World Menopause Day: understanding the symptoms, challenging stigma and seeking support

World Menopause Day – held every year on 18 October – is an opportunity to raise awareness of menopause, challenge common misconceptions and encourage people experiencing symptoms to seek advice and support.

Menopause and menopausal symptoms can affect cisgender women, trans men and non-binary individuals differently depending on factors including age, surgery and hormone therapy.

For many people, menopause is often associated with symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats. However, Dr Kathryn Patrick, our director of primary care and also an NHS GP, says the impact can be much wider and is frequently misunderstood.

“Whenever I give a talk on menopause, I tell people to remember that menopause is a brain situation,” she says.

“By far the most debilitating symptoms are often the psychological ones, including anxiety, low mood and cognitive impairment, which many people describe as brain fog.

“In my experience of seeing thousands of women over many years, those symptoms are often much more troubling than the physical symptoms people commonly associate with menopause.”

Dr Patrick explains that many people do not immediately recognise that menopause may be contributing to how they are feeling, particularly when it occurs alongside other pressures in life.

“For many, menopause can coincide with demanding careers, caring responsibilities and raising children, making it easy to attribute symptoms to stress or exhaustion alone,” she continues.

“A lot of women will put it down to everything else that's going on in their lives and won't realise that their hormones may be playing a part. If your hormones aren't balanced, it's a bit like trying to push a bus uphill.”

Alongside psychological symptoms, Dr Patrick says that muscle and joint pain can also have a significant impact on day-to-day life, often affecting people's ability to remain active.

She continues: “Some people may assume aches and pains are simply part of getting older, leading them to reduce their activity levels and enter a cycle of increasing discomfort and reduced wellbeing.

“While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can be an important part of treatment for many people, that’s not a cure for every challenge someone may be facing.

“HRT isn't going to fix everything that's happening in somebody's life, but it can help provide enough fuel in the tank to make those challenges more manageable, and for some it can be life changing.”

Despite growing awareness of menopause, stigma and misinformation remain barriers for many people seeking support.

Dr Patrick believes misconceptions dating back decades continue to influence attitudes today, while some people still feel uncomfortable discussing menopause openly.

“There is still a mindset among some people that they should just get on with it and push through,” she adds. “But there are no medals for that!

“We need women to know that support is available and that seeking help isn't a sign of weakness.

“Menopause can have a real impact on quality of life, as well as longer-term health such as bone health and cardiovascular health.”

For those experiencing symptoms, Dr Patrick recommends seeking information from trusted sources and preparing in advance for appointments with healthcare professionals.

She advises people to consider taking someone with them to appointments, particularly if brain fog or memory difficulties are affecting their ability to absorb information.

She also recommends asking whether there is a clinician with a particular interest in menopause within the practice, even if that means waiting slightly longer for an appointment.

Completing a symptom questionnaire in advance can also help ensure valuable consultation time is focused on the issues that matter most.

People looking for further information are encouraged to use reputable sources of advice and support, including Women's Health Concern, Balance and the International Menopause Society.

As World Menopause Day approaches, Dr Patrick hopes more people will feel able to talk openly about menopause and seek support when they need it.

“The most important thing is that people don't suffer in silence," she says. “There is help available, and nobody should feel they have to simply put up with symptoms that are affecting their health, wellbeing or everyday life.”