A woman who did not recognise herself in the mirror is raising awareness of a life changing phase half the population faces.
Yvonne Lloyd, of Crosby, was 50 when her periods "suddenly stopped" due to the menopause. A few months later, she then began experiencing "hot sweats", especially at night, meaning she was losing sleep and was "tired all the time".
She also developed arthritis in her hand and lost 50% of her hair which went "really thin" and had a "zero sex drive". She told the ECHO: "I was starting to look older in the mirror, my skin was looking dull, the skin was getting slack around the jawline and my wrinkles were getting deeper."
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With no energy, having to "always push herself", Yvonne wasn't quite sure what it all was until she realised she was going through the menopause. The menopause is when a woman stops having periods and is a natural part of ageing.
But Yvonne is sharing her journey in the hopes of raising awareness so other women know what to look out for and to get people talking. She said: "I don't know if there's a taboo or a lack of education. My mum went through menopause and all she said was she had the sweats, that was it. I was led to believe it's just a part of getting old.
"I think men can be quite shy of it, because it's a woman's body. It should be taught in schools so people are educated before they get to this point. I spent so long researching."
Yvonne said she barely recognised herself in the mirror and didn't like her reflection as she "felt old and haggard". The now 56-year-old added: "I was kind of surprised, I'd heard other women speak of their experiences and I'd heard of perimenopause but I had no symptoms, my periods just stopped.
"I was thinking I've got away with it, I was one of the lucky ones but then after about 18-months I noticed things that originally I'd put down to old age, I had no idea it was related to the menopause. My advice would be to women that if you spot signs, talk to someone and seek help straight away. Had I known what was happening, I'd have stepped in sooner, it crept on so slowly."
A new survey revealed that women yet to experience menopause are unaware of its impact as almost two thirds (63%) of women polled were not aware that symptoms can take hold ten years before their last period. When asked about what signs they would like to prevent, women said increased sweating, sagging of the face, wrinkles, acne breakouts and dark circles around the eyes.
Despite recent awareness of the impact of the menopause, skincare, aesthetics and wellness expert Dr Yusra, who commissioned the research, is calling for better education on the signs of menopause onset and symptoms. She works with women of all ages to provide medical aesthetic treatments that prevent and delay the signs of menopausal skin.
Dr Yusra, of Blundellsands Clinic, said: "It’s clear from these findings that there is a gap between knowledge and awareness of what signs can be prevented on the skin and body. Awareness needs to make way for empowered preventative action."
According to the NHS, perimenopause is when you have symptoms before your periods have stopped. You reach menopause when you have not had a period for 12 months.
Symptoms can have a big impact on your life, including relationships and work and many people experience symptoms such as anxiety, brain fog, hot flushes and mood swings. More information about the menopause can be found by clicking here.
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