Highlights
- Most women become menopausal naturally between the ages of 45 and 55 years, with the average age of onset at around 50 years.
- Symptoms may include hot flushes and night sweats, aches and pains, fatigue or irritability.
- Women are encouraged to pay attention to their health. Listen to the podcast
Sydney-based GP Angelica Logarta-Scott says "menopause” refers to the last or final menstrual period a woman experiences. At menopause, ovulation no longer occurs and production of estrogen and progesterone ceases.
"It is diagnosed if the woman has stopped having a period for the last 12 months. This is the end of ovulation where the hormones will significantly drop. The average age of menopause is 50 to 51 years old. It can also occur at an earlier age which is what we call early menopause at around 45 years old."
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How to spot and treat menopause symptoms
SBS Filipino
03/12/202110:18
Stages of menopause
According to Dr Angelica Logarta-Scott menopause has three stages:
Perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause. It describes a time when hormones start to decline and menstrual cycles become erratic and irregular.
Menopause occurs when the woman has stopped producing the hormones that cause the menstrual period and have gone without a period for 12 months in a row.
Postmenopausal period is the time after menopause has occurred.
Symptoms
Dr Angelica Logarta-Scott says menopausal symptoms often start before periods stop that's why it's vital to know the signs and symptoms.
The most common symptoms are:
- Irregular periods
- Hot flushes
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness or loss of libido
- Chills
- Muscle and joint pain
- Urinary incontinence
- Formication or the feeling of insects crawling underneath the skin
- Sleep problems or insomnia
- Mood changes
- Depression
- Anxiety and irritability
- Memory loss
She adds that every woman is different. Other women may experience minimal symptoms, while others may have severe symptoms.
She encourages women to speak to their doctors.
Treatment and Management
While almost all women experience symptoms at menopause. Most women find these symptoms manageable and choose not to have treatment. However, Dr Angelica Logarta-Scott says that when symptoms are particularly severe or prolonged, there is a range of ways to manage them.
She adds that after a woman has been carefully assessed by her doctor, the treatment and management is very personal and specific to every individual.
If the woman has no contraindication after a thorough assessment, Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT is one form of management. HRT is a medication containing the hormones that a woman’s body stops producing after menopause. HRT is used to treat menopausal symptoms.
Another form of management according to Dr Angelica Logarta-Scott can be through drug-free treatment such as counselling and psychological treatment such as cognitive behaviour therapy, natural therapies and self-care.
Overall, being informed is a good start for managing the menopause transition and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the best thing a woman can do to manage and reduce symptoms.
Healthy Pinoy is SBS Filipino's weekly segment on health. The content provided is for informational purposes only and does not intend to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your GP or doctor for support.
