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Menopause may be something that affects roughly 50% of the population, but many of us don't even know the basics. Thankfully, a local doctor is here to sort that out...
Dr Jessica Langtree-Marsh is a Jersey GP with an interest in and passion for women’s welfare and fertility.
Last year, she co-launched Jersey’s first women’s welfare and fertility clinic with Neil MacLachlan, a retired Consultant Gynaecologist, to help local women and people with uteruses with infertility, early pregnancy, period problems, menopause and contraceptives within a community healthcare setting.
She also runs an educational Instagram page where she openly discusses issues like contraception, periods, pregnancy, fertility and menopause.
Today, she shares the answers to your most frequently asked questions about menopause...
Pictured: The menopause itself is a single point in time 12 months after the final menstrual period.
Following your reproductive years, you move into another phase of their life called the menopause.
The “menopause” is a single simplified term often used to describe the perimenopause, menopause and postmenopausal phases. The perimenopause is the period of time when symptoms start, it typically lasts for four years,
although for others as many as 10 years.
The menopause itself is a single point in time 12 months after the final menstrual period, in the UK the average age is 51 years. Your periods stop because your ovaries have run out of eggs to release each month, this leads to a decrease in hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. It is so important to be knowledgeable about the menopause, as many people will live a third of their life in the post-menopausal phase.
Pictured: Your doctor will listen to your symptoms and be able to diagnose the menopause there and then.
Generally, the menopause is diagnosed clinically, as in your doctor will listen to your symptoms and be able to diagnose the menopause there and then.
Hormone blood tests are unreliable in testing and diagnosing the menopause, as in the perimenopausal phase hormone levels can vary by the hour.
Sometimes your doctor may perform other blood tests to make sure your symptoms are not due to other causes, such as thyroid disorder. There are some circumstances in which hormonal blood tests can be useful, for example if you are under 40 and maybe experiencing an early menopause.
Pictured: You may also notice changes to your mood.
Some common symptoms include changes to your periods, they may become less regular, or changes in how heavy they are.
You may also notice changes to your mood, have the odd hot flush, more frequent headaches or worse PMS.
People often complain of increased joint pain, dry skin, hair thinning and pain during intercourse.
Everyone is individual and no two people will experience the same symptoms of the menopause to the same degree.
Pictured: The quickest and most effective way to improve symptoms of the menopause is to top up the hormones that your body has lost.
There are many options to help relieve the symptoms of the menopause, and each person should tailor treatment options to themselves. The quickest and most effective way to improve symptoms of the menopause is to top up the hormones that your body has lost.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help restore oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone, depending on which hormones you need.
As well as HRT, people should try to maintain a healthy lifestyle by focusing on good nutrition and regular exercise. Regular exercise, particularly strength based helps to improve bone, heart and mental health as well as increasing energy levels.
Some find talking therapy beneficial, and others use alternative therapies and herbal remedies to help.
This article first featured on Bailiwick Wellbeing, your free weekly guide to wellness in work and island life. Sign up now here.
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