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05 Jun 2023 • 3 min read
Here are certain aspects of post-menopause health and wellbeing that you need to be aware of.
The years before your periods stop completely is the perimenopause – your hormones are in flux, causing symptoms such as hot flushes – and the menopause is technically your last period.1
Once you’ve gone 12 months with no periods, you’re officially postmenopausal.1
For many, this can be very liberating: not only are you free from periods and any issues you had with them, some menopausal symptoms vanish too.
This means you may feel healthier and more energetic than you have for some time.1
If you’re wondering, when does menopause end? There are some signs and signals to look out for. While you may start to feel a bit better thanks to a reduction in certain symptoms, there are some specific health issues that may now appear on the horizon. We’ve listed some of the most common health signals below:
Post-menopausal people have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis - this is linked to declining levels of the female hormone oestrogen.2
Oestrogen tells bone cells to stop breaking down, so your bones can become more fragile after the menopause.
Research has shown that women can lose 20% of their bone density between menopause and the age of 60, and it continues to decline throughout life.3
What you can do:
What you can do:5
Oestrogen helps protect your heart and blood vessels but after menopause your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease, increases.
You may be more at risk of developing circulatory disorders such as high blood pressure and stroke, too.6
What you can do:7
Your GP can assess your risk and offer tailored advice, if needed, while HRT may be beneficial for certain women who have a particular risk of developing CVD.8
Many older people blame the menopause for putting on weight, but there’s not a lot of evidence that hormone changes lead directly to weight gain.
Experts think it’s more likely due to the ageing process, a slowing metabolism, and being less active.6
That said, research suggests menopause may cause fat to be redistributed around your stomach, meaning many change from a pear shape to an apple shape.
However, carrying extra weight around the middle is known to up your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and CVD.7
What you can do:
Research suggests your skin loses around 30% of its collagen – the substance that keeps it ‘elastic’ – in the first five years after menopause, and then it drops dramatically.
You may notice your skin becomes much drier or spot the appearance of deeper wrinkles, too.
At the same time, lack of oestrogen causes the hair on your head to thin, and/or it may appear elsewhere (hello, stubborn chin hairs).9
What you can do:
These changes to the skin on your face can also affect the skin on your body – including your vagina.
A lack of oestrogen and falling collagen levels can trigger vaginal thinning,11 which can impact your sex life and also lead to bladder problems.
Discover the tips and tricks to help improve your sex life post-menopause.
Need more in-depth advice about post-menopause life? Why not book an online consultation with one of our Women's Health experts?