EVERYBODY'S JOURNEY IS DIFFERENT,
NO TWO WOMEN ARE THE SAME.
South Wales Menopause Clinic specialises in managing the perimenopause, menopause and premenstrual syndromes. Dr Michelle Olver is a Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Health and leads the Aneurin Bevan NHS Menopause Service. She has extensive experience in all aspects of contraception and general sexual health. She prides herself in giving women time to tell their story and to manage them holistically.
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LISTEN, ACKNOWLEDGE, DISCUSS
I AM HERE TO LISTEN
Sometimes it can be difficult to understand what is happening to our body and mind. This may be affecting our relationships, our ability to function at work or our physical and mental well being.
At the South Wales Menopause Clinic, women are given time to talk about what is happening to them and how this is affecting their quality of life.
Every woman is given an individualised treatment plan to manage the symptoms they are dealing with. This approach is applied whether we are seeing women for perimenopause, menopause, premenstrual syndrome or sexual health.
GET TO KNOW YOUR SYMPTOMS
WHAT IS PERIMENOPAUSE?
This is also known as the menopausal transition or climacteric. Women may still be having periods, but they may have changed in nature. Bleeding may become more frequent or less often, lighter in nature or heavier.
There is no diagnostic test at present for the perimenopause. Symptoms are the same as the menopause but may come and go. This reflects the fluctuating hormone levels. There is no definitive time for how long the perimenopause lasts. There is
still a potential risk of falling pregnant and therefore contraception needs to be taken until the age of 55. Even if periods are present, HRT can be started.
WHAT IS THE MENOPAUSE?
This marks the end of a woman’s reproductive life. It starts 12 months after a woman’s final menstrual period. Symptoms of the menopause are usually more constant and less fluctuant than the perimenopause. This is because the ovaries no longer house any eggs which make oestrogen. The symptoms women experience in the menopause are due to oestrogen and sometimes testosterone depletion.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF PERIMENOPAUSE/MENOPAUSE?
There are 34 documented symptoms of the menopause. Some are more common than others. Whilst most women will experience a few of these symptoms, others may experience most of them. These can often be severely debilitating and affect a woman’s quality of life.
These include hot flushes, night sweats, poor sleep, low energy, low mood, anxiety, brain fog, joint pain, low libido, and vaginal dryness.
WHAT ARE PREMENSTURAL SYNDROMES?
Premenstrual Syndromes or PMS is the term given to a medical condition in which a woman experiences cyclical mood, emotional and physical changes. Symptoms occur in the latter half of the menstrual cycle. They typically resolve with the onset of bleeding. Symptoms can vary from mild to severe. 40% of women will experience PMS. PMDD, is a severe form of PMS. Studies suggest that 9% of the population experience PMDD, however during the perimenopause this number increases to 23%.
SEE WHAT OUR PATIENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT
SOUTH WALES MENOPAUSE CLINIC
