Dr C: “It’s time to start talking about menopause at work”

A report has found that huge numbers of experienced female employees are leaving their jobs because they don’t get the support they need to manage menopausal symptoms. Dr C says we all need to speak up

Arecent study revealed many female GPs retire prematurely because they’re not getting enough help around the menopause. If anyone should understand menopause, doctors should, so millions of women in other careers won’t be getting the support they need and deserve, either. That’s not good enough.

OPEN UP TO OTHERS

We don’t discuss menopause enough, yet it affects half the population. The average age of the menopause is 51, but symptoms can start up to ten years before your periods stop. Mothers need to talk to their daughters, friends must discuss it with friends, colleagues should chat to colleagues. Once you start to take the embarassment away, support improves, because when we all feel more confident, it’s easier to discuss with our bosses and doctors. It is important to be talking about puberty, periods, and contraception, but we do need to talk about the other end of reproductive life, too.

CHAT TO YOUR BOSS

If speaking to your manager about it seems daunting, it can be helpful to share some information with them about the menopause. There is a downloadable guide for employers on The Faculty of Occupational Medicine website – just search “Guidance on menopause and the workplace” at Fom.ac.uk. It runs through all the things they can do to support you and why it is vital that they do.

GET COMFORTABLE

If you suffer with hot flushes, ask to be seated somewhere more comfortable, perhaps beside a window, or enquire about a desk fan. If you wear a uniform at work that you find hot and confining, query if it can be adapted or if you can be exempt. If you work with the public, request access to a quiet space if you need a short break to manage a severe hot flush, and avoid triggers like spicy food and hot drinks before presentations or meetings. It may be OK to dial in to a meeting, too, rather than being there in person.

DISCUSS YOUR HOURS

A lot of women suffer with night sweats and poor sleep, and the knock-on impact is tiredness and potentially struggling at work. If that’s the case, discuss changing your hours with your boss, to perhaps start a little later. A lot of companies will allow mums to work more flexibly to factor in school drop-off – the same should apply to help manage menopausal symptoms.

MOVE AND REST

If you stand a lot at work, find out about getting access to somewhere to rest periodically, and if you sit all day, try factoring in short breaks to get some air and walk around. If you suffer with joint stiffness, aches and pains (another common complaint), explore if you can change your desk set-up to make it more comfortable.

BE ORGANISED

Problems with memory and concentration can also be exacerbated, making things difficult at work. A patient of mine had an early menopause at 41, and she quit her job because she felt like she couldn’t do it. That shows how significant these problems can be. It’s also why we need to talk about it more – she didn’t realise it was the menopause as she was young, yet it runs in families, so if her mother had spoken about it with her, she may have felt more prepared. At work, try to be organised. Take notes to look back on when your memory lets you down, and set reminders so you don’t miss important meetings. Also ‘exercise’ your mind by reading, doing puzzles, or learning a new skill to strengthen the brain. There’s some evidence to show that omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish like salmon and mackerel, can boost learning and memory. There’s also the psychological impact of menopause. You’ve hit a significant milestone, and it can be distressing. That distress is understandable and shouldn’t be hidden. Combined with hormonal shifts, it can cause mood changes. If that’s the case, try a mindfulness app, yoga, cognitive behavioural therapy, or counselling. If you need that support, discuss taking an hour

off each week for the sessions. No one would stop a young person battling depression having weekly therapy – the same should apply here.

UNDERSTAND IT’LL PASS

Most symptoms last around four years from your last period, but around one in every ten women experience them for up to 12 years before and after their periods stop. I think a lot of women would be surprised to read that, because we don’t talk about it – many women think periods finish as quickly as they start, and eight in every ten women have symptoms beyond changes to their periods, which can impact daily life and work.

SEEK MEDICAL HELP

There are medications to ease symptoms if your quality of life is being impacted. HRT can really help and is very safe for most women, but your doctor can advise whether it’s right for you. We look at each person on an individual basis and discuss what would work best for them. There are various options for HRT, from tablets to patches and gels, but there are other medications, too, like high blood pressure medicine or certain antidepressants. Depending on your individual symptoms, things like blood pressure medicines or SSRIs (a type of antidepressant that also helps with things like pain) can be helpful. It’s also important to exercise, eat well, and stop smoking. There are lots of good websites, like Menopausematters.co.uk and Thebms.org.uk, as well as podcasts – I did one about menopause with comedian Jenny Eclair on my Second Opinion podcast.

DON’T STAY QUIET

When I see female patients, I always bring up menopause as a possible cause of their symptoms, because it’s perfectly normal. We need to start speaking up and supporting women, so if you need help at work, make sure to ask.