What works for treating hot flushes and night sweats apart from HRT? The North American Menopause Society’s 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement has the answers. When it comes to treating vasomotor symptoms, we need to know what works. We know hormone replacement therapy (HRT) does work, but if you can’t or don’t want to take that for your hot flushes or night sweats, what are your options? The North American Menopause Society recently updated its 2015 advice on what works and what doesn’t and the 2023 version has some changes from it’s 2015 predecessor. You can access it here. To…
How to make the most of your GP appointment if you want to discuss menopause? You’ve only got ten minutes, so how do you make the most of it if you want to talk to your doctor about menopause? This is a question that’s kept Dr Carys Sonnenberg awake for many nights – tossing and turning over how she can help her patients make the most of a short consultation so they can get the right treatment plan for them as fast as possible – and she’s come up with a plan. Dr Sonnenberg says if you think your…
Women are often given a range of reasons why they can’t have HRT, but are they correct? Dr Naomi Potter sets the record straight. ‘Too old’, ‘too young’, ‘you have migraines’, ‘you’ve had a clot’ – these are just some of the reason women are given by their doctor as justification for not prescribing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat menopause symptoms. Many women may sail through menopause with barely a symptom, but for others they can be debilitating. Yet, 44% of respondents to a poll by Harley Street Emporium said they had been turned away when they had…
Is it time we changed the way we think about HRT? Some doctors argue menopause needs a rebranding so we no longer think of HRT as the treatment of last resort. Many women talk about HRT in terms of ‘struggling on,’ ‘braving it out’ and ‘not succumbing’ by taking it because it’s ‘not natural’ – but is that correct? Dr Sarah Ball, a GP with a special interest in the menopause says it is time menopause was rebranded as a ‘chronic hormone deficiency’ rather than accepting it as natural part of getting older, and that HRT was seen as a…
Can your diet help relieve some of the symptoms of menopause? Dietitian Sophie Medlin gives her top tips on what works and what may not. Can Phytoestrogens help with menopause symptoms? Phytoestrogens are compounds that occur naturally in plants and foods including fruits, veggies, legumes, and some grains. Soy is a popular source. They are said to mimic oestrogen and may be helpful for hot flushes, mood swings and painful breasts. But is there good evidence to back that up? “There is some data around phytoestrogens that some people find helpful,” Sophie says. “Again it’s not everybody and the data…
Premature menopause: What are the signs and the treatment options? Premature and early menopause can have a devastating effect on women and their families. Here, Gynaecologist Vikram Talaulikar from The Menopause Clinic London, talks us through the signs to look out for and the treatment options for symptom relief and fertility available to women. Fact file: Menopause is the cessation of periods Premature menopause or Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) is menopause that occurs under the age of 40 and it affect 1-3% of women Early menopause is menopause that occurs under the age of 45 and it affects between…
Is Menopause affecting your ability to work? If so, you’re not alone. For the first time the impact has been quantified & the results don’t paint a pretty picture. It probably won’t come as a huge surprise to many women, but Menopause and work don’t mix well. According to a survey of more than 1100 women, one in ten have left their jobs because of their symptoms, and a staggering 90% say they believe it had had a negative affect on their work. Menopause Doctor, Louse Newson and her colleague Dr Rebecca Lewis at the Newson Health Menopause & Wellbeing…
Could it be menopause? With so many symptoms it’s easy to see why it’s often misdiagnosed. If you have a quick look at menopause sites on social media it wont take long to find a plethora of women who say their GP has told them they’re too young to be menopausal, put them on anti-depressants or sent them off on a merry-go-round of investigative procedures to try and find the cause of their malaise. The experience leaves many asking how hard can it be to diagnose menopause? Well, there is a long list of symptoms – many of which may…
80% of women will experience menopause symptoms. Dr Unnati Desai discusses some of the treatment options. It’s stories like these that make you realise menopause symptoms can make life a living hell for some women. This is the story of Jane Lewis, the author of Me and My Menopausal Vagina: “Hello, I’m Jane and I’m 52 years old. I live with my husband of 34 years, have three grown up daughters, a granddaughter, and two dogs: Bertie and Bonnie. I used to live a really active life but then something changed. I’m not quite sure the exact moment when things went so…
Do you need to have blood test to diagnose menopause? Gynaecologist Vikram Talaulikar gives you a guide. When you sit down with your GP and tell them you’re feeling irritable, waking in a pool of sweat every night or feeling like you’re lacking in energy, they may think you’re on the path to menopause. The first thing they might do is ask you to have a blood test to establish your hormone levels, in particular oestrogen and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). These days though it’s not considered necessary unless the GP has reason to believe there are other underlying…
Harley Street Emporium – Your Complete Aesthetics Guide Harley Street Emporium is your complete aesthetics guide. It’s a website where you can find a doctor, find information and buy the best anti-aging skin care products and the best acne products as well as information on how to treat various skin conditions. It features editorially independent information about skin care, skin conditions and cosmetic treatments. It also has a glossary of ingredients which tells consumers what each one does and if there are any safety concerns associated with them. It also has a shop section which showcases evidence-based products – mostly…
The market is awash with dietary supplements for menopausal women, but do you really need them? Dr Haran Sivapalan takes a look. Do my dietary needs change during menopause? It’s a question often asked – especially with the implications menopause has for skin, bones and heart health. Given that, it may surprise you that there is no specific diet required during the menopause, instead it’s advised that following a healthy, balanced diet will be enough to maintain good health as your body undergoes hormonal changes – and a bit of Vitamin D wont go astray. Why is a healthy, balanced diet…
Menopause: what does it do to our skin and how can we fight back? Heather Stephen finds out. Hot flushes, drenched in sweat, sheets on and sheets off all night long – sound familiar? No wonder mood swings are a common symptom of menopause – and all of this can go on for years. And if that weren’t bad enough, your skin seems to go south almost as fast as the rest of you. But there are things that can help. What is the menopause? The menopause is that time in our life when our oestrogen levels decline and our…
Harley Street Emporium is a website where you can find skincare products, a doctor, find information on perimenopause and menopause, women’s health, and skincare. We feature the best anti-aging skin care products and the best acne products as well as information on how to treat various skin conditions. Consumers can also book with some of the UK’s best menopause doctors, plastic surgeons, dermatologists and aesthetic practitioners. Harley Street Emporium features editorially independent information about skin care, skin conditions, and treatments. The site also features a glossary of ingredients telling consumers what each one does and if there are any safety…
