The heat is on

Memory lapses can be scary and hot flushes excruciating. But we know much more now about the menopause. And the aftermath can be amazing

- Kate Muir

Menopause was previously seen as a source of ageist shame, an unexploded bomb, or a suspicious parcel. But it is a natural phase that marks the end of childbearing years and, at last, we have the science and the knowledge to resolve a lot of the surrounding mental and physical health issues. Now is the time to embrace menopause, rather than fear it, and tackle the changes holistically.

As the actor Gillian Anderson - who wrestled with an early menopause herself once said: "Perimenopause and menopause should be treated as the rites of passage they are and, if not celebrated, then at least accepted and acknowledged and honoured." And the aftermath can be amazing; when hormones are steady, your moods stabilise and periods have gone for ever.

In the UK we are starting to care properly for women facing this life shift and empowering them to prioritise their health. Women know more about helpful lifestyle changes the importance of exercise and diet, for example. In the past two years, GPS and patients have become much better informed about the science, too, which is why I'd encourage people to ignore menopause, and its dastardly little sister perimenopause, at their peril.

If you want to move into a better second half, action is required when the ovaries stop producing eggs and the hormones oestrogen and progesterone start to drain away. This happens at the average age of 51 in white women, and often younger for Asian and Black women, or those who experience early menopause. The chaos begins in perimenopause, usually in your 40s but younger for some, as oestrogen hits unpredictable highs and lows.

This is often when women experience sleeplessness, become forgetful, suffer heart palpitations and inexplicable bouts of irritation.