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HEALTH<br />
Period drama<br />
Time for a change…<br />
What affects half the<br />
population, yet is one<br />
of the most misunderstood<br />
– and least<br />
discussed – of all conditions?<br />
The answer<br />
is the menopause.<br />
It’s a term we’re all<br />
familiar with, but<br />
what exactly do we<br />
mean by it? Technically,<br />
menopause<br />
occurs when a woman<br />
has her last period.<br />
More usually, though, we use the word to cover the<br />
time during which declining levels of the hormone<br />
oestrogen cause periods to dwindle, and trigger<br />
other changes and symptoms.<br />
According to campaign group Menopause UK, 13<br />
million women in the UK fall into this category,<br />
with an average age of 45 to 55. And of those<br />
women, a quarter claim their symptoms adversely<br />
affect them.<br />
Symptoms range from hot flushes and night<br />
sweats, to vaginal dryness, insomnia, reduced libido,<br />
aching joints, and problems with memory and<br />
concentration. No wonder the British Menopause<br />
Society reported last year that over half of women<br />
surveyed said the menopause had negatively<br />
impacted their lives.<br />
But while some women clearly experience difficulties<br />
as they go through ‘the change’, problems<br />
aren’t inevitable, and there is plenty we can do to<br />
ease the transition.<br />
So says Lynne Russell, a natural health practitioner<br />
with a special interest in the menopause, who is<br />
keen to challenge assumptions. “So much media<br />
coverage of the menopause is negative, and often<br />
Hormone Replacement Therapy or antidepressants<br />
are the only options discussed, but there is<br />
a lot a woman can<br />
do to help herself<br />
naturally.”<br />
She uses a combination<br />
of different remedies<br />
and approaches<br />
to help her clients<br />
at The Cliffe Clinic,<br />
tailoring treatment to<br />
each individual. “Everyone<br />
is different.<br />
The key is to become<br />
better informed. People<br />
can be desperate<br />
to feel better, but it’s important to gather all the<br />
information, so you can work out what is going to<br />
support your system best.”<br />
To that end, Lynne believes that menopause can be<br />
the perfect opportunity for a ‘life audit’. “Menopause<br />
acts like a magnifier, so anything else going<br />
on at the time will be intensified, whether it’s a<br />
health issue or something emotional,” she explains.<br />
“We tend to wait until we hit difficulties before we<br />
act, but the more you can do to prepare yourself<br />
for menopause, the better, whether that’s in terms<br />
of tackling existing problems or generally improving<br />
your diet and fitness. It’s a good opportunity to<br />
take stock, then act pre-emptively. If you’re in the<br />
best possible mental and physical place, you’re less<br />
likely to experience problems.”<br />
Above all, though, she says, try to stay positive.<br />
“It’s about asking yourself what you can do to have<br />
a better time of it. Menopause can be okay, and<br />
moving onto the next stage of life can be positive<br />
and empowering. You don’t have to be a ‘menopause<br />
goddess’, but it doesn’t have to be a horror<br />
story either.” Anita Hall<br />
Natural Alternatives at the Menopause Workshop<br />
takes place on the 3rd of <strong>March</strong>. For details or to<br />
book, see chantryhealth.com.<br />
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