Menopause is when your periods stop to lower hormone levels. This usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55.
It can sometimes happen earlier naturally or for reasons such as surgery to remove the ovaries or the uterus, cancer treatments like chemotherapy or a genetic reason, sometimes the reasons are unknown.
Perimenopause is when you have symptoms before your periods have stopped. You reach menopause when you have not had a period for 12 months.
Menopause and perimenopause can cause symptoms like anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, hot flushes, and irregular periods. Symptoms can start years before your periods stop and carry on afterwards. They can both have a big impact on your life, including relationships and work.
There are things you can do to help with symptoms. There are also medicines where you can replace the missing hormones and help relieve your symptoms.
Changes to your period
First sign of the perimenopause is usually, but not always, a change in the normal pattern of your period, for example they become irregular.
Eventually you will stop having periods altogether.
Mental health symptoms:
Physical symptoms:
