Two thirds of the survey respondents felt that they’d seen an increase in aches and pains. Apparently this is linked to low levels of oestrogen. Again, it seems unfair that just when we might have more time to spend on exercise, our bodies start complaining!

Because the ovaries are also responsible for producing testosterone (the sex-drive hormone), the production of this also slows and stops. Of those in the survey around 40% said they’d less interest in sex.

Another issue is that vaginal tissues get thinner and dryer, and which can make sex painful. There are a variety of lubricants available to relieve this.

Follow this link for more information about sex and the menopause.

Menopause and weight gain tend to go together, and the survey suggests that 6 in 10 had issues with increasing weight. It seems that most of the weight gain tends to occur in the perimenopause stage and averages out at about 1lb per year. The excess weight tends to go on around the waist – leading to the classic “apple” shape of middle aged ladies. Apparently this is because our bodies want to store fat for later – a bit like the puppy fat we experienced at puberty.

At the menopause, we may develop “insulin resistance” which results in our bodies storing calories rather than burning them. Before the menopause, if we consumed 1000 calories we would store 300 and burn 700, but post menopause it seems that we will burn 300 and store 700!

A sensible diet and good exercise regime will obviously help. I try to walk most weekends and am lucky in having the great expanse of Dartmoor available, as well as the coastal path. It probably doesn’t help my “apple” figure however, with a great variety of wonderful pasty shops within our reach, as well as the famous Devonshire cream teas!

As we get older our bones tend to get weaker and more prone to breaking. Such breaks are particularly associated with wrists and hips, as well as the long leg bones.

The reason for this is that the processes that constantly rebuild our bones get “out of balance” and the process that removes bone becomes more effective than the process that rebuilds it.

The result is that the bones become less dense, more prone to fracture, and spongier, leading to risks of collapsed vertebrae for example.

This is made worse by a lack of calcium and Vitamin D as our bodies become less efficient at absorbing and manufacturing them.

In women the problem is further exacerbated by the reduced oestrogen levels during the perimenopause and thereafter which lead to the balance between bone construction and destruction tipping even further in favour of the latter.

As a result whilst approximately 1 in 3 women will suffer from Osteoporosis only 1 in 12 men do so.

Ways of reducing bone loss

There are a number of ways in which you can reduce the rate at which bone density reduces. Most of these are equally effective in men and women.

• Exercise – regular exercise, particularly where there is impact on the bones (such as jogging or jumping), is known to reduce bone loss
• Increased intake of calcium – calcium supplements can boost the calcium in our bodies and this then makes it “easier” for the body to produce bone
• Increased intake of Vitamin D – most of the vitamin D we require we produce through the impact of the sun on our skins. However, living fairly far north (in global terms), we tend not to get as much sun as we might need in winter
  In any case as we get older we get less efficient at producing and using Vitamin D and so our requirement increases. Oily fish, especially herring - but also fish like mackerel and salmon, are rich in vitamin D and it is also added to many breakfast cereals
• HRT - reduced oestrogen during the menopause results in an acceleration of bone loss. The additional oestrogen introduced into the body by HRT slows this process

We stock supplements by Osteocare which boost calcium, magnesium and Vitamin D.

Further information

If you want more detailed information about bone loss and Osteoporosis here are some links to sites that we think you will find helpful:

Menopause Matters

National Osteoporosis Society

In Britain the average age for the onset of the perimenopause is around 50, spanning ages between 45 and 55.

However a number of women experience symptoms of the menopause earlier than this and this is known as a “Premature Menopause”.

Overall 15% of women experience a premature menopause, with most of these being between the ages of 40 and 45. However one in a hundred experience this condition in their 30’s and one in a thousand in their 20’s.