Menopause & Wellness Services

There are three stages of menopause:
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1. Perimenopause –  typically occurs around the age of 45 but can be earlier or later. Occurs when a woman starts to experience fluctuating and declining hormones that can cause her to start experiencing menopausal symptoms whilst she is still having periods
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2. Menopause – typically occurs around the age of 51 but can be earlier or later. A woman is considered to have experienced menopause when she has not had a period for twelve consecutive months. It can often be difficult for a woman to know when she has experienced menopause as many women’s periods become erratic and unpredictable in perimenopause.

3. Post Menopause –once you have experienced menopause – you are then considered to be post-menopausal. Post-menopausal women are at an increased risk for conditions like heart attacks, diabetes, stroke, blood clots and osteoporosis.

Menopause typically occurs around the age of 51 and refers to the time when a woman’s periods finally stop for twelve consecutive months.

Perimenopause typically occurs around the age of 45 but can be earlier. Occurs when a woman starts to experience fluctuating hormones that can cause her to experience menopause symptoms whilst she is still having periods

Menopause under the age of 45 is called early menopause

Menopause under the age of 40 is normally called Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)

Traditionally menopause care and treatment have been focused on whether a woman needs treatment for troublesome symptoms and if so her suitability to be treated with Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

The UK is currently recognised as being at the forefront of menopause care and treatment. Over the past five years, they have been advancing menopause care and treatment for women by updating menopause clinical guidelines and treatment recommendations that clinicians use to support women during menopause. These guidelines continue to support HRT as being a highly effective hormonal treatment but they now also clearly outline that HRT is only one part of the treatment that both perimenopausal and menopausal women need.

UK guidelines today contain two key changes. The importance of health check screening and lifestyle treatment for all women who go through menopause irrespective of whether they experience troublesome symptoms or not. This is important to support good future health and reduce a woman’s risk factors for future serious ill health and potential early death associated with conditions such as heart disease, heart attacks, stroke, blood clots and osteoporosis.

In addition, natural or non-hormonal Menopause Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is now endorsed and recommended as being an effective treatment for several common menopause symptoms. We are pleased to support women with both Menopause CBT and lifestyle treatment.

For any woman aged 45+, the diagnosis and treatment of both perimenopause and menopause is based on clinical symptoms NOT on a blood test. This is supported by the Australasia, British and North American Menopause Societies.

Blood tests are usually needed to confirm early menopause in women who are under the age of 45 or to diagnose Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) which causes menopause in women aged under 40.