As a woman, your health and well-being are unique and go through many changes throughout your life. Here at Knock Medical Centre, we are committed to the individual health needs of all women. We focus on careful assessment, education, support and management options that will enable you to be actively involved in making informed choices about your own health care.
Cervical screening
All women aged from 25 to 64 are invited for cervical screening.
Being screened regularly means any abnormal changes in the cervix can be identified early on and, if necessary, treated to stop cancer developing.
Everything you need to know about the menopause, including the effects on your body, how the GP and Practice Nursing Team can help you, and what you can do to relieve the symptoms.
Overview-Menopause
Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
Menopause is defined as the point in time when menstrual cycles permanently cease due to the natural depletion of ovarian oocytes from aging.
The diagnosis is typically made retrospectively after the woman has missed menses for 12 consecutive months. Periods usually start to become less frequent over a few months or years before they stop altogether. Sometimes they can stop suddenly.
The menopause is a natural part of ageing that usually occurs between 45 and 55 years of age, as a woman’s oestrogen levels decline, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51.
But around 1 in 100 women experience the menopause before 40 years of age.
Symptoms of the menopause
Most women will experience menopausal symptoms. Some of these can be quite severe and have a significant impact on your everyday activities.
Common symptoms include:
- hot flushes
- night sweats
- vaginal dryness and discomfort during sex
- difficulty sleeping
- low mood or anxiety
- reduced sex drive (libido)
- problems with memory and concentration
Menopausal symptoms can begin months or even years before your periods stop and last around 4 years after your last period, although some women experience them for much longer.
When to see a GP or Practice Nurse
It’s worth talking to our highly experience team if you have menopausal symptoms that are troubling you or if you’re experiencing symptoms of the menopause before 45 years of age.
They can usually confirm whether you’re menopausal based on your symptoms, but a blood test to measure your hormone levels may be carried out if you’re under 45.
Treatments for menopausal symptoms
Your GP and Practice Nurse can offer treatments and suggest lifestyle changes if you have severe menopausal symptoms that interfere with your day-to-day life.
These include:
- hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – tablets, skin patches, gels and implants that relieve menopausal symptoms by replacing oestrogen
- vaginal oestrogen creams, lubricants or moisturisers for vaginal dryness
- cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – a type of talking therapy that can help with low mood and anxiety
- eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly – maintaining a healthy weight and staying fit and strong can improve some menopausal symptoms
To Book a Personal Menopause Consultation with our Practice, please contact Reception
What causes the menopause?
The menopause is caused by a change in the balance of the body’s sex hormones, which occurs as you get older.
It happens when your ovaries stop producing as much of the hormone oestrogen and no longer release an egg each month.
Premature or early menopause can occur at any age, and in many cases there’s no clear cause.
Sometimes it’s caused by a treatment such as surgery to remove the ovaries (oophorectomy), some breast cancer treatments, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or it can be brought on by an underlying condition, such as Down’s syndrome or Addison’s disease.