Menopause Symptoms

Menopause Symptoms

“It is estimated that menopausal symptoms
affect more than 75% of women,
with over 25% of women describing severe symptoms”.1

Umbrella

What may the Menopause Symptoms Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Climacteric Changes/Signs/Symptoms
  • Menopausal/Menopause Changes/Signs/Symptoms
  • Menopause Transition Changes/Signs/Symptoms
  • Menopause-Related Changes/Signs/Symptoms
  • Perimenopausal/Perimenopause Changes/Signs/Symptoms

Cause

What causes menopause symptoms?

In Menopause: What Is Perimenopause? the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) note:

“During perimenopause, the hormones produced in your ovaries change. This causes your menstrual periods to change and, for some women, menopausal symptoms to start”.2

Common or Not

How common are menopause symptoms?

On page one in Optimising the Menopause Transition: Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause, first published online 10 June 2022, one of the recommendations is:

“It is estimated that menopausal symptoms affect more than 75% of women, with over 25% of women describing severe symptoms”.3

First Sign

What is usually the first sign of menopause?

According to the (United Kingdom) NHS:

“The first sign of the perimenopause is usually, but not always, a change in the normal pattern of your periods, for example they become irregular”.4

Symptoms

What are the signs of menopause?

In Menopause: Symptoms and Causes – What Are the Signs of Menopause? the (United States) Cleveland Clinic explain:

“You may be transitioning into menopause if you begin experiencing some or all of the following symptoms:

  • Irregular periods or periods that are heavier or lighter than usual
  • Menopause SymptomsHot flashes, also known as vasomotor symptoms (a sudden feeling of warmth that spreads over your body)
  • Night sweats and/or cold flashes
  • Vaginal dryness that causes discomfort during sex
  • Urinary urgency (a pressing need to pee more frequently)
  • Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
  • Emotional changes (irritability, mood swings or depression)
  • Dry skin, dry eyes or dry mouth
  • Worsening premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
  • Breast tenderness

Some people might also experience:

  • Racing heart
  • Headaches
  • Joint and muscle aches and pains
  • Changes in libido (sex drive)
  • Difficulty concentrating or memory lapses (often temporary)
  • Weight gain
  • Hair loss or thinning”.5

Duration

How long can menopause symptoms last?

The Cleveland Clinic note:

“You can have symptoms of menopause for up to 10 years before it officially occurs. The average length of menopause symptoms is about seven years. Most women say their symptoms ease up or disappear completely once they reach postmenopause”.6

Conditions

What are the most common conditions that may mimic menopause symptoms?

Yes. In Diagnosing Menopause: If It’s Not Menopause, What Is It? the Australasian Menopause Society elaborate on:

“Depression, anaemia and thyroid disorders are the most common conditions that may occur concurrently. Unstable diabetes and hyperthyroidism may cause hot flushes. Medication, such as the SSRI family of anti-depressants, may also cause hot flushes”.7

Lifestyle

Is there an association between lifestyle and menopause symptoms?

Yes. In Looking After Yourself Around the Time of Menopause: Key Takeaways the JH elaborate on:

“Healthy lifestyle changes, like regular exercise, a balanced diet and good sleep routines, can ease menopausal symptoms and improve health after menopause”.8

Lifestyle Tips

What are some lifestyle tips which may relieve menopause symptoms?

In Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Lifestyle and Home Remedies the (United States) Mayo Clinic elaborate on:

“Many of the symptoms menopause causes go away on their own in time. In the meantime, the following might help:

  • Cool hot flashes…
  • Ease vaginal pain…
  • Get enough sleep…
  • Find ways to relax…
  • Strengthen your pelvic floor…
  • Eat a balanced diet…
  • Manage weight
  • Don’t smoke…
  • Exercise regularly…”.9

Hormone Therapy

How effective is hormone therapy (HT) for the treatment of menopause symptoms?

On page one in The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy: Indications for the Use of Hormone Therapy, published October 2024, the Menopause Society (formerly the North American Menopause Society) note:

“Hormone therapy remains first-line therapy for management of bothersome vasomotor symptoms, and the benefits typically outweigh the risks for most healthy women when initiated younger than age 60 years or within 10 years of menopause onset with appropriate counseling.

Hormone therapy is indicated for the treatment of bothersome vasomotor symptoms,
genitourinary syndrome of menopause, primary ovarian insufficiency, and prevention of bone loss and reduction of fracture risk”.10 

Health Care Provider

What if I would like help with menopause symptoms?

If you would like help with menopause symptoms, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this.

In Menopause: How Do You Know If You’ve Reached Menopause? When To Talk To Your Doctor the JH also note:

“Talk to your doctor if:

  • You are younger than 45 and your periods are irregular or have stopped
  • You have symptoms that are interfering with your daily activities, including exercise and work
  • You have symptoms that are affecting your mental health or your relationships
  • You have not had a menstrual period for 12 months, and you then have a period or bleeding from the vagina”.11

In Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Treatment the Mayo Clinic explain:

“Before deciding on any form of treatment, talk with your healthcare professional about your choices and the risks and benefits of each. Review your choices yearly. Your needs and the treatment choices may change”.12

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Menopause Symptoms?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Menopause Symptoms?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

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New or Updated

  1. 9 Less Common Perimenopause Symptoms and How To Manage Them
  2. A Man’s Guide To Menopause
  3. ACOG Explains: Managing Menopause Symptoms [American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists]
  4. AMS Symptom Score Card
  5. Abdominal Obesity May Lead To More Severe Menopause Symptoms
  6. Addressing Menopause Symptoms
  7. Menopause Symptoms Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
  8. Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
  9. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Menopausal Symptoms
  10. Complementary & Alternative Therapies: Non-Hormonal Treatments for Menopause Symptoms
  11. Complementary Medicines and Therapies for Hot Flushes
  12. Complementary Medicines and Therapies: Options for Menopausal Symptoms
  13. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Menopause
  14. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Healthcare Visit
  15. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2025 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Nutrition At Menopause and Why It Is Important
  16. Could It Be Perimenopause? How Hormones Influence the Brain
  17. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
  18. Does Having Hot Flashes Mean I’ve Started Menopause?
  19. EMAS On-Demand Webinars [European Menopause and Andropause Society] [Multiply Languages]: Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM): Diagnosis and Evidence-Based Management
  20. EMAS On-Demand Webinars [European Menopause and Andropause Society] [Multiply Languages]: Menopause and Mental Health: Managing Anxiety, Depression, and Cognitive Changes
  21. Examining the Link Between ADHD Symptoms and Menopausal Experiences
  22. Experts Answer Your Menopause Questions In Video
  23. FDA Direct: Removing Black Box Warnings for HRT (Part 1/2)
  24. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
  25. Find A Practitioner [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
  26. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  27. First Symptoms of Menopause
  28. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
  29. HRT Questions Answered
  30. Handling Hot Flushes and Night Sweats| Dr Louise Newson
  31. Hot Flashes
  32. How To Manage Menopausal Insomnia
  33. How To Manage Menopausal Symptoms
  34. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Heavy Periods
  35. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Menopause
    Menopause Symptoms
  36. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Midlife Brain Fog
  37. How Vaginal Hormones Can Transform the Health of Women
  38. International Menopause Society (IMS) Recommendations and Key Messages on Women’s Midlife Health and Menopause
  39. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
  40. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Signs and Symptoms of Menopause [+ Video: Talking Menopause With Your GP]
  41. Management of Perimenopausal and Menopausal Symptoms
  42. Managing Menopause Symptoms [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  43. Managing Perimenopause Aches & Pain In Punjabi
  44. Menopause
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  49. Menopause Checklist Podcast
  50. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
  51. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
    Menopause Symptoms
  52. Menopause Symptoms That May Surprise You
  53. Menopause Symptoms That May Surprise You: What To Watch for During Perimenopause
  54. Menopause [Multiply Languages]
  55. Menopause and Mental Health
  56. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline]
  57. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline]Menopause Symptoms
  58. Menopause: Symptoms & Causes
  59. Menopause: Your Choice of Language
  60. Menopause and Sleep
  61. Midlife Weight Gain
    Menopause Symptoms
  62. Monitoring Menopause Symptoms
  63. Mood and the Menopause
  64. Mymenoplan.org [My Menoplan, United States]
  65. My Periods Have Changed. Is Menopause Around the Corner?
  66. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Herbs At A Glance
  67. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: How Safe Is This Product or Practice?
  68. Navigating Menopause Care Resource Guide
  69. Navigating Menopause: Honest Answers To All Your Questions [+ Video: What To Expect in Menopause]
  70. Night Sweats
  71. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: IMS Partnership Symposia Series – Weight, Wellness, and Women At Midlife: Rethinking Obesity In the Menopause Transition
  72. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: IMS Partnership Symposia Series – What’s Hot? Options for Treatment of Hot Flushes 2025
  73. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: New IMS Recommendations – Midlife Body Changes
  74. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2025: Lifestyle Medicine
  75. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars 2025 – The Burn, the Itch, the Pain, the Urge: GSM In Women
  76. Pausitivity – #KnowYourMenopause Poster Campaign: Menopause Do You Have Any of These Symptoms? [Multiply Languages]
    Menopause Symptoms
  77. Perimenopause
  78. Perimenopause
  79. Perimenopause and Menopause Checklist: Translated Checklists
  80. Perimenopause and Menopause Symptom Checklist
    Menopause Symptoms
  81. Perimenopause and Menopause Toolkit
  82. Periods Information Hub
  83. Resources: Fact Sheets [Multiply Languages]
    Menopause Symptoms
  84. Study: Perimenopausal Symptoms Are More Severe, Begin Earlier In Women With ADHD
  85. Supplements: What Works, What Doesn’t and the Truth About Menowashing
  86. Surprising Menopause Symptoms | Dr Louise Newson Live
  87. Surprising Menopause Symptoms Q&A | Dr Louise Newson
  88. Testosterone and Breaking the Stigma
  89. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Management
  90. The Menopause Society Show: Menopause & Sexual Desire
  91. The Menopause Society Show: Menopause & Weight Gain
  92. Treatments for Menopause
  93. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  94. What Is the Difference Between Perimenopause, Menopause and Postmenopause?
  95. When Does Perimenopause Start and How Do You Define the Beginning
  96. Why is Bleeding so Heavy?
  97. World Menopause Day 2024: Leaflet for Women – Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy [Multiply Languages]
    Menopause Symptoms
  98. World Menopause Day 2025
    Menopause Symptoms
  99. Your Daily Dose: Let’s Unpack Menopause
  100. Your Daily Dose: Perimenopause, Don’t Suffer In Silence

Source

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Hamoda, H., Mukherjee, A., Morris, E., Baldeweg, S. E., Jayasena, C. N., Briggs, P., Moger, S. Optimising the Menopause Transition: Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause. First Published Online 10 June 2022:1 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20533691221104882 Accessed: 15 May 2026
  2. Menopause: What Is Perimenopause? Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-topics/menopause/ Accessed: 15 May 2026
  3. Hamoda, H., Mukherjee, A., Morris, E., Baldeweg, S. E., Jayasena, C. N., Briggs, P., Moger, S. Optimising the Menopause Transition: Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause. First Published Online 10 June 2022:1 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20533691221104882 Accessed: 15 May 2026
  4. Menopause: Symptoms – Common Symptoms of Menopause and Perimenopause: Changes To Your Periods. Page Last Reviewed: 17 May 2022. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/symptoms/#changes-to-your-periods Accessed: 15 May 2026
  5. Menopause: Symptoms and Causes – What Are the Signs of Menopause? Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21841-menopause Accessed: 15 May 2026
  6. Menopause: Symptoms and Causes – What Are the Signs of Menopause? Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21841-menopause Accessed: 15 May 2026
  7. Diagnosing Menopause: If It’s Not Menopause, What Is It? Content Created 23 May 2022. Australasian Menopause Society https://hub.menopause.org.au/Play?pId=f769710e-20f5-4bcf-886a-1fa27d97254e Accessed: 15 May 2026
  8. Looking After Yourself Around the Time of Menopause. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-topics/menopause/looking-after-yourself Accessed: 15 May 2026
  9. Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Lifestyle and Home Remedies. 07 August 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353401 Accessed: 15 May 2026
  10. The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy: Indications for the Use of Hormone Therapy. 2024:1. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TMS-statement-on-HT-Misinformation.pdf Accessed: 15 May 2026
  11. Menopause: How Do You Know If You’ve Reached Menopause? When To See Your Doctor https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-topics/menopause/#when-to-see-your-doctor Accessed: 15 May 2026
  12. Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Treatment. 07 August 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353401 Accessed: 15 May 2026
Topic Last Updated: 15 May 2026 – Topic Last Reviewed: 15 May 2026

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