Preparing for menopause

While menopause is a natural part of ageing, it can be a significant life change. Menopause usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55. The average age for a woman to reach menopause is 51.

Making some simple lifestyle changes can make a positive difference as you get older and support you to prepare for menopause and perimenopause.

The Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) has assembled a helpful list of resources to give you some general information about menopause. This includes a video outlining some lifestyle advice with Dr Ciara McCarthy.

Other ways in which you can plan for menopause include:

• educating yourself: It’s important to be aware of the symptoms of menopause so that you can identify it and understand how it may affect your body and mind. Knowing the symptoms will make the experience less daunting
• stopping smoking: At any point in your life, if you smoke, then stopping is the biggest and best step you can take to good health. Smoking increases your chances of early menopause, and of experiencing more severe menopause symptoms, particularly hot flushes and sweating. Stopping smoking offers you a better chance of managing menopause, improves mental health and wellbeing, as well as reducing your risk of diseases caused by smoking like cancer, heart disease, lung disease and stroke. You can get help to stop smoking at QUIT.ie
• following a healthy diet: Fuelling your body with nutritious food will help put you in the best possible position to manage menopause and its symptoms. Eat a varied diet with plenty of calcium, try to get plenty of rest and maintain a healthy weight, bearing in mind that it can be harder to lose excess weight during menopause. For tips on following a nutritious diet, go to gov.ie/healthyireland
• protect your bones: During menopause, a drop in the level of the hormone oestrogen can lead to bone loss and osteoporosis. You can help minimise bone loss in advance of menopause by exercising regularly, particularly weight-bearing exercises and resistance exercises such as weights. If you are unsure about the level of cardio and weight activity that is recommended for you, speak to your GP
• building a peer support network: Many women report feeling very lonely during menopause as they deal with their symptoms alone. Speak with family and friends about menopause so that it is not seen as a “taboo” topic. Remember that other women your age will also experience this ageing phase. Talking about it, sharing information and tips on managing symptoms can be a very positive bonding experience
• being positive: Remember that menopause is a natural part of growing older, in the same way as puberty. If you are struggling to stay positive, ask your GP about self-care support like CBT or Mindfulness
• keep up with Screening: Keeping up to date with your appointments with Breastcheck (between 50-69 years of age), CervicalCheck (between 25-65 years of age), and BowelScreen (between 60-69 years of age) is important