OUR SYMPTOM BY SYMPTOM GUIDE

unperfumed and PH balanced, in the pharmacy or online, such as Sylk (from £9.99 on amazon) or Regelle (from £8.95, from amazon). Your doctor can also prescribe one.

Loss of sex drive

A woman’s sex drive can crash thanks to the drop in oestrogen, plus other related factors such as weight gain and low mood can combine to make this worse. “I see many patients who still love their husband, but just don’t feel like sex any more,” says Dr Newson. TREAT IT: Again HRT can help, as can talking to your partner and experimenting with other ways of being intimate aside from full sex.

Mood swings and irritability

In the lead up to the menopause, fluctuating hormones can leave many women feeling as if they have permanent PMS. TREAT IT: Even though antidepressants are not recommended as a first line treatment for the menopause, around 70% of women will be offered them - despite them not targeting the cause. Healthy diet and particularly regular exercise can help, as can HRT, as oestrogen has a mood boosting effect.

Brain fog

Menopausal women often describe slower reaction times, confusion and feeling as if they’re ‘trapped in a bubble’. Again the fall in oestrogen is to blame as our brains contain many oestrogen receptors that help different areas of the brain communicate. TREAT IT: Cutting back on alcohol and regular exercise can help, as can GP-prescribed hormone therapies.