, it can be an uncomfortable, frustrating and even traumatic experience that lasts for an average of four to five years.

Menopause symptoms can range from hot flushes (the typical depiction of menopause that we see in film and television, often for comedic value) to depression and osteoporosis. Unfortunately around 73% of menopausal women do not seek treatment for their symptoms, perhaps because they may not be aware of available treatments. This lack of education may stem from the fact that the menopause (and other later-life women’s health concerns) is still a taboo subject in many circles, and there is a worry that symptoms may be dismissed by family, partners, colleagues and even doctors.

If menopause is impacting your daily life, it’s time to take charge. Remember, knowledge is power; educating yourself on the treatment and support options can help prevent possible menopause-related health complications, as well as allowing you to experience a much more comfortable menopause.

In this article, we look at how you can help yourself during the perimenopause and menopause, exploring bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, lifestyle changes and more.

BHRT: Is it right for me?

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is an alternative to traditional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and uses hormones that are ‘bioidentical’ to the hormones that we produce in our bodies, in comparison to HRT, which uses synthetic hormones often derived from horse urine.

Often, women are not aware that BHRT exists because it is not available on the NHS (as it is more expensive to produce than HRT). However, BHRT is often more suitable for women because it can be tailored in terms of dosage and delivery method.

While HRT is available in one dose and one form, BHRT can be personalised to suit a patient’s individual hormone needs. Women who have experienced side effects while taking HRT (such as bloating, nausea and trouble sleeping) may experience less side effects while taking BHRT because the tailored dose can address imbalances in specific hormones.

For example, while a standardised dose of estrogen during HRT may relieve some symptoms of menopause, it may exacerbate other symptoms or even bring about symptoms that did not occur previously. If the patient changed to BHRT, her consultant could tailor the dose to address all symptoms, monitoring her progress throughout the treatment and making alterations where necessary.

Delivery methods for BHRT include patches, gels, creams, pessaries, lozenges and more, compared to the limited number of options available on HRT. This is especially helpful for patients who need to address localised concerns, such as vaginal dryness, which impacts around 34% of menopausal women.

So, it seems as if there are many benefits to BHRT over HRT, but finding out whether it is the right path for your menopausal journey is up to you. You should discuss your needs and concerns with your doctor, and if necessary obtain a second opinion from a hormone specialist before you move forward.

Cut down on menopause symptom triggers

It is possible to lessen the occurrence and severity of certain menopause symptoms by cutting down on the habits that trigger them. This may mean making small, low-effort changes, while reaping huge benefits. Here are some habits that might be triggering your symptoms:

Caffeine
Caffeine intake, such as drinking coffee, tea and energy drinks, has been scientifically proven to be positively associated with vasomotor symptoms of the menopause. These symptoms are caused by constriction or dilation of the blood vessels, and include hot flushes, night sweats and heart palpitations.

Alcohol
Alcohol disrupts liver function, which can make it more difficult for the endocrine system to detox your hormones. In addition, a hangover while you’re menopausal is said to feel so much worse due to the increase in severity of vasomotor symptoms that comes with alcohol consumption.

Smoking
Smoking is associated with many health conditions, but there are studies which show that it has close links with menopausal symptoms, including causing symptoms to appear earlier in life – up to nine years earlier, in fact.

Smoking also depletes estrogen, causes premature ageing, and increases the risk of breast cancer (which is already at a higher risk for menopausal women) by 19%.

Eating sugary and processed foods
Your body needs the right nutrients to carry out the production and detoxification of hormones. Unfortunately, this isn’t going to be accomplished with the consumption of sugary and processed foods, and these will only serve to make you feel sluggish, gain weight, sleep poorly, and other symptoms. Instead, you should implement a low-GI diet with plenty of colourful vegetables to maintain healthy function of your endocrine system.

High stress
Prolonged or severe stress can lead to abnormally high levels of cortisol, which can disrupt the function of other hormones. This is a vicious cycle which can actually lead to more stress, as well as brain fog, anxiety, depression, poor sleep, weight gain and other negative side effects.

Make positive lifestyle changes

Aside from your diet, there are other habits that can trigger menopause symptoms. By making positive lifestyle changes – however small you think they may be – you can become proactive in balancing your hormones in order to alleviate or lessen the severity of symptoms.

Here are a few areas that you might improve upon:

Self care
Self care is different from person to person. Your version of self care will relate to the level of stress you have in your life (taking into account not just work, but relationships, family life and other commitments), and what you need to do in order to balance it. It could be something as small as going for a walk each lunchtime to clear your head, or distancing yourself from people or situations that trigger negative moods.

Exercise
Exercise alleviates stress and releases feel good hormones like endorphins, which help to improve your mood. It also regulates the sex hormones, the result of which has a direct positive impact on menopause symptoms.

Better sleep
Our bodies require an adequate amount of sleep in order to regulate hormones and function optimally. It doesn’t need to be eight hours – it could be more or less depending on your individual requirements. If you’re waking up feeling groggy, or you’re often tired during the day, it could be time to look at improving your sleep hygiene, which could involve:

• Going to bed earlier
• Implementing a relaxing bedtime routine
• Investing in a good quality pillow and mattress
• Avoiding poor sleep triggers such as alcohol, caffeine and eating close to bedtime
• Leaving your phone in another room while you sleep

Abolish the menopause taboo

As mentioned earlier, the perimenopause and menopause are still taboo in many circles, which means that many women feel uncomfortable asking for advice or sharing their concerns. But it doesn’t have to be this way. By starting conversations about the menopause, you are actively helping to create a space for yourself and others to discuss this health issue, which affects women around the world.

But who can you talk to about it? Here are a few places to begin your dialogue:

• Your partner – whether your partner is male, female or non-binary, they can be active in understanding your concerns about menopause and offer support where needed
• Your boss – there are 3.5 million women over 50 in the workplace in the UK, and a large percentage will be going through menopause. However, there are insufficient policies in place in order to support female workers who experience symptoms that interfere with work. By being frank with your higher-ups about the menopause, you could be integral in creating a more comfortable working environment for yourself and other women.
• Your children – if you have children who are teenagers or older, it could help to normalise the menopause in conversations with them. You are both educating the younger generation about this common women’s health issue, and opening a door for them to offer support (even if it’s just taking the shopping in from the car when you’re having a hot flush!)
• Your friends – if your friends are of a similar age, it’s likely they’re also going through, or have already been through the menopause, and can offer support and advice. Even if they’re younger, they may know someone who can help!

Improve your menopause journey

In conclusion, there are many things that you can do to help yourself during the menopause. We hope these tips have inspired you to make a change for the better.

If you need further advice or support, here are some helpful links:

https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/
https://www.themenopausecharity.org/menopause/