If you’ve experienced menopause or know somebody who has, you’ll probably have seen or heard of at least one symptom you didn’t expect.
On average, a BMC Women’s Health study found that people experiencing menopause or perimenopause had about 10.7 symptoms.
But less than half of them knew how to handle them ― likely not helped by the fact that more than 90% of women were never taught about the menopause in school.
Only 60% sought more information once they started noticing symptoms, University College London discovered.
Still, you might be surprised to discover that there are 62 symptoms that ygiene and health company Essity shared with HuffPost UK.
″[These] findings tell us that it’s a heavily misunderstood subject and the taboo surrounding it means women aren’t accessing the information and advice that could really help them,” a spokesperson for the company says.
What are 62 menopause symptoms?
Per Dr Naomi Potter, who paired with Essity, these are:
- Palpitations
- Chest pain
- Breast tenderness
- Itchy skin
- Dry skin
- Rosacea
- Acne
- Thin skin
- Collagen loss
- Crying
- Brain fog
- Memory loss
- Poor concentration
- Word finding difficulty
- Anxiety
- Low mood
- Worsening PMS
- Anger/rage
- Irritability
- Headache
- Migraines
- Joint pain
- Joint stiffness
- Vaginal dryness
- Vaginal discharge
- Vulval itch
- Perineal itch
- Vulval/vaginal electric shocks
- Increase in thrush
- Increase in BV
- Poor libido
- High libido
- Weight gain
- Scalp hair loss
- Unwanted hair growth
- Urinary infections
- Urinary incontinence
- Urinary urgency
- Nocturia (getting up at night to pee)
- Sexual dysfunction
- Chest tightness
- Constipation
- Gastric reflux
- Fatigue
- Night sweats
- Hot flushes
- Cold flushes
- Period increased frequency
- Periods decreased frequency
- Heavier periods
- Muscle loss
- Tinnitus
- Dry eyes
- Watery eyes
- Burning mouth
- Gum disease
- Foot pain
- Frozen shoulder
- Insomnia
- Histamine sensitivity
- New allergy
- Body odour change
What helps with menopause symptoms?
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) helps to replace the oestrogen and progesterone your body loses during menopause and perimenopause.
The NHS says “The main benefit of HRT is that it can help relieve most menopause and perimenopause symptoms, including hot flushes, brain fog, joint pains, mood swings and vaginal dryness.”
It can improve a range of symptoms within a matter of weeks or months.
Taking HRT can even lower your risk of developing hormone-related health problems including osteoporosis and heart disease.
They add that the benefits usually far outweigh any risk ― speak to your doctor if you notice symptoms.