When you go through menopause, your estrogen levels start to decrease and this decrease can cause a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms. Even though the menopause is a completely natural part of ageing, many of these symptoms can be uncomfortable enough to cause serious disruptions to your daily life. 

Menopause Symptoms 

The menopause occurs when a woman hasn’t had a period for 12 straight months. It marks the end of a woman’s childbearing years and usually starts when they reach their 40s or 50s.

In addition to stopping your period, a decrease in oestrogen can disrupt your sleep, lower your energy, and change your mood. Each person is different, but symptoms can start several years before menopause (perimenopause) and can sometimes last for years afterward (postmenopause).

 Some of the most common symptoms experienced during menopause are hot flashes and night sweats. When you experience a hot flash, you may suddenly feel hot and sweaty for no reason, have flushed skin, and an increased heart rate. Night sweats are hot flashes that happen when you’re sleeping and can make it difficult to get a restful night’s sleep. 

Night sweats and hot flashes can sometimes occur for years after a woman reaches the menopause. 

You may also find yourself having changes in your mood that seem out of character. Hormonal fluctuations of any kind can impact how you feel and menopause is no different. Menopause can make you feel more depression or anxious than usual and it isn’t uncommon to have memory problems as well.

Other symptoms of the menopause include: 

• Irregular periods
• Vaginal pain and dryness
• Insomnia
• Weight gain
• Chills and sweats
• Thinning and/or brittle hair
• Dry or itchy skin
• Recurrent UTIs
• Muscle and joint pain
• Joint stiffness
• Lowered sex drive
• Heart palpitations
• Migraines 

Lifestyle Changes to Help Menopausal Symptoms 

We know you hear it everywhere, but a healthy diet and moderate exercise can improve your health in many ways- even when it comes to the menopause. 

When it comes to your diet during menopause, be sure you’re getting enough calcium. After the menopause, women are much more likely to lose bone density at a faster rate. This can lead to a condition known as osteoporosis which causes your bones to become brittle enough to fracture from minor injuries. Consuming more calcium can strengthen your bones and slow down any loss. You can get calcium from milk, dairy products, curly kale, okra, fortified foods like bread and cereal, and through supplements. 

Other foods that can help with menopausal symptoms are those that have high levels of plant estrogens, like soy beans and soy milk. You can also try nuts, seeds, fennel, parsley, flaxseed oil, and celery. 

Some women report that caffeiene, alcohol, and spicy foods are menopause triggers so you may want to avoid coffee, curries, and your evening tipple if you’re having severe symptoms. 

As for exercise, taking part in regular physical activity can improve your mood, boost your health, and minimize your menopausal symptoms. To help your bones, add in some weight bearing exercises to give them more strength. 

Since menopause can make it harder to lose weight, eating healthy and staying active will also help you keep your dress size down. 

Hormone Replacement Therapy 

There are medical options available to treat menopausal symptoms, most of which work by replacing some of the hormones you’ve lost. This type of treatment is called Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), and comes in many forms including patches, tablets, creams, and gels. Most women who use HRT take variations that contain two female sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone. Some forms may only have one of the hormones present.

By HRT replacing some of the oestrogen you’ve lost, your menopausal symptoms should reduce in severity and frequency. Progesterone helps reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis and uterine cancer. 

HRT Tablets: Tablets are one of the easiest and most common methods of taking HRT. HRT tablets are usually taken once per day.

HRT Patches: Another simple way of taking HRT, patches are applied directly to the skin and replaced every few days. They work by releasing a steady stream of hormones into your system.

HRT Gels: Oestrogen gel is rubbed into your skin once a day and is a convenient way to take oestrogen only HRT. If you still have your uterus, you’ll need to take an additional form of progesterone to reduce your risk of uterine cancer.

HRT Vaginal Cream: You can also get oestrogen from creams and pessaries that are used inside of the vagina. These are most beneficial for symptoms like vagina pain and dryness and can be used if you still have your uterus.
HRT Side Effects 

Not everyone will experience side effects with HRT and most of them should ease once you’ve been taking HRT for awhile. 

The main side effects of HRT are:

• Breast tenderness
• Nausea
• Bloating
• Leg cramps
• Indigestion
• Stomach pain
• Headaches or migraines
• Vaginal bleeding
• Mood swings
• Swelling throughout the body
• Back pain
• Acne 

Over the past decade, many people have become concerned that HRT increases the chance of blood clots, strokes, and some types of cancers. While studies do show that HRT can increase the chances of these potentially life-threatening conditions, they’re still low enough for the benefits of HRT to outweigh the risks. 

Some of the risks HRT can pose will depend on the form it is taken in. HRT tablets pose the most risk of blood clots developing, although the risk is relatively low. Skin patches in particular, like Evorel Patches, are less likely to cause side effects like indigestion and blood clots than other forms of HRT.   

Evorel Patches are one of the most trusted brands of HRT patches in the UK. You can get a prescription and buy HRT Evorel 50 and Evorel 100 patches online in the UK at low prices from Pharmacy Planet. Gain back control of your life by manging your menopause symptoms with HRT we can ship right to your door.