A DROITWICH based menopause specialist says thousands of women are ‘suffering unnecessarily’ because of poor education.
Dr Jacqueline Radley, a GP and leading menopause specialist, has said thousands of women across the West Midlands are feeling isolated and suffering unnecessarily due to poor menopause support.
Recent data shows that 90 per cent of postmenopausal women were not taught about the condition while at school.
Dr Radley, who practises at Droitwich Spa Hospital among other practices in the West Midlands, believes poor education and historic perceptions of the condition have damaged women’s confidence.
“I have been seeing perimenopausal and menopausal women for 16 years.
“Many of them come to me feeling isolated and unaware of how menopause has or will affect them”, said Dr Radley.
“Thousands of women have been left unprepared to deal with the condition and that is a tragedy,” she added.
Fortunately, progress has been made and conversations about the condition have become normalised, particularly in younger women.
However, Dr Radley believes without a more concerted effort to raise awareness, all of the hard work could be in vain.
She said: “Menopause naturally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. Women begin to experience symptoms a few years before the menopause. Education particularly in schools, health care settings and workplaces is essential.
“Without awareness and confidence women are left in the dark.”
To help build awareness, Dr Radley has compiled a list of the top menopause symptoms to be aware of.
These include hot flushes, night sweats, fatigue, joint and muscle aches, pains or stiffness, anxiety, low mood, difficulty concentrating. memory loss, loss of sex drive, vaginal dryness and irritation, and pain with sexual intercourse.
Symptoms can last up to seven years or more and women struggling with any of these symptoms should contact a GP or menopause specialist.
An estimated 80 to 90 per cent of women will experience one or more symptoms, with 25 per cent experiencing them severely.
“Multiple symptoms means diagnosis can often be delayed or misdiagnosed.
“Couple this with 41 per cent of women having experienced or witnessed menopause being treated as a joke in the workplace, a perfect storm is created, leaving women isolated and feeling alone.
“Normalising the conversation around what is a natural transition in a woman’s body is one of the most important steps we can take,” added Dr Radley.
