Women too shy to talk

WHILE women often seek treatment for hot flushes and night sweats, they sometimes avoid speaking to medical professionals about the more “embarrassing” symptoms of menopause.

Nurture Family Allied Health Centre women’s health physiotherapist Amy Lamb said genito- urinary syndrome ( GSM) affected about a third of menopausal women, but very few address it.

“Women will often visit their GP complaining of symp- toms of hot flushes and that particular feature will be addressed and often these particular features will fall to the bottom of the list or women will be too embarrassed to discuss it,” she said.

Ms Lamb said the most common menopausal and post- menopausal symptoms of GSM were vulval and vaginal dryness, dyspareunia ( painful sex), urinary frequency and urgency and incontinence.

“This is accompanied with the significant number of other symptoms that you experience during menopause which includes headaches, irritability, depression, unloved feelings, sleeplessness and joint pain,” she said.

GSM sufferers may also ex- perience post- coital bleeding and spotting, thinning of the vaginal tissues, altered PH and bladder infections.

“The reason that these symptoms occur is because the vulva and the vagina are highly oestrogen- dependent, so when the ovaries stop producing oestrogen and progesterone you start to get all these symptoms,” she said.

“I think it’s commonly not addressed by anybody – it’s not commonly discussed with women. It goes untreated.”

Ms Lamb said treatment options included systemic hormone therapy and local vaginal estrogens.

“Lifestyle factors like avoiding smoking, hygiene, underwear, use of vaginal lubricants ( can affect) GSM,” she said.

Ms Lamb said in treating GSM, it was also important to look at mental health factors.

“Menopause can often be associated with stress, partner erectile dysfunction, relationship issues, anxiety and depression or use of antidepressants,” she said.

Ms Lamb said while hot flushes and night sweats usually lasted for just a few years, GSM symptoms could last forever if not treated.

She said women’s health physiotherapists could help with addressing lifestyle factors, assisting with pelvic floor muscle training and providing sexual counselling or advice.

“Often women will attend my clinic complaining of symptoms of urinary incontinence because they’re aware that this is something that women’s health physios can treat,” she said.

“They often leave identifying that they have a number of other issues.

“They come in for incontinence treatment and leave with sexual counselling, advice about talking to their GP about vaginal dryness treatments, such as oestrogen creams.”

Ms Lamb is hosting a talk on menopause at the Nurture clinic at 107 Charters Towers Rd, Hyde Park.

The free session will start at 11.30am on February 17.

I think it’s commonly not addressed by anybody — it’s not commonly discussed with women. It goes untreated. AMY LAMB