Don't Assume It's Your Age

My Weekly’s favourite GP from TV and radio writes for you

- Dr Sarah Jarvis

The menopause comes to us all if we live long enough, and 4 in 5 women suffer hot flushes and night sweats. So many other symptoms – tiredness, mood swings, hair changes – get put down to “the change” as well, but just sometimes, it could be something else entirely.

If a man had the same symptoms on a regular basis, they’d be at the doctor’s asking why. The doctor, quite rightly, would question, prod and poke, then organise blood tests to find a physical cause. So should you just assume it’s the menopause, or should you be asking what else could be going on?

Every woman is different and so is her menopause. The “typical” age of menopause is 52, but anything over 45 is considered normal. First signs are irregular periods that may be lighter or much heavier. Some women start getting hot flushes and drenching the bed with sweat while their periods are still regular, and some women don’t get flushes at all.