Hot flashes, mood changes, and decreased libido may not be the only classic menopause symptoms.
A divorce could be another, a survey shows.
Seven out of ten women who were experiencing marital troubles, such as divorce or separation, blamed ‘the change’ for their love woes.
Some said that their circumstance led to additional arguments and even domestic violence.
The respondents did not specify why they believed menopause negatively affected their marriage.
However, frequent signs of the disease, such as mood swings, decreased sex drive, and increased irritability due to sleep deprivation may contribute to the strain on relationships.
Only one-third of the women surveyed reported having been offered hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to alleviate their menopause symptoms.
The majority of respondents said that receiving help or treatment could have potentially salvaged their marriage.
Family Law Menopause Project and Newson Health Research and Education performed a survey of 1,000 women who were divorced or in the process of separating to arrive at these results.
All women had either experienced or were experiencing menopause.
Menopause happens when a woman stops having periods, at which point she can no longer naturally become pregnant.
The process, which is caused by the ovaries releasing less estrogen, is a normal aspect of aging that typically happens between the ages of 45 and 55.
Eight out of ten women will suffer menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, difficulty sleeping, depression or anxiety, and memory issues.
HRT is one treatment option for the symptoms. It restores female hormone levels, providing relief to hundreds of thousands of women annually.
Dr. Louise Newson, a general practitioner, and menopause expert who runs Newson Health, stated that the mental components of the transition are commonly neglected.
She stated, “While the physical symptoms of menopause are well-known and frequently addressed, the mental health impact is often overlooked and may be devastating for many women, having a profoundly negative influence on their career, relationships, and money.”
The founder of the Family Law Menopause Project, Farhana Shahzad, added that the report was troubling because menopause also diminished women’s savings and income, which could exacerbate the difficulty of a divorce.
More than half of the respondents indicated that perimenopause or menopause had (or would) make it more difficult for them to save for retirement and/or impair their ability to pay into pensions.
This means that post-divorce or post-separation women who are approaching retirement may suffer significant financial difficulties.
The survey was conducted online on the website of Dr. Newson and the Family Law Menopause Project.
It follows the publication of studies by the International Menopause Society (IMS) that raises awareness of brain fog in both menopause and perimenopause.
It was stated that symptoms include difficulties recalling words and numbers, forgetting where objects were placed, difficulty concentrating, trouble switching tasks, and forgetting appointments and events.
According to the IMS, scientists believe memory issues may be caused by fluctuating hormone levels, particularly estrogen, as well as heat flushes, sleep disturbances, and mood abnormalities.
Dr. Nicole Jaff, the co-author of the study, stated, “Research indicates that a woman’s memory does shift throughout menopause, and that “brain fog” is prevalent.
The good news is that symptoms are typically modest and disappear after menopause, she noted.
‘Women are frequently afraid that these memory problems are an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, yet these disorders are exceedingly uncommon in midlife.
Women should be comforted that the majority of memory issues before and after menopause improve over time.
Access to HRT has been inconsistent for many women over the past year, with tens of thousands experiencing difficulty obtaining the prescription due to supply constraints.
While supplies have improved since the beginning of September, the NHS still considers a dozen or so products to be in acute shortage.
This categorization restricts pharmacists to dispensing only a three-month supply and allows them to prescribe alternate medications if a particular brand is out of stock.
The assessment of the serious shortage protocols is scheduled for October 28.
