What symptoms can the menopause cause?
Somewhere between a half and two-thirds of women will have hot flashes and sweats when they go through the menopause. They are the most common symptoms women have. If they happen at night, they can disturb sleep. But for most women, the hot flashes and sweats are so mild that they do not cause a lot of problems. But in some women they are very severe. A hot flash is a wave of heat that hits the whole body very suddenly. It lasts on average about three minutes. For most women, hot flashes will stop by themselves within a year or two. But for one in three women, these could continue for as long as five years. For some women, they will go longer. About three out of every 10 women experience vaginal dryness during or after the menopause. This can cause discomfort with sexual intercourse, and it can also make vaginal infections more frequent. As women get older, their risk for osteoporosis increases. This causes bones to break more easily. Around the same time as the menopause, women usuall
