The menopause is when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally. Most women will experience some symptoms around the menopause. “The duration and severity of these symptoms varies from woman to woman,” explains the NHS. To understand the scale of the issue and how many of women are turning to Doctor Google for advice instead of their GP, the data analysts at StressNoMore have looked at over 50 common symptoms of the menopause and perimenopause and how many related Google searches are made each month in the UK.
From the data, it’s clear the most-concerning issue when it comes to the menopause is weight gain, with 3600 Google searches a month.
Following just behind are night sweats, notching up 2400 searches.
Night sweats occur when changing hormone levels affect the body’s ability to regulate its temperature.
According to StressNoMore, it’s thought a diet rich in caffeine, spicy foods and alcohol can make hot flushes more severe at night.
READ MORE: Menopause symptoms: Two of the ‘first symptoms’ as the production of hormones decline
What does the health company recommend?
“To help, wear supportive bras and avoid any strenuous exercise where you can (if not, invest in a sturdy sports bra).”
If all else fails and your breasts are still bothering you, it also advises using hot or cold compresses to alleviate some of the pain in your chest.
Following in fourth place is “menopausal headaches”, with 1900 monthly searches.
“Much like tender breasts, many of us will not be a stranger to headaches,” notes StressNoMore.
The health brand continues: “Often in menopause however, these can be migraines, which means they can be more severe and debilitating.”
Making up the rest of the top five biggest menopause concerns is “joint pain”, with 1600 searches a month.
“Joint pain can be common in perimenopausal women as oestrogen, the hormone that reduces its production in menopause, is what can help protect from inflammation in the joints,” explains StressNoMore.
Of the 50 menopause and perimenopause side-effects studied, nearly 30,000 Google searches are made in the UK every month – that’s 360,000 annually.
Perimenopause means “around menopause” and refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years. Perimenopause is also called the menopausal transition.
Women start perimenopause at different ages.