Relief for menopause bothers

We know menopause is to blame for hot flashes, insomnia and vaginal dryness. But there are dozens of symptoms even doctors don’t link to hormone changes. Here’s help

Anyone who’s suffered through a hot flash knows it’s easy to find a friend to commiserate, but finding a doctor to help isn’t always as simple. In a recent survey of medical residents from 20 programs, including gynecology, only 7% said they felt prepared to manage women in menopause. That means even ob-gyns may not know that symptoms like fatigue and an irregular heartbeat can be related to menopause!

Take depression, for example: Risk doubles in menopause. “Sometimes medication is the best approach, but many doctors don’t evaluate their patients for symptoms, like hot flashes, that may contribute to low mood,” says Hadine Joffe, M.D., of the Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. But mild depression often improves with lifestyle changes to address those underlying factors, she adds. Here, how to manage other often-misinterpreted symptoms.