What Is Menopause

Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when her periods stop as a result of the reduction and
loss of ovarian reproductive function.

Ovaries produce the hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, which gradually decline
during its natural stages. During the early stage (also known as peri-menopause), estrogen levels
tend to fluctuate and a woman is likely to still be menstruating.

Menopause and perimenopause can impact a woman in a variety of ways causing symptoms
such as a change in her periods, hot flushes, mood swings, brain fog, tiredness, joint aches and
problems passing urine. The process may be slow and last several years. Estrogen also plays an
important role in maintaining bone and heart health as well as brain function during the
reproductive years. Therefore with its decline and loss, there are also long term health
consequences to consider.

It tends to occur between the ages 45 and 55. The average age in the UK for menopause is 51
(which means a woman would have had not periods for 1 year).
This transition can have a considerable impact on many women. It is vital for all women to be
able to access advice on how they can optimize their menopause care, which should be holistic,
individualized and focused on managing diet and lifestyle as well as discussing hormone
replacement therapy (HRT).

Dr. Hajra Adil, Consultant Family Medicine is Certified in Menopause Care by Royal College of
Obstetricians and Gynaecologist (RCOG) & British Menopause Society. She is also an Associate
Member of Faculty of Sexual Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) UK.