Perimenopausia y menopausia

Menopause symptoms

Revisado: 4 de octubre de 2026

Solo en inglés por ahora

Hot flushes, poor sleep, mood changes and vaginal dryness are common around menopause. Here is why they happen, what helps, and when to talk to a doctor or nurse.

Why symptoms happen

Around menopause, your ovaries make much less of the hormone oestrogen. Low oestrogen is behind many of the changes people notice, from hot flushes to vaginal dryness. Symptoms often start in perimenopause, before periods stop, and they vary a lot from person to person. Common ones include hot flushes and night sweats, trouble sleeping, low mood or anxiety, problems with memory or concentration, vaginal dryness, and a lower sex drive.

Hot flushes and night sweats

Hot flushes are the most common symptom. During a hot flush, heat spreads suddenly over your upper body. They are most common in the year before and the year after your last period, but they can carry on for up to 14 years after menopause. Spicy food, alcohol, caffeine, stress and hot places can trigger them. Wearing layers you can take off, using a fan, and noting your own triggers can help.

Sleep

Night sweats can wake you up, and some people need to get up several times a night to pee. Being active during the day helps many people sleep. A cool, dark, quiet room helps too. Try not to eat a big meal, smoke or drink alcohol late in the evening.

Mood, memory and focus

You may feel irritable or tearful, and the risk of depression and anxiety is higher around menopause. Stress, family changes and tiredness can add to this. As many as two in three women in perimenopause notice problems with memory or concentration. If low mood or anxiety does not lift, talk to a doctor or nurse, because talking therapies and medicines can help. If you are thinking about harming yourself, get emergency help or contact a crisis line now.

Vaginal, bladder and sexual changes

Low oestrogen can make the vagina drier and thinner. This can cause itching, burning or discomfort, and make sex painful. A vaginal moisturiser and a water-based lubricant can help, and a doctor can prescribe oestrogen that you use in the vagina. Some people leak urine when they cough, sneeze or laugh. Interest in sex may go down or up, and pain during sex can lower it.

Getting help

If any symptom bothers you, talk to a doctor or nurse. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) relieves most menopause symptoms. Other options include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and some non-hormonal medicines. There is very little evidence on how well herbal remedies work or how safe they are. See a doctor or nurse as soon as possible if you have any bleeding or spotting after a year without periods.

This is general information. If menopause symptoms affect your daily life, a doctor or nurse can talk you through treatment options.