World Menopause Day cracks open the conversation on bleeding

VANCOUVER, Oct. 18, 2017 /CNW/ - World Menopause Day 2017 is raising awareness of bleeding in perimenopause, and how different it can be for some women. This is a good thing, according to Shirley Weir, founder of MenopauseChicks.com.

Weir is calling on media, and all of us, to discard some of the traditional thinking associated with menopause, and instead empower women to get more informed about perimenopause so they are prepared, and not scared, when changes occur.

"As progesterone begins to fluctuate, women in perimenopause often experience changes to their monthly periods. Sometimes periods get heavier, lighter, shorter, less frequent or more frequent," says Shirley Weir, founder of MenopauseChicks. "This is a common experience, but it isn't yet common knowledge."

Weir is the manager of an online community that empowers women to navigate perimenopause with confidence and ease.

"We have a tendency to associate menopause with hot flashes," says Weir. "And while hot flashes and night sweats can be disruptive to a woman's quality of life, there are many other changes that don't get as much airtime."

Abnormal bleeding accounts for 70% of all gynecological visits, according to the International Menopause Society, the organization promoting education and research of women's midlife health, and the people responsible for World Menopause Day. Women might be less worried if they knew what to expect. That said, consulting your health care practitioner for bleeding that's different in frequency, regularity, duration or amount is always a good idea for no other reason than to rule out a more serious concern, such as fibroids or cancer.

So when should you consult a doctor?

• When bleeding is so heavy it requires a new pad every hour
• Bleeding that lasts more than two weeks
• Any bleeding after menopause (12 months after your final period)

The Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research in Vancouver advises women with heavy flow to keep track of their experience, to take ibuprofen (200mg every 4-6 hours which decreases flow by 25-30%), to treat blood loss with extra fluid and salt and to increase your intake of iron with iron-rich foods or a supplement (consult your physician or pharmacist for guidance.)

Menopause is one day?it is the 12 month anniversary of the last menstrual period, and the average age of menopause is 51.2. Perimenopause is the 5-15 year phase of hormone fluctuations leading up to menopause. This means perimenopause can begin as early as 35. Most people are unaware that women can have experiences (Weir doesn't like the term symptoms as it implies disease, which of course, menopause is not) caused by hormone fluctuations while they still have a period. There is very little research on perimenopause, as the term was only coined in the 1990s. 

About Menopause Chicks:
MenopauseChicks.com empowers women to navigate perimenopause and menopause with confidence and ease. Founder, Shirley Weir is on a mission to connect women to unbiased information, to midlife health professionals?and to each other, through her private online community. As a women's health advocate, Shirley is reframing the menopause conversation from something that has been traditionally viewed as negative, into a milestone worthy of celebration. Shirley hosted the first-ever "menopause graduation party" in 2016 and was a speaker at TedXGastown Women. In 2017, she received a YWCA Women of Distinction award.

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SOURCE Menopause Chicks