Menopause happens when you haven’t had a period for 12 months in a row. This marks the end of the period when you can get pregnant. Common symptoms of menopause include hot flashes (with or without sweating), vaginal dryness, and mood changes.

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Before menopause, you may find your periods start to become less frequent over the course of months or years, before stopping completely. This is called perimenopause. During this time, your hormone levels go up and down, which can cause symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings. These changes can really impact daily life and overall well-being, and perimenopause can last for several years,so it is important to recognise the changes and know how to manage them. Your healthcare provider will be able to advise you on what support is available to help manage your symptoms.

Postmenopause is the time after menopause when your body has fully adjusted to the changes. While some menopausal symptoms may get better during this stage, it’s important to be aware that you can be at a higher risk of conditions like weak bones and heart problems because of changes to your hormone levels. Understanding these changes as well as the treatment options available can help you feel empowered when navigating this time in your life.

Reproductive hormones fluctuate during perimenopause, while starting to gradually reduce overall. In the transition from perimenopause to menopause, the fluctuations continue and the reduction in oestrogen levels particularly becomes more pronounced. These changes can lead to physical and emotional menopausal symptoms. During postmenopause, oestrogen levels remain low but the fluctuations stabilize.

Menopause can affect sleep in a number of ways. You may find it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up too early. Hot flashes that occur at night can contribute to these disrupted sleep patterns, which may impact how you feel during the day.

Over time, getting less sleep can impact your health in a number of ways. For example, it can lead to weight gain, and even be associated with heart health issues or depression if it isn’t effectively managed. Tiredness and irritability from sleep symptoms can also sometimes affect relationships, work productivity and completion of normal day-to-day tasks. However, support is available, so make sure to Talk Menopause with your healthcare provider if you are experiencing any sleep-related problems.

Reduced sex drive (or loss of desire/libido) is a common change during menopause. In some women, it may be related to vaginal pain or discomfort, such as a dry, itching or burning sensation, which can become worse when having sex. A changing sex drive can have a big emotional impact or affect relationships. Stigma or embarrassment can make this hard to talk about but help is available, so speak to your healthcare provider if you are experiencing any of these issues.

Menopause can lead to a variety of physical and psychological changes, but everyone’s experience is different. While some may have only a few symptoms, others may experience several. Alongside well-known symptoms like hot flashes and changes in period patterns, other common symptoms include joint pain, cognitive changes (such as brain fog), mood swings, irritability, anxiety, vaginal dryness and reduced sex drive. If not addressed, disruptive symptoms associated with menopause can affect quality of life, engagement, performance, motivation, and relations with employers; women experiencing severe symptoms are more likely to leave work or reduce their working hours than women who report no severe symptoms. Whatever changes you’re going through, you don’t have to suffer in silence, so speak to your healthcare provider to find out what treatment and support is available.