Wies: “It’s a relief to know that menopause is behind these strange symptoms”

Aside from the well-known symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings, there are also lesser-known menopausal symptoms. Being aware of these symptoms can help you address them. 

Itchy skin and sticky eyes

My colleague José always kept a back scratcher at her desk. She used this fork-shaped tool multiple times a day to scratch her back. “This itch is driving me insane,” she’d say. “I absolutely HATE menopause.”  

I might have never known that menopause can cause itching if I hadn't shared an office with her. Loss of oestrogen can make the skin dry and flaky. Dry skin is more prone to itching. Not every woman in menopause will have itchy skin (my skin never itches!). But knowing that menopause may be responsible if you do get itchy skin can save you hours of worry.  

I did get sticky eyes occasionally. Besides being a nuisance I was also a bit worried, so I went to see my GP. She said that sticky eyes have nothing to do with menopause. So I did my own research and found out there is a connection. If I'd known this, it would have saved me time and a whole lot of worry. 

Unusual symptom? Check it out!

Of course, you don’t have to know all the strange symptoms by heart. But if you notice anything unusual, it can be helpful to check the facts on websites like these, if only to ease your mind and stop you from worrying.  I only recently found out myself that dizziness, which I suffered from a few years back, may be related to hormone changes during menopause. If only I’d known, because getting dizzy is really scary. Thankfully I don't have this symptom anymore.  

Spot the symptoms

Electric shocks,heart palpitations, hair loss, muscle pain and joint pain, eyelid twitching, unpleasant body odour… Menopause can do strange things! Of course, your symptoms may not have anything to do with menopause – and that is helpful to know as well, so you can seek the right support.  

A friend of mine had symptoms she thought were caused by menopause. In retrospect, she waited too long to get her symptoms checked out. She finally went to see her GP, who took a blood test to check her thyroid function. It was then that she found out she had an underactive thyroid. 

Blame menopause!

My best friend and I like to joke around and blame menopause for everything that goes wrong in our lives. Bad weather? Blame menopause. Didn’t get a promotion? Blame menopause. Sleepy face? Blame menopause.  

We think menopause should be optional! It's nonsense, of course. We’re just having a laugh. But it beats being miserable! 

More blogs by Wies?“Many women feel better after menopause than before” 

Who is Wies? 

Wies Verbeek (58) is a healthy ageing journalist, founder of website BLOW.nl, and author of ’n Beetje Leuk Ouder Worden, 101 verrassende en bewezen tips (Ageing Happily, 101 surprising tips that work). And... she's going through menopause like the rest of us. 

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