Introduction

The menopause is part of every woman's life. Sometimes the symptoms caused by the menopause can be distressing. But there are treatments that can help.

We've brought together the best research about the menopause and weighed up the evidence about how to treat it. You can use our information to talk to your doctor and decide which treatments are best for you.

The menopause is when your periods stop for good. After you've gone through the menopause, you can't get pregnant. These changes don't happen overnight. You can get symptoms of the menopause for several years.

The menopause isn't an illness. It's a normal part of every woman's life. But for some women, the symptoms of the menopause can be distressing. Hot flushes can be uncomfortable and cause sleepless nights. A dry vagina can make sex painful. You may get urinary infections. And you may feel depressed.^[1][2][3][4]

If your symptoms are making life miserable, you don't have to just put up with them. There are treatments that can help, although some have side effects. You will need to weigh up the pros and cons of treatment and decide with your doctor what's right for you.

Key points for women going through the menopause

• The menopause isn't an illness. It's a natural part of your life.

• It happens when your body stops making certain hormones.

• Symptoms of the menopause can be distressing. But you don't have to put up with them. You can get help.

• The main treatment for the menopause is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). But if you don't want to take this, there are other treatments.

• There are things you can do yourself to help relieve symptoms of the menopause. See Self-help for common menopausal symptoms.

Your periods

Your periods are part of your menstrual cycle.^[5] Every month, changes happen in your body to get it ready for pregnancy. Your menstrual cycle is controlled by lots of different hormones, including two made by your ovaries: oestrogen and progesterone.

Oestrogen isn't just one hormone. It's a group of hormones made by your body. But most people refer to all these hormones as oestrogen.

Each month, your hormones cause an egg to come out of one of your ovaries. Hormones also make the lining of your womb (the endometrium) get thicker and softer in case you get pregnant.

At the end of your monthly cycle, if you're not pregnant, your hormone levels drop and you have your period. A period is your body's way of getting rid of the thickened lining of your womb. After your period your hormone levels start to rise and the whole cycle begins again.

Your menstrual cycle begins during puberty. On average, each cycle lasts about 28 days, but it can be shorter or longer.

To learn more, see What happens every month.

It's also helpful to know something about the parts of your body involved in getting pregnant and having periods. Together, this is called your reproductive system. It includes your ovaries, your fallopian tubes, your womb, and your vagina. To find out more about these parts of your body, see Your reproductive system.