New research has found over half of women cannot get the help they need with the menopause. As a result, many are experiencing feelings of anxiety as their menopause symptoms become increasingly difficult to cope with. The findings are revealed for Menopause Awareness Month, and on the eve of the launch of a new book, The Menopause Journal, written by Viridian Nutritionist and menopause expert, Aimèe Benbow.
The survey for Viridian found that many are experiencing a sense of ‘menopause anxiety’ - with half of women saying they feel worried about their symptoms and the length of time they will experience them for. Many of these symptoms are causing women distress, with hot flushes and night sweats (81%) anxiety and low mood (69%) and low sex drive (50%) the most prevalent.
78% of women between the ages of 45 and 55 are experiencing the effects of the menopause, with 91% of women suffering noticeable symptoms and nearly half saying it impacts on their daily life. And with NHS and GP wait times under continued pressure, more than half (53%) have been unable to talk to a medical professional. It takes 1 in 5 women more than a year to diagnose the menopause and get the support they need.
One of the key challenges women face, is lack of information. Two thirds of women are not aware that diet and lifestyle can impact menopause symptoms and only 4% of people are advised on this by their GP.
The launch of The Menopause Journal aims to support women in identifying and understanding their symptoms, to prepare for appointments with medical professionals and get the solutions they need and deserve.
Aimèe said: “These findings clearly show that there isn’t enough support out there for women experiencing symptoms of the menopause. It’s important for women to understand their symptoms fully so they can be clear with their health professional, but the symptoms can be so varied it’s hard to know if they are caused by the menopause or something else – leading women to struggle on alone. This combined with delays in getting medical help means women are feeling worried, and that shouldn’t be the case.”
Samantha Priestly, 51, knows first-hand the impact of the menopause. A content editor and mum of two from Sheffield, she has experienced menopause symptoms and not feeling heard.
“It started with a very subtle case of sleep apnea, insomnia and a sense of panic. I was around 45 at the time, but my doctor said I was too young for it to be menopause related. Things started to get harder for me. I struggled with anxiety, hot flushes and continued UTI infections. Eventually I took matters into my own hands, did some research and started taking some vitamin and mineral supplements, which really helped. I also cut out caffeinated drinks. It is so overwhelming when symptoms like this happen, and you don’t know why. Women really do need to be listened to more.”
Aimee said: “In launching The Menopause Journal, I wanted to take away some of the mystery, and help women thrive during and after menopause. With many struggling to see a GP and the lack of information about the positive impact of diet, the book explains how nutrition and supplements can make all the difference to everyday symptoms. It also directs people to independent health stores which 8 in 10 women said they hadn’t thought of to seek help. Advisors there are nutritionally trained and with a wealth of knowledge can help women find what works for them. HRT is the most discussed treatment option by GPs but there are many alternatives and diet is one of the fundamental aspects that can make a noticeable difference.”
An extract of The Menopause Journal is available to download at https://www.viridian-nutrition.com/Menopause. Copies are available from independent health stores and viridian-nutrition.com
