Cork doctor: Seek support for your peri/menopause if it is impacting on your qualify of life

Genetics and lifestyle are the biggest factors that will determine how you will navigate perimenopause and live healthily after menopause, according to Dr Brenda Moran.

She is an accredited menopause specialist and portfolio GP with a special interest in women’s health and sexual health, and runs a weekly menopause clinic in Mallow.

She will be among the speakers in Cork this Friday for the National Menopause Summit, at Cork City Hall.

“I recognised prior to setting up my weekly clinic back in 2019/20 that there was a need for focused, designated menopause consultations with adequate time to discuss the many different facets of peri/menopause such as addressing symptoms, the need to discuss the long-term effects of menopause, and assessing cardiovascular risk and bone health, providing information on health promotion and ways to improve health after menopause, and providing adequate time to discuss treatment options. I wanted to have the autonomy to deliver the type of menopause care I felt women deserved,” she said.

Psychological symptoms are very common during the menopause transition and early postmenopausal years, she explains.

Anxiety is particularly common during perimenopause, along with worsening PMS or developing PMS for the first time, irritability, loss of confidence, low mood, loss of vibrancy and not feeling like oneself.

“Other peri/menopausal symptoms that I frequently encounter include brain fog, hot flushes and night sweats. headaches, joint pains, loss of libido, bloating, genitourinary symptoms such as vaginal dryness and painful sex. Weight gain can also be common during this time period.”

Dr Moran points out that women have lots of concomitant life stressors which happen during this time irrespective of peri/menopause.

“All these things can increase stress and add in the effects of hormonal changes, and it can be a difficult time for lots. But it can be an opportunity to take an overall look at your life, introduce healthy dietary changes, stop smoking, reduce alcohol and increase exercise,” she says.

She also urges women to reduce stress in their lives where possible.

Forensically, examine your typical work and home schedule to see if and where changes can be introduced. Don’t take on too much and learn to say no.

“Mindfulness and meditation can be useful tools to help the body cope with peri/menopausal symptom.

“Psychological therapies such as mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) not only help peri/menopausal symptoms, but can be used in other scenarios when required,” she added.

However, there will be a significant amount of people who will still experience significant symptoms that are impacting on their health and quality of life, despite excellent lifestyle measures that will require additional treatment options such as HRT or prescribed medications.

“Conversely, some people will find it difficult to tackle lifestyle in depth until they are feeling better in themselves first by the use of HRT or prescribed medications. 

Seek support for your peri/menopause if it is impacting on your qualify of life.

One such scenario was one of her Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) patients who required a surgical menopause to treat her symptoms.

“This remains a career highlight for me as this condition remains massively under-resourced in this country and there were many barriers to overcome to try and get this patient the help she required and to provide her with a quality of life.

“It is great to see her thriving now after everything she has been through,” she said.

Dr Moran’s aspiration is for all women to flourish throughout our reproductive and life transitions and she feels huge improvements have been made in the provision of information to women and the general public.

“But more work is yet to be done, such as adequate resourcing for menopause within Primary Care, for example similar to the State Contraception Scheme.

“The complexity and the time required for delivering quality menopause care should be recognised by the government and further investment is required.”

Again, while there has been a big push for menopause education within some work environments – menopause awareness is still lacking in many work and family settings which she says has to change.

Men and women need to be educated on the peri/menopause and this should start in schools.

Seek support for your peri/menopause if it is impacting on your qualify of life.

“I think some women are still suffering in silence but I would like to think that this number has reduced significantly.”

For tickets and more details on National Menopause Summit Cork supported by M&S, see www.nationalmenopausesummit.com

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ABOUT THE NATIONAL MENOPAUSE SUMMIT IN CORK 

THE country’s leading experts in the area of perimenopause and menopause will speak at a full day masterclass on the topic in Cork on Friday, October 20.

Following the success of the sold-out inaugural National Menopause Summit in Dublin, the National Menopause Summit Cork, supported by M&S, is announced to take place in the historic venue of Cork City Hall.

Featuring advocates, clinicians, facilitators and professionals, the National Menopause Summit will take place in City Hall, just after World Menopause Day, which is marked annually today, October 18.

Broadcaster Gráinne Seoige will be the MC of the summit, joined by renowned menopause awareness pioneer and one of the UK’s most respected broadcasters and journalists, Mariella Frostrup.

The line-up also includes Dr Brenda Moran, portfolio GP with a special interest in women’s health and sexual health; Dr Karen Soffe, GP with a special interest in women’s health; Dr Caoimhe Hartley, clinical lead, Rotunda Hospital Menopause Clinic, founder and CEO Menopause Health; Dr Sumi Dunne, GP and clinical lecturer in General Practice, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and the GP expert on RTÉ’s Operation Transformation; Loretta Dignam, founder and CEO of The Menopause Hub; and Shalini Wiseman, chartered physiotherapist in pelvic health and continence.

For tickets and more see nationalmenopausesummit.com