The majority of women will experience symptoms during their menopause with the severity of symptoms varying tremendously from person to person. Some will only experience them for a few months, others can continue to suffer for years – even decades.

Common symptoms can include:

Brain fog: This is a collective term for symptoms such as memory slips, poor concentration and difficultly absorbing information.

Period changes: This is often the first sign. Women can experience a change in flow; periods will become less frequent, before stopping completely.

Loss of sexual desire: It is common to lose interest in and pleasure from sex around the time of the menopause; feeling tired, having a low mood and experiencing night sweats can all be contributing factors. There is also a hormonal reason why a women’s libido may decrease. Women have testosterone (which tends to decline during the menopause) and this hormone can influence their sex-drive.

Night sweats: Many women find they wake up drenched in sweat and have to change their pyjamas or bed clothes.

Fatigue and poor sleep: Poor sleep can be related to night sweats, but women can find they are more tired during the day even if their sleep is not affected.

Hot flushes: Hot flushes can come on suddenly at any time of day, spreading throughout the face, chest and body. For some they may last for moments, for others several minutes.

Mood changes: From feeling suddenly angry to anxious, some women who suffer from mood changes find they are very disruptive to work and home life.

There are many other common symptoms of the menopause including migraines, joint pain, hair & skin changes and vaginal & urinary symptoms.

This balance Menopause Symptom Questionnaire© can give you a wider understanding of menopause symptoms and act as a useful tool for your loved one to monitor and assess how symptoms change with time or treatment.

Alternatively, they can download balance app to take the balance Menopause Symptom Questionnaire© and access a personal Health Report©.