The many sides of women’s health: Menopause

Women’s intimate health is just as important as any other aspect. So why do we tend to shy away from conversations about periods, pregnancy, menopause – when we should be leaning in? A little understanding can go a long way to make your life better, more comfortable and more balanced.

At endota, we want to take women on a journey through all stages of life. And we know it’s likely that whatever you’re experiencing, half the world’s population will too. One of the most common concerns we hear about is certainly universally experienced: menopause.

Support yourself through life’s stages

We got in touch with Dr Sandra Cabot, an absolute guru on women’s health in Australia, to talk about how women can support their own physical and mental health during menopause.

“Women's hormones are always changing, it’s very different to men,” Dr Cabot says. “We are living a lot longer than we used to. If we go back to the 1900s, the average life span of a woman was only 50 years. So now when women are living until they're 85, menopause is happening, almost at middle-age.” At that age, many women are finding a new sense of purpose, or getting their career back on track. “So women want more help,” observes Dr Cabot.

The word “menopause” refers to the last or final menstrual period a woman experiences in her life. The average age for menopause for Australian women is 51 years, with most women entering perimenopause anytime from 40 to 55 years. This is when your periods become irregular and you experience symptoms that are caused by fluctuations in the production of hormones from the ovary.

The side-effects of menopause

Women experience the many symptoms of menopause differently. It can affect your skin, hair, mood, brain and sleep patterns – and can have a considerable impact on your overall wellbeing.

While your skin experiences the natural effects of aging throughout your life, menopause can accelerate that process – and bring a whole set of new issues you have never experienced before. Some women suddenly get acne or increased oil production, others intense dryness.

As your estrogen and progesterone production declines, you may begin to notice hair loss or thinning - a side effect of menopause that about half of women say they experience to some degree. Even if you had long, thick hair in earlier years, this transformation can change the look and feel of your hair and scalp.

Many women also complain of disturbed sleep during the peri-menopausal and post-menopausal phase. That might include difficulty falling and staying asleep, early morning and nocturnal waking and night sweats.

“While these can be extremely unpleasant, there’s no need to suffer,” Dr Cabot says. They can be treated with diet and lifestyle changes and the right supplements, vitamins and minerals.

Dr Cabot says it’s important for women (and their partners) to understand that hormones also have a profound effect on the brain. So extreme emotions like intense anger, anxiety, sadness, confusion are very real and caused by hormonal changes. It’s a different experience for everyone, but you can take steps to manage it.

Having written many books on the subject (including Hormones: Don’t Let Them Ruin Your Life and the hilariously titled How Not to Kill Your Husband), Dr Cabot says the first step for many women is to make their health a priority. Things aren’t going to improve unless you make a commitment to yourself. Then you can explore the many natural and holistic ways to support your health through this hormonal upheaval.

“Take time to take care of yourself. A lot of women, they are taking care of everyone else. Working and taking care of the family… and if you don't take the time for yourself, you won't know how you are,” she says. “You have to put your health first and then you'll find that you cope with stress a lot better.”

So whether you’re approaching menopause or experiencing symptoms, keep exploring ways to make yourself feel healthy inside and out. Be kind to yourself about changes you see in your body, and have the confidence to investigate, without embarrassment, if something doesn’t feel right.

Then you can share your knowledge – and encourage your friends to put their health and wellbeing first as well.

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