Menopause
- See a menopause specialist in as little as 24 hours
- Personalised support and treatment
- Dedicated women’s health facilities
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MENOPAUSE SUPPORT AT HCA HEALTHCARE UK
Our specialist women’s health teams can provide insight into your symptoms and design a treatment path that meets your unique needs, and gets you back to living life on your own terms.
You reach menopause when you haven’t had a period in 12 months, and that usually happens when you’re between 45 - 55 years old. It means your ovaries will no longer produce eggs, and you won’t be able to conceive naturally. Some of the symptoms of your menopause might continue even after your periods have stopped.
Before the menopause itself, there’s a stage called the perimenopause, during which you might experience irregular periods and other symptoms such as changes in your body temperature or trouble sleeping. This can begin years before the menopause, and you can still get pregnant during this stage.
This process might affect you in several ways, both physically and emotionally, and you can experience symptoms during your perimenopause, your menopause itself or when you’re postmenopausal.
Your periods may change
Before your periods stop altogether in menopause, they might become irregular or have more or less bleeding than usual.
You might experience physical symptoms as part of the menopause process, including:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Fatigue
- Hot flushes/night sweats
- Breast pain
- Bloating
- Hair loss
- Joint pain
- Vaginal dryness
- Headaches
- Urinary infections
- Anxiety
- Brain fog
- Mood changes
- Loss of libido
If you think you might be perimenopausal or menopausal, or if you’re being affected by any of these symptoms, please get in touch and we can help you understand what’s going on.
There are also some medical procedures that can artificially cause menopause:
- Oophorectomy: This is a surgical procedure that removes your ovaries to treat or reduce your risk of cancer, endometriosis and ovarian cysts. If you have both ovaries removed, you’ll go through menopause immediately. This is known as surgical menopause.
- Hysterectomy: This is an operation to remove your womb, and it can help to treat many conditions. If this surgery leaves one or both of your ovaries in place, you won’t have a surgical menopause, but it could still cause your menopause to start sooner.
- Radiotherapy: You might need radiotherapy as part of treatment for cancer in your pelvic area. If that treatment stops your ovaries from working, it will start your menopause.
- Chemotherapy: Some types and doses of anti-cancer drugs can cause temporary or permanent infertility that may cause your menopause to start early.
If your periods stop before you’re 45, it’s called early menopause. If they stop before you’re 40, this is called premature ovarian insufficiency, or POI.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of menopause before you’re 40, POI can be diagnosed by two blood tests taken 4-6 weeks apart.
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MENOPAUSE TREATMENTS AT HCA UK
Menopause is one of the most significant changes your body will go through, and we understand that it can be a challenging time. At HCA UK, we’ve got decades of experience and expertise in women’s health.
Our specialist GPs, consultants and teams treat thousands of women every year, in state-of-the-art facilities, so you can rest assured that you’ll be receive personalised treatment, be well looked after – and listened to – by dedicated experts every step of the way.
Some of the common treatments for menopause include, but aren’t limited to:
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
- Oestrogen treatments
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Antidepressant medication
- Non-hormonal medication
- Testosterone treatment
Accessing private health care
Self-pay
You don’t need health insurance to be seen quickly. If you’re looking for a diagnosis or treatment and don’t want to wait, all of our private healthcare services – from private GP appointments through to surgery and aftercare – can be paid for as and when you need them.
And to give you peace of mind from the start, we’ll give you a clear and transparent quote outlining exactly what’s included in your self-pay package.
Menopause FAQs
Even though this stage of life is inevitable, the wealth of contradictory public information can cause some people to ignore their symptoms or just accept them, but there’s no need to suffer unnecessarily. Our holistic menopause support service is specifically designed to help you get access to clear, unbiased advice and support.
- Exercise: Osteoporosis is a common side-effect of menopause, because the drop in your hormone levels can make your bones more brittle, so weight-bearing exercises can help your bones stay supple. Menopause can often cause anxiety and stress too, so it can be useful to try calming exercises like yoga and tai chi.
- Diet: A well-balanced diet can be a great way to manage your menopause symptoms, because if you’re at a healthy weight, you’ll get fewer or less severe night sweats, and a calcium-rich diet is another way of strengthening your bones.
- Hot flushes: Try to avoid or cut down on spicy foods, and don’t drink too much caffeine, because they can both trigger hot flushes. Stress and fatigue can trigger them too, so any steps you can take to manage those factors will make a difference.
- Limit alcohol and stop smoking: Smoking and drinking can bring on early menopause, and they also make hot flushes more likely.
- Talk to others in menopause: Lots of people around you will be going through the menopause, or have recent experience, and talking about it can be a real source of comfort and understanding. Friends, neighbours or colleagues who are willing to listen and share their experiences can make a positive difference.
If you’re postmenopausal but still having symptoms that affect your everyday life, it's important to speak to a doctor.
“Dr Nickkho-Amiry was so easy to talk to, she was very reassuring and empathetic and I truly felt like I had been listened to.. I came away from my appointment with a clear plan of action which I really liked.”
This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.