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Don't let those pesky PDWs* hold you back. Style them out with our expert advice

-  SAMANATHA WOOD

Being a woman can be tough, can't it? Just when you think that you've had your fair share of 'embarrassing' body problems to contend with hormonal acne, hairy chins, leaky boobs - along comes midlife with a load more.

'It's no secret that the changes taking place in your body during peri/menopause can cause a range of unwanted symptoms, but when they become noticeable it can make navigating midlife even more upsetting and challenging,' says Dr Deborah Lee from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy**. But you don't need to shy away - here's how you can handle one of 'those' moments.

Excess wind

Farting is a musical reminder that your gut flora is doing its job and digesting your food. But as the body ages, it's more common to let one slip. 'Metabolic changes, a less effective digestion system and a decrease in muscle tone can all link getting older to an increase in farting, so if you've noticed your bottom getting more tuneful over the years, it's normal,' says Dr Lee. 'Also, as we age, the body makes less lactase, the enzyme needed to digest dairy, so you might find you're starting to pass more gas when you eat certain foods.'

HOW TO COPE There shouldn't be any shame in farting - it's a normal bodily function that almost every other living creature does (aside from birds, octopuses and sloths). But if you feel one brewing, squeezing your bum muscles tightly can make it quieter. Fermented foods, fizzy drinks and starchy meals like pasta make us more gassy, so you could try avoiding these.

WHEN TO WORRY

If excess farting is coupled with abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea or bloating, it could be a sign of IBS or an allergy.

Hair loss