It’s World Menopause Day, and Boots Ireland has a message – let’s make menopause visible. Boots Ireland wants to offer support to all women during perimenopause, menopause and beyond. “Half a million of women in Ireland are of menopausal age and 80 per cent of women who reach menopause will experience symptoms,” explains Director of Pharmacy at Boots Ireland, Caoimhe McAuley. So Boots Ireland has undertaken their own research in order to fully understand and reveal the true impact of menopause and how it affects our day to day life.

New research undertaken by Boots Ireland has revealed that almost two-thirds of women (64 per cent) say that the menopause caused them to experience physical or psychological symptoms that have significantly affected their day-to-day life.

While many women sail through the menopause with minimal symptoms, some of us need a helping hand. Don’t struggle in silence – take steps to inform yourself and seek support. Start online by visiting Boots.ie: Boots Ireland has created a menopause specific shop page featuring useful advice, information and relevant products that can help. You can also go in-store to speak to the pharmacists at your local Boots store who are trained to give you expert advice and product recommendations.

We hosted an online event with Boots Ireland last week to have a conversation around the research findings. First, perimenopause: 30 per cent of women surveyed do not know what perimenopause is. “I’m not surprised by that, unfortunately,” says GP and menopause specialist Dr Caoimhe Hartley. “We see it all the time, that women are often baffled, and bombarded with misinformation. So I think it’s really important to focus on education and talk about personal experience.”

“Menopause is the term we give to our final menstrual period. But it’s done in retrospect, so you don’t know that that’s your last period until you’ve gone twelve full months with no bleeding. Perimenopause is different. While menopause has had quite a bit of attention in the last while, which is fantastic, perimenopause is perhaps not quite as talked about. And these few years that lead up to your final period are clinically very variable from person to person.”

Apart from physical symptoms like hot flushes and night sweats, Dr Hartley had interesting information about the psychological symptoms, describing these as “like PMS, but much worse. Often people describe feeling irritable, feeling tearful – it affects everyone differently, but often I’ve had women talk about feeling almost a rage, which can be very distressing as it’s not their personality, and they have no control over it. It’s often cyclical, so you’re ok for a couple of weeks and then it hits again. Also it’s often wrapped up in having very poor sleep, which contributes to these feelings. Mood symptoms are common too, so feeling flat, having lost your zest and joy for life. And anxiety is very common as well – for some that’s mild, so doesn’t really affect your quality of life, but for others more serious. Thankfully a lot of women get none of these symptoms and they fly through, which is great, but there’s a very broad spectrum.”

Amongst those who have experience of the menopause, 50 per cent of women say that they have experienced a lack of confidence due to the menopause, with almost 4 in 10 claiming they feel less visible.

Broadcaster and businesswoman Lorraine Keane spoke with refreshing honesty about the impact that perimenopause had on her life. “There are 34 symptoms of menopause and perimenopause – thank goodness we don’t necessarily get all of them! For me, the most surprising one was anxiety and lack of confidence. I love people and love socialising, doing live events etc, and yet in the last few years I was doubting and questioning myself. And while I know that’s just a symptom, lots of women just don’t. Knowledge is key, and to be able to talk about it is just supporting each other.”

“There are gaps in the support available to us throughout this journey, as 50 per cent of the women surveyed tell us,” says Caoimhe McAuley. “We are living and working longer, and it’s so important we talk about the support that’s available, such as vitamins like calcium or vitamin D to slow down bone-weakening that’s associated with lower levels of oestrogen, or products to help with common skin complaints such as acne or cooling sprays for hot flushes. It all starts with us having that conversation with each other. Boots Ireland is here to support women who are experiencing peri and/or menopause and I’d encourage you to speak to a Boots pharmacist whatever stage you are at.”

Dr Hartley agrees: “People are often surprised when they reach out and talk to someone, if they feel comfortable doing so, that they find common ground with others. Then talk to your pharmacist, talk to your GP and work through your own individual set of challenges, looking at lifestyle changes, nutrition and supplements and then further if you need more support. It comes down to the impact your symptoms are having on your quality of life. We should all be aware of long-term health – being active, and looking after your long-term bone and cardiovascular health are the two things that really stand out during menopause: those are the two key components of your health that really change due to loss of oestrogen.”

“Talking has been hugely important and there are lots of supports out there,” says Lorraine Keane, who has found lifestyle changes helpful, and “an amazing little book The Essential Guide to Female Hormones for all stages of life” – free via www.cleanmarine.ie. “What’s key is to educate yourself. And remember you’re not alone – every one of us is going to go through it.”

To find out more about menopause and related products, visit www.boots.ie.