The star’s self-titled show Lorraine has been on air since 2010, but it wasn’t until the Scottish-born presenter hit a certain age when her husband noticed that something was wrong. Husband Steve Smith recognised that Lorriane was having symptoms of menopause whereas Lorraine blindly thought that her symptoms were just a result of working too hard.
The 61-year-old was handed a reality check by her husband. Talking about what he said Lorraine said: “I mean, it was basically my husband who said to me what I was going through. He said, ‘you need to get help, you need to go see the doctor because you’re not yourself.’
“You’re used to getting too anxious, in pain… you’re tired…”
Talking to Express.co.uk the star admitted that she had been too wrapped up in her work lifestyle to notice what her husband clearly was.
She continued to say: “And I just thought all of that was just the demands of the job. I got up very early, but I was always able to cope with all of that. I was sort of thriving on stress and the buzz of telly.”
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The 61-year-old was handed a reality check by her husband. Talking about what he said Lorraine said: “I mean, it was basically my husband who said to me what I was going through. He said, ‘you need to get help, you need to go see the doctor because you’re not yourself.’
“You’re used to getting too anxious, in pain… you’re tired…”
Talking to Express.co.uk the star admitted that she had been too wrapped up in her work lifestyle to notice what her husband clearly was.
She continued to say: “And I just thought all of that was just the demands of the job. I got up very early, but I was always able to cope with all of that. I was sort of thriving on stress and the buzz of telly.”
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Menopause is the time when women stop having their periods. Although a natural process that occurs for a lot of women between the ages of 45 and 55, symptoms can differ for everyone as well as starting suddenly.
It is caused by a change in the balance of the body’s sex hormones. When ovaries stop producing as much oestrogen it no longer releases an egg each month.
For Lorraine the experience was rather traumatic. She confessed “I thought I was going crazy.
“I couldn’t understand it at all. I lost myself.”
Some women experience symptoms so severe that it has a significant impact on their everyday activities.
The NHS explains that the most common symptoms include the following:
- Hot flushes
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness and discomfort during sex
- Difficulty sleeping
- Low mood or anxiety
- Reduced sex drive (libido)
- Problems with memory and concentration.
These can begin months or even years before periods stop and can then last for around four years after a woman’s last period.
Around one in 100 women experience the menopause before 40 years of age. This is known as premature menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency. If this occurs it is advised to speak to a GP to rule out whether it is something other than menopause.
After seeking help Lorraine was prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which started to make her feel better after a couple of weeks.
HRT is the most common treatment for menopause and can be administered in tablets, skin patches, gels and implants to relieve symptoms by replacing oestrogen.
Alternative treatments include the following:
- Vaginal oestrogen creams, lubricants or moisturisers for vaginal dryness
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – a type of talking therapy that can help with low mood and anxiety
- Eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly – maintaining a healthy weight and staying fit and strong can improve some menopausal symptoms.
Trying to figure out what sort of treatment is best can be tricky, so in the meantime to target symptoms such as night sweats the NHS recommends wearing light clothing, keeping your bedroom cool at night and reducing your stress level.