What are the symptoms of menopause?

The classic menopause symptoms are hot flushes and night sweats, disrupted sleep, mood changes, vaginal dryness, and brain fog — driven by falling oestrogen as your periods come to an end.

The full picture is broad, because oestrogen affects nearly every system. Common symptoms include hot flushes and night sweats; broken sleep and fatigue; mood swings, anxiety, or low mood; brain fog and forgetfulness; vaginal dryness and discomfort; reduced libido; joint aches; thinning hair and drier skin; weight gain around the middle; and heart palpitations. No two women have exactly the same set, and severity ranges from barely noticeable to genuinely disruptive.

Strictly speaking, menopause is the point 12 months after your last period; most of these symptoms actually begin in perimenopause (the run-up) and can continue afterwards. Some, like vaginal dryness, tend to persist or worsen over time if untreated, while hot flushes often ease eventually.

What to do: you don't have to simply endure them. Lifestyle foundations (sleep, exercise, a Mediterranean-style diet, limiting alcohol) help, and HRT is the most effective treatment for many symptoms — worth discussing with your GP, who can tailor it to you. If symptoms are affecting your quality of life, that's reason enough to seek help.