Menopause expert reveals unknown symptoms women may not recognise
9 February 2023, 09:47
To find out more about menopause symptoms, listen to The Rethinkers podcast with Katrina Ridley on Global Player now.
A menopause expert has revealed the symptoms that many women may not recognise.
Dr. Louise Newson, a GP and renowned menopause specialist who founded The Menopause Charity, joined Heart’s very own Katrina Ridley on the new series of The Rethinkers podcast.
And while discussing the effects the menopause has on women, Dr Newson revealed many might not even realise they are experiencing symptoms.
Listen to The Rethinkers podcast with Katrina Ridley on Global Player now
“So we all often known the symptoms like flushes, sweats that occur in a lot of women, but it can affect our brain functions,” she told Katrina.
“There can also be memory problems, poor concentration, anxiety, mood, a lot of women experience brain fog, so like thinking through treacle.
“It can affect our eyes, sore mouth, joints, palpitations, even shortness of breath, GI symptoms, heartburn, reflux, restless legs. The list goes on and on and on.”
She went on to say that while not every woman get’s every symptom, many people don’t realise how their bodies are impacted.
“Some women will say ‘I’ve never had any symptoms’ and then you’ll say ‘what’s your sleep like?’ and they’ll say ‘It’s not good’,” she said.
Dr Newson added that getting up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet, struggling to stay active and not being able to build muscle can also go unnoticed by women going through the menopause.
Menopause is a transition that happens when women start producing lower hormone levels and usually starts between the ages of 45 and 55, but can also happen at a much younger age.
Elsewhere in the chat, Dr Newson goes on to talk about treatments women can receive to relieve symptoms, including the important of the hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
“Because it’s a hormone deficiency, the most important thing to think about is hormones,” she said.
“We’ve all been taught HRT is so dangerous, we just need to get through it, but actually there is treatment available but women are being denied it.”
