The Natural Beauty Show discuss menopause
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“I had a moment with Jack [her son, who she shares with husband Eamonn Holmes], where we were supposedly clearing his room,” Ruth Langsford began. “He was having it decorated or something and he wasn’t pulling his weight and I had a complete overreaction, screaming at him.”
Regaling her moment of “rage”, Langsford revealed she stormed out of Jack’s room, slammed the door that had glass panelling in it, and ran up to her bedroom and “threw [herself] on the bed and cried like a teenager”.
“Then it was like I woke up, ‘What just happened?’ That was such an overreaction,” she reflected. “I definitely feel like an angry old woman,” said Langford, who added that her menopause “crept up on [her].
“Some women talk about it happening overnight but it crept up on me,” Langsford revealed. “I noticed my body changing, my waist going, my hair thinning and my skin on my face and neck getting less firm.”
The symptoms of menopause typically begin months or years before a period has stopped for 12 consecutive months, the NHS verifies. In the lead-up to the menopause, common symptoms can include:
- Irregular periods
- Low mood, anxiety, mood swings, low self-esteem
- Brain fog
- Hot flushes
- Difficulty sleeping
- Heart palpitations
- Muscle aches and pains
- Headaches and migraines
- Weight gain
- Reduced sex drive
- Vaginal dryness and pain
- Recurrent urinary tract infections.
“Symptoms can last for months or years, and can change with time,” the NHS adds. “For example, hot flushes and night sweats may improve, and then you may develop low mood and anxiety.”
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HRT
The 62-year-old turned to her GP for help, who recommended hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
HRT works by replacing hormones that naturally deplete when going through the menopause. Consequently, numerous menopausal symptoms are alleviated, such as:
- Hot flushes
- Night sweats
- Mood swings
- Vaginal dryness
- Reduced sex drive.
“Many of these symptoms pass after a few years, but they can be unpleasant and taking HRT can offer relief for many women,” the NHS states. Different HRT options include: tablets, skin patches, gels, vaginal creams, pessaries or rings.
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During the first three months of treatment, common side effects can include:
- Breast tenderness
- Headaches
- Feeling sick
- Indigestion
- Abdominal (tummy) pain
- Vaginal bleeding.
There is no upper limit on how long you can take HRT, but most women stop taking HRT once their menopause symptoms have passed. An alternative to HRT includes improving your wellbeing by exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, and cutting down on caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods.
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