Beat The Top 10 Menopause Symptoms

A survey by The British Menopause Society found that almost half of the women surveyed said they had hot flushes (46%), night sweats (37%) and low levels of energy (37%). Despite this, a third of the women surveyed who were experiencing or who have experienced menopause symptoms, hadn’t tried anything to reduce or prevent their symptoms.

At Air Aesthetics, we are proud to offer our unique Menopause Clinic – a ground-breaking holistic menopause program with expert advice, guidance and personal care from women’s health specialist Ruth Anne Adams. In this blog, Ruth shares her expert knowledge on how to tackle the top 10 symptoms of menopause and help you on your menopause journey.

HOT FLUSHES

Perhaps the first thing anyone thinks about when the word menopause is mentioned is Hot Flushes! Caused by changes in your hormone levels affecting your body’s temperature control, they can happen without warning throughout the day and night with a sudden feeling of heat spreading through your body, a red flush spreading across your chest, neck, face and head, sweating, heart palpitations, feelings of anxiety and a lack of concentration.

Ruth Anne Adams, Air Aesthetics Women’s specialist advises:

Avoid triggers – you might find they’re worse after drinking alcohol or caffeine, after eating spicy food or when you’re stressed
Dress lightly. Wearing lighter clothing made of natural, breathable fabrics, such as cotton, silk or soft wool, might help you to keep cool.
Use a fan. Keep a fan in your bedroom and on your desk for times when you need to cool down.
Carry a cooling spray
Eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, drink sensibly and don’t smoke.

WEIGHT GAIN

Changing hormones around menopause symptoms can affect the way we store fat – around the middle rather than on the hips, giving your body an apple rather than a pear shape. This fat can be really stubborn to lose, with diets and exercise offering limited solutions. Ruth Anne
Adams, Air Aesthetics Women’s specialist advises:

Reduce the intake of sugar and processed foods– these are the enemies of weight- loss and are more likely to increase abdominal fat
Keep active – studies show that exercise (especially in the cold!) increases our fat-burning capacity
Serve yourself smaller portions of good nutritious food that will protect your health as well as help your weight. Choose fresh fruit and veg, oily fish, nuts, whole grains and white meat over red
Consider targeting fat reduction using clinical fat reduction techniques such as CoolSculpting – the world’s Number 1 permanent fat removal treatment.

SLEEP

If you’re having difficulty sleeping –trouble getting to sleep, waking in the night and not being able to get back to sleep – this may be a symptom of menopause. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 75-85% of women around menopause age are suffering from hot flushes during the night, decreasing their sleep quality.

Ruth Anne Adams, Air Aesthetics Women’s Menopause Symptoms specialist advises:

Review your sleep hygiene, making sure that you have a good sleep routine and are aware of how your food, drinks and habits impact your ability to sleep through.

Discover the best menopause nightwear and bed linen. Dress in lightweight clothes to improve sleep efficiency.

Avoid heavy, insulating blankets and consider using a fan or air conditioning to cool the air and increase circulation.

Avoid nicotine, caffeine and alcohol, especially before bedtime.

BRAIN FOG

Many women say they have difficulty focusing and remembering things during menopause. Some call this “brain fog” caused by hormonal changes and the menopausal transition can make it harder for women to take in and remember new information and to focus their attention on challenging tasks. Ways of managing brain fog and thinking problems recommended by Women’s health specialist Ruth Anne Adams include:

• Getting regular exercise
• Getting organised – keeping a diary with all upcoming events in it
• Supporting your brain with valuable nutrition that can enhance cognitive functioning such as fatty acids, antioxidants and plant-based nutrients
• Seeking help if you are concerned about memory loss, anxiety, or depression

MOOD SWINGS

Low levels of oestrogen and progesterone can cause mood changes. You may be able to reduce or diminish mood swings by making proactive lifestyle changes as recommended by

Women’s health specialist Ruth Anne Adams includes:

Getting regular exercise helps release endorphins and other feel-good chemicals in the brain.
Eating healthily -valuable nutrition can enhance your moods such as fatty acids, antioxidants and plant-based nutrients
Getting enough sleep
Seeking help if you are concerned about memory loss, anxiety, or depression

ANXIETY

Anxiety is a commonplace symptom amongst many menopausal women. Anxiety can also disturb sleep, leading to a host of other menopausal problems such as memory lapses and headaches. Part of the explanation lies in the fact that oestrogen plays an important role in managing the chemical activities in your brain. When the level of oestrogen is high you feel well. As levels drop, a number of symptoms such as low mood and anxiety can set in.

Air Aesthetics Menopause expert Ruth Anne Adams recommends a variety of ways to help
overcome this including:

Relaxation techniques – yoga, meditation and breathing exercises
A healthy diet and lifestyle can have a significant impact on how you feel
Seek professional help if you are unable to control your feelings of anxiety

SKIN CHANGES

Many women experience unexpected changes to their skin condition during menopause. Redness, sensitivity and dryness are common. You might also have breakouts, and skin that was previously balanced might start to get dry or oily patches. Sometimes women
experience rosacea or even acne at this point, too.

Dr Sarah Wright, dermatology specialist at Air Aesthetics recommends a program of skincare specially designed to manage menopausal skin including: