Saturday 18th October is World Menopause Day and this year the theme is ‘lifestyle medicine’.
The day aims to raise awareness of menopause and promote how lifestyle choices like diet, exercise, sleep and stress management can help improve health and well-being during menopause.
Eight years of confusion
My own personal journey through menopause was eight years of not realising that the myriad of symptoms I was quietly suffering with (more than 20) were related to this unavoidable life stage.
The brain fog I was experiencing became so bad that I thought I had early dementia. How I managed to continue working through this period is a mystery to me.
As soon as I started receiving the right amount of hormones to replace the deficiency, normal life resumed.
HRT not suitable for everyone
However, for many, that option is not as straightforward.
Many women are unable to take Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Anyone with a history of breast, ovarian or womb cancer are advised against using HRT as it could stimulate residual cancer cells.
These women have to find alternative solutions to managing their symptoms and here on the Island there is someone who aims to support those women looking to gain a healthier lifestyle.
Health Habits
Rachel Richards from WightWays, shares her advice for women seeking a healthier lifestyle during menopause.
“As a healthy habits coach, I recommend small, sustainable changes rather than trying to overhaul everything at once. My advice is that the first step to navigating the challenges faced at menopause is to embrace what gives you joy – don’t be restricted by what other people expect of you.
“Simple habits can make a real difference to how you feel day to day. By introducing a variety of daily movements that raise your heart rate and work your muscles, you can protect your bones, retain your strength and stabilise your mood. Paying attention to food will help you feel nourished in body and mind. Aim for a balance across the day, meals that feel special, with plenty of colour and a range of fresh, natural ingredients. Never underestimate the power of a glass of water; staying hydrated can resolve joint pain and settle disturbed sleep.”
She went on to add,
“Give yourself permission to rest and reset. Good sleep, rest and time outdoors all help the body regulate stress and hormones. Many anxiety symptoms are caused by chemical fluctuations in our bodies, which we know can be influenced just by changing our surroundings.
“Menopause isn’t a time for transformation. I see it as an opportunity for gentle adjustment, self-care and a chance to set steady routines for the future. The goal is to feel happy, comfortable and confident in your own skin.”
Background
Many health professionals, women who have suffered hormone deficiency and more, have been lobbying government and health chiefs for better menopause education and support.
Menopause heroes also include Dr Louise Newson (Newson Clinic and Balance App), Diane Danzebrink (Menopause Support), as well as more well-known women such as Liz Earle and Davina McCall who have used their platforms to help raise awareness.
Understanding the menopause
Around the globe women will be helping to raise awareness for the often-misunderstood, but devastating symptoms of this hormone deficiency that affects 40 per cent of the population.
There was a time when if you mentioned menopause, people might think it meant periods of hot flushes and mood swings, whilst women went through ‘the change’.
Long-term debilitating, and in some cases, life-threatening symptoms
Thankfully, in 2025 many women (and some parts of the medical profession) have become far more informed and recognise that, in fact, when a women’s body starts producing less hormones – estrogen, progesterone or testosterone – they can suffer with many long-term debilitating, and in some cases, life-threatening symptoms.
More than 45 symptoms
When you understand that estrogen alone plays a function in every organ in a woman’s body, it’s no surprise to learn that the impact of menopause – which ‘generally’ begins at around the age of 45 (earlier in many cases) – can lead to up to 48 different symptoms.
These range from brain fog, swollen joints and joint pain, muscle aches, insomnia, anxiety and skin conditions to night sweats, tinnitus, palpitations, urinary tract infections, migraines, thinning hair, increase in facial hair, painful discomfort during sex, loss of self-confidence, suicide ideation and many more.
Suffering in silence
A very lucky 20 per cent of women go through the menopause with no symptoms at all.
However, of the 80 per cent of women who do experience symptoms (that’s 40 per cent of the population), many suffer in silence, without support from their employers or families, or without the prescriptions they need to improve the quality of their lives.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
The symptoms that peri-menopausal and menopausal women experience are a result of the body producing less hormones and for many, but not all women, they can be reversed for the rest of someone’s life by prescribing HRT – Hormone Replacement Therapy.
These days, the type of HRT prescribed – which returns the lost hormones back into a woman’s body, as the hormone insulin is returned into the bodies of those with Type 1 diabetes – is far safer and can be used for as long as a woman needs it.
As an example, the beauty, health and wellbeing entrepreneur, Liz Earle, who has been a pioneer in spreading the word of menopause, arranged for her 80-year-old mother to go back onto HRT to help alleviate certain symptoms she was experiencing and reported a life-changing result.
Benefits of HRT
In the past HRT carried a higher risk of breast cancer, but through the use of gels and transdermal patches, more recently this risk is far reduced and it’s now known that taking HRT can reduce a woman’s risk of heart disease – the biggest killer among women over fifty – by 40 per cent.
Among other things, it can reduce the risk of bowel cancer by 40 per cent and more importantly can also prevent bone loss and reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.
HRT is not suitable for everybody, but for those wo can use it, the benefits can be life changing.
Anti-HRT media coverage
We all remember the study that was carried out in the 1990s that focused on HRT and the risk of breast cancer. Even though the type of HRT that is prescribed today is far safer, you will often see the old study cited in the media to this day.
It is probable that the lack of menopause education and anti-HRT media coverage over the last 20 years is what has led to only around 14 per cent of women using HRT to alleviate their symptoms and protect themselves from future health risks.
Sign the petition
Six years ago Diane Danzebrink launched a petition to Government with three very clear aims.
- Mandatory menopause training for all GPs and medical students
- Menopause awareness and support in every workplace
- Menopause to be included in the RSE curriculum in schools
More than 202,000 people have signed the petition, and you can add your name to it by heading over to the Change.org Website.
Arm yourself with information
Any women experiencing symptoms of hormone deficiency can arm themselves with information by visiting trusted sites such as Dr Louise Newson’s Balance Website, or My Menopause Centre. Both offer a huge range of information.
There is one private Menopause clinic on the Isle of Wight, run by Dr Jane Peckham. Visit the Wight Menopause Website for more information.
Menopause Support is a fantastic resource for anyone wanting to find out more about the menopause and its impacts.
In fact, they have just announced that through a collaboration with Care England they have created five free-to-access webinars looking at different aspects of menopause. This series has been designed for care staff and employers. Please share with anyone that you know who works in the care sector.
The Making Menopause Matter Podcast is also a great resource, as is the website and Support Group on Facebook
