Menopause and perimenopause – the years leading up to it – can be a physically and mentally turbulent time, and can impact relationships in various ways. As the partner of someone going through it, educating yourself about what’s going on can make a big difference. “For most women, the menopause is a natural stage of life when oestrogen levels decline and periods stop,” says Dr Samantha Wild, women’s health clinical lead at Bupa Health Clinics .
“You are said to have reached the menopause when you haven’t had a period for at least 12 months, and after this time you are postmenopausal. Menopause usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55.” However, often when people talk about ‘going through the menopause’ they’re actually talking about perimenopause too.
“The perimenopause is when a women’s hormone levels start to change as their ovaries stop working, but it’s before their periods stop completely,” explains Wild. The symptoms can be vast Perimenopause and menopause can cause a wide range of physical and mental symptoms – some obvious and some a lot more vague. “Some will experience a variety of physical symptoms, such as hot flushes, night sweats, joint pain, difficulty sleeping, itchy skin, dry skin, dry eyes,” says Dr Claire Phipps, GP and BMS menopause specialist at London Gynaecology .
“ People may also experience genitourinary symptoms such as vaginal dryness, change to menstrual cycles, pain during sex, recurrent thrush/UTIs, a.
