Davina McCall has opened up on her battle with menopause and how early signs made her feel like she was "going mad".
Appearing on BBC's The One Show, Davina recalled how she began to experience signs of what's known as perimenopause at age 43. At the time, the presenter had no idea what was going on as she was not feeling symptoms that are commonly associated with menopause including hot flashes.
The menopause is something all women eventually face but they may experience the symptoms earlier than expected. This is known as perimenopause, which translates to "around menopause".
Davina said: "There were lots of little dots that I hadn't put together. So it started off with things like low level anxiety... it was such a weird and alien thing for me."
The mum of three further explained that at the time her mood was low and she also experienced night sweats. But things really took a toll, when she suffered from a bout of "brain fog", while at work.
The TV personality said she could not properly perform while presenting a live programme, which left her in tears. She said: "I just couldn't stop crying. I just thought 'I am going mad' and I felt so lonely - and I had no where to turn, had no one to talk to... I was like 'where do I turn?'"
Now 54, Davina has released a self help guide for women going through the menopause, titled "Menopausing". The Masked Singer host hopes that this will help other women to learn more about the condition and offer information which she felt was not accessible during her struggle.
According to the NHS, perimenopause occurs when menopause symptoms occur before a person's period stops completely. A woman is considered menopausal when she does not menstruate for 12 months straight.
Symptoms of the condition can be unexpected and as they are hormonal, they may be mistaken for mental health issues. According to the NHS, the first sign of the perimenopause is usually, but not always, a change in the normal pattern of your periods, for example they become irregular.
This is usually followed by changes in mood, which can include mild depression, anxiety, mood swings and low self-esteem. Like Davina, other women can experience brain fog, which is poor levels of concentration.
Physical symptoms of perimenopause are more similar to those seen in menopause. According to the NHS, these include:
- hot flushes, when you have sudden feelings of hot or cold in your face, neck and chest which can make you dizzy
- difficulty sleeping, which may be a result of night sweats and make you feel tired and irritable during the day
- palpitations, when your heartbeats suddenly become more noticeable
- headaches and migraines that are worse than usual
- muscle aches and joint pains
- changed body shape and weight gain
- skin changes including dry and itchy skin
- reduced sex drive
- vaginal dryness and pain, itching or discomfort during sex
- recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
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