Wies: "These are my 3 golden tips for menopause beginners"

By the time you’re approaching sixty, like me, you’ve usually navigated the majority of your menopausal years. The most significant changes are behind you, and hormonally, things often settle down. Of course, there are women in their sixties who still experience severe hot flushes, but by this stage, menopause rarely throws up any major surprises.

At forty, you’re probably not even giving menopause a second thought. Surely that’s something for women over fifty, isn’t it? Or so you might think. However, the first symptoms (such as your final period) can occur well before menopause.

For instance, when I was around forty, I started experiencing much worse PMS, without realising it was linked to hormonal changes. There are also other “odd” symptoms that you wouldn’t immediately associate with menopause.

My advice: educate yourself. There’s a wealth of information out there. Consider booking an appointment with a menopause consultant to get an idea of what to expect. It can be reassuring to understand that certain symptoms may be connected to menopause. Perhaps a different contraceptive method might suit you better, or you could explore what hormone therapy could do for you.

Living healthily is always important, but it becomes even more crucial as you approach menopause. Not only can healthy eating, regular exercise, and good sleep help you manage symptoms more effectively, but hormonal changes can also increase the risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease.

If you’re already overweight, your risk of cardiovascular disease is higher. Add high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol into the mix, and the risks can increase further.

For some women, coffee, ginger tea, cola, alcohol, and smoking can exacerbate menopausal symptoms. I was sceptical at first, but for me, adopting a healthy lifestyle ultimately made a bigger difference than hormone therapy alone. So start with that. The sooner, the better. Personally, I found the cookbook Eten als Medicijn by Dorenda van Dijken and Janneke Vreugdenhil incredibly helpful.

You might think: let menopause come, it’s just a natural part of life. That’s perfectly fine, but don’t simply accept it if the symptoms are taking over your daily life. There’s so much you can do to ease menopausal symptoms. It’s a shame to feel constantly drained or out of sorts.

Consider hormone therapy, but make sure you’re well-informed. Discuss your symptoms with your GP, a menopause nurse consultant, or ask for a referral to a good gynaecologist or pelvic floor physiotherapist.

Wies Verbeek (58) is a journalist, founder of the website BLOW.nl, and author of the book ’n Beetje Leuk Ouder Worden, 101 verrassende en bewezen tips. She is currently navigating her way through menopause.