Menopause

What is menopause?

Menopause is when you have your final period. You have reached menopause if you haven’t had a period or spotting for 12 months.

Most women reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55. In Australia, the average age to reach menopause is 51 to 52.
Menopause can happen naturally at the expected age or early.

Menopause before the age of 45 is called ‘early menopause’. If menopause happens before the age of 40 it’s called ‘premature menopause’.

‘Perimenopause’ is the time leading up to menopause.

What causes menopause?

Menopause happens because your hormone levels (e.g. oestrogen levels) drop and you stop ovulating and having periods.
Menopause can also happen due to surgery or cancer treatment.

As you approach menopause, your hormones (e.g. oestrogen and progesterone) go up and down. These changes can lead to different symptoms.

Symptoms of menopause

Changing hormone levels can cause different symptoms. Menopause is different for everyone. Some women have no symptoms at all, while others have symptoms that interfere with their daily lives. Your experience can also be affected by what is happening in your life, and your general health and wellbeing.

Common physical symptoms include:

• hot flushes and night sweats
• sleep problems
• headaches
• muscle and joint pains
• dry vagina (causing painful sex)
• sore breasts.

Common emotional symptoms include:

• mood changes (feeling unhappy or depressed)
• tiredness
• forgetfulness
• brain fog (difficulty concentrating)
• anxiety.

Managing menopause

There are many ways to manage menopause. It may take time to find a strategy that works for you.

Lifestyle changes

You can:

• eat healthy food and drink lots of water
• do regular physical activity
• maintain a healthy weight
• improve your sleep
• reduce or stop unhealthy habits such as drinking alcohol or smoking.

Practical tips

Try:

• using a hand fan or water spray when you feel hot
• wearing layered clothing so you can remove clothes when you feel hot
• relaxation classes like yoga and meditation.

Therapies and medicines

You can reduce menopausal symptoms with:

• menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) – this is the most effective therapy to relieve many symptoms
• medicines, such as antidepressants, which can reduce hot flushes and sweating
• natural therapies.

Ask your doctor about the risks and benefits of these therapies and medicines.

Take care of your emotional health

It’s normal to experience different emotions around the time of menopause. There are many ways to take care of your emotional health. For example, having a healthy lifestyle and taking time to do things you enjoy. You can also talk to a counsellor or try cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help manage your symptoms and emotional wellbeing.

If you are experiencing strong emotions, anxiety or depression, talk to your doctor.

Visit the Jean Hailes website for more information about managing menopause.

More information

For more detailed information about managing menopause, related resources, articles and podcasts, visit: jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause

Where to get help

• Your GP (doctor)
• Jean Hailes for Women’s Health Tel. 1800 JEAN HAILES (532 642)
• Jean Hailes for Women’s Health have released a suite of new menopause resources, including fact sheets, video's and multilingual fact sheets.
• Australasian Menopause Society
• National Cervical Screening Program Tel. 13 15 56
• Quitline Tel. 13 7848
• Dietitians Australia
• A naturopath, herbalist or complementary health practitioner.