Puberty and the menopause are two of the biggest health-related events women will experience in their lives. In spite of this, there seems to be a widespread lack of understanding about what the menopause actually means in practice and how to help women to deal with it.
The basics of the menopause
A woman is born with a finite number of eggs. During her reproductive years, an egg is released approximately once a month and if it is unfertilized it is expelled from the body during menstruation. When a woman has used up all her eggs, there is no further biological need for menstruation and hence the menstrual cycle comes to an end and the woman ceases to have periods.
Issues with the menopause
The menopausal cycle is linked to the production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. As reproductive function declines, so the production of estrogen and progesterone also declines.
Although estrogen is strongly linked with reproduction, it also plays a major role in the functioning of other parts of the body, including the urinary tract, the heart and blood vessels, bones, breasts, skin, hair, mucous membranes, pelvic muscles, and the brain.
Progesterone also has a variety of important functions in the body. In particular, it is a crucial metabolic intermediate in the production of other endogenous steroids, including the sex hormones and the corticosteroids and it also supports the normal development of neurons in the brain.
A reduced supply of these hormones can have a very negative impact on the body, which can lead to many common menopausal symptoms such as:
- Hot flushes and night sweats
- Difficulty sleeping
- Headaches
- Problems with memory and concentration
- Mood changes, low moods and anxiety
- Palpitations
- Joint stiffness
- Reduced muscle mass
- Vaginal dryness
- Recurring urinary tract infections
- Reduced sex drive
Lack of awareness of menopausal issues leads to challenges dealing with them
Even though the biological reality of the menopause has been known for decades, there seems to be a widespread lack of awareness and hence support and treatment for women experiencing menopausal issues.
For example, there are only 29 NHS menopause clinics in the U.K. It is therefore hardly a surprise that demand is high and waiting times for appointments can be up to 6 months). Over a third of women try to get support from their GP, but outcomes are variable. One-quarter of the women who visited a GP say the possibility of the symptoms being menopause-related was missed and one third were not made aware of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Overall there seems to be a lack of understanding of treatments such as HRT with some women reporting being wrongly denied HRT due to existing or family health concerns and others simply not understanding what it is or what it can do. There seems to be even more confusion about newer treatments such as ShockWave treatment.
“My regular night and day hot flushes were having a major impact on my life. An appointment had been made to go on HRT when Andrew suggested his treatment. To my astonishment my hot flushes stopped and after 3 months they are rare. Emotionally I feel happier, calmer and more relaxed, my husband confirms this !! Irritability has decrease as tiredness is not an issue as no night sweats.
It is so amazing. Thank you so much Wendy”
ShockWave is arguably a rather questionably-named treatment. It has absolutely nothing to do with electric shocks. It uses acoustic waves, rather like ultrasound. This has the effect of stimulating bodily processes and hence promoting natural healing. ShockWave treatment has long been associated with the treatment of injuries and also with erectile dysfunction, but also has many other uses, including for vaginal rejuvenation. In particular it:
- helps the formation of new blood vessels
- stimulates blood flow
- stimulates collagen tissue production
As a result, it can be massively helpful in reducing symptoms related to the vulva, vagina, and urinary tract. We have found that every woman who has received ShockWave treatment whilst in menopause has noticed a significant change and reduction in symptoms, contact us to find out more.
