How many menopause symptoms are there really?

Head onto Google and at any time you will find articles and headlines talking about menopause symptoms - most commonly, 34 of them. However, skincare expert, spa trainer and the creator of a collection of hormone balancing spa treatments, Jennifer Young, has identified 76 menopause symptoms to date.

How much do we actually know about women's health?

Her research was conducted when she set out to create her Menopause Plus brand, which we have written about in the past. It offers skincare and hormone balancing touch treatments that proactively and holistically address the unwanted side effects of hormonal change.

This was in addition her work on The Menopause Million, the largest global research study into menopausal symptoms ever undertaken, along with The Global Wellness Institute’s Hormonal Wellness Initiative. It's dedicated to ensuring women and their healthcare needs are heard and addressed. Together, they found 76 menopause symptoms featuring across 12 groups - traditionally four groups have been reported:

• Psychological
• Somatic
• Vasomotor
• Sexual discomfort

The gender health gap

All of this is an indicator of one thing - while much is now being done to talk about menopause and its impact on women's wellbeing, across the board women's health is still misunderstood. This is compounded by the lack of options for women when it comes to addressing the consequences of menopause. To date, advice is broadly limited to the use of HRT and/or antidepressants, neither of which truly address the cause of symptoms, nor are they wanted or suited to all women.

As an associate member of the Royal Society of Medicine, Jennifer uses her degree in Biology, her postgraduate qualifications in occupational health and law, and her professional qualifications in therapy and wellness to help women in hormonal crises. She does this through a combination of evidence-driven holistic resources including acupressure, aromatherapy, all natural skincare containing phytohormones, as well as talking therapies and a network of expertise across the wellness sphere.

Jennifer says: "We have identified 76 menopause symptoms to date through our own extensive research, and I have absolutely no doubt that there are more. Women and their bodies are complex, interesting, amazing beings, and as a society we are only just beginning to acknowledge their uniqueness. It's imperative that we invest in research for women's wellbeing, especially when it comes to hormone change because it's only by doing so that we can give them the support they want, need and deserve, enabling them to thrive at a pivotal and powerful moment in their lifetimes."