Hot flashes are one of the most famous signs of menopause; Only two in five women experience the symptom in the early stages, new data suggests.
In contrast, other problems that are easier to rule out, such as mood swings, digestive problems, and sleeping problems, are much more common.
Researchers asked 5,000 women about their experiences during perimenopause. the medical term for the period of hormonal fluctuation that leads to menopause.
This usually starts in the early 40s and lasts five to 10 years, but it can affect women in their 30s.
Experts hope the findings will help patients recognize the signs and seek help.
The findings come from a survey of 5,000 women by blood testing provider Forth, who asked them about their experiences during perimenopause.
Although hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness are perceived as classic symptoms of change, only a fraction of perimenopause women experienced them. stock image
According to the survey, fewer than two in five (37 percent) women experienced hot flashes during perimenopause.
Vaginal dryness or pain during sexual relations were also in the minority: only four out of 10 women reported suffering from it.
And only about half of women (51 percent) said they experienced night sweats before the onset of menopause.
Irregular periods, another classic sign of both perimenopause and menopause, were only experienced by about three in five women (58 percent).
Instead, they were other problems, easier to dismiss as part of living a stressful life while juggling career and family responsibilities, which were much more common.
Mood swings were the most common symptom among women in the survey, with more than four in five women (84 percent) experiencing this change.
This was followed by digestive problems (78 per cent), such as bloating, lack of sleep (77 per cent) and brain fog (77 per cent), experienced by just over three in four women.
However, these symptoms can also indicate a host of other problems, from depression and stress to irritable bowel syndrome.
The survey was carried out on behalf of the home blood testing company Forth.
Dr Thom Phillips, GP and clinical director of the company, said women could benefit from having a hormone test if they are concerned they are entering perimenopause.
“As women go through perimenopause, their levels of some hormones decrease, while others increase,” she said.
“Our advanced perimenopausal hormone blood test maps them throughout the menstrual cycle to provide women with a score.”
This score can help indicate whether a woman is perimenopausal.
A key hormone that begins to fluctuate is estrogen.
Among many other functions, it helps regulate mood, so its fluctuation can cause mental health problems.
The NHS currently recommends against routine testing of hormone levels to ‘diagnose’ perimenopause or menopause, as they can fluctuate so much, even within a day, that the results can be misleading.
Instead, health watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence suggests a diagnosis based on symptoms.
Some tests may be offered, however, if a woman is under 45 years old and is experiencing symptoms that make doctors suspect she is experiencing menopause.
If a woman is suffering from clear symptoms of perimenopause, hormone replacement therapy may be beneficial.
The new findings come as a recent analysis found that 60,000 women in Britain are out of work with long-term menopausal symptoms.
These absences cost the economy £1.5bn a year, an analysis by the NHS Confederation, which represents healthcare organisations, estimated.
The report found that women suffering from severe mental or physical symptoms are less likely to be employed compared to the rest of the population, and twice as likely to be economically inactive due to health problems.
Menopause occurs when a woman stops having periods and can no longer get pregnant naturally.
It is a normal part of aging and is caused by falling levels of the sex hormone estrogen.
Menopause usually begins between ages 45 and 55 for most women, although it can occur earlier, both naturally and as a result of other health problems and treatments, such as cancer.
HRT prescriptions for menopausal women have soared in recent years, with 11 million items distributed to help deal with symptoms in 2022/23.
Some women go through this time with few, if any, symptoms. Others experience hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, mood swings, and brain fog, which can last for months or years and may change over time.
Women are advised to see their GP if their symptoms are severe and disrupt their daily lives.
Treatments that doctors can offer focus on symptom control and may include HRT.
HRT, which increases levels of hormones that decline due to menopause, can help relieve symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, reduced sex drive, and memory problems.
The demand for HRT drugs has been so great that the UK has been hit by shortages of some drugs.
