Dr. Ghazala Aziz-Scott

The transition to menopause can feel like an emotional and physical rollercoaster, with perimenopause symptoms causing significant distress for many women. But there is no need to struggle alone with your symptoms. Let the Marion Gluck Clinic look after your hormones so you can focus on living your best life.

Menopause may be a natural part of ageing but that doesn’t mean that it has to affect your quality of life. At Marion Gluck Clinic we use hormone balancing to provide menopause treatment to support women whose lives have been impacted by hormonal imbalance.

Pre-menstrual syndrome which is commonly referred to as PMS is extremely common and is the term to describe the physical and emotional symptoms that occur in the one to two weeks before a woman’s period/menstruation. It is an incredibly common imbalance and usually relates to low levels of progesterone, the hormone which is produced in the second part of the cycle (post ovulation. When the balance of oestrogen and progesterone in this phase of ovulation is disturbed, this can cause physical and mood-related symptoms.

Whilst it is completely normal that everyone has moments that they feel low or down, especially if they are dealing with difficult circumstances or events, it is important to make the distinction between this and depression. The latter is a condition which requires appropriate treatment and is a state of ongoing low mood irrespective of circumstances that can lead to feelings of pessimism, despair and an inability to cope. Those who suffer from depression find that it often affects many areas of their lives, interfering with their ability to work, sleep, eat well and enjoy activities which they would otherwise find fun or pleasurable.

Postnatal depression, which is often known as ‘postpartum depression’ or PPD for short, is the term which describes ongoing low mood after childbirth. This period of a woman’s life is, of course, a time of significant hormonal fluctuation and change and many women may experience what is sometimes referred to as the ‘baby blues’ around the third day after giving birth.

Endometriosis is an often painful disorder where endometrial cells like those found in the lining of the uterus are found elsewhere in the body, usually on the pelvic peritoneum, ovaries, bladder and bowel. Endometriosis can affect all women and girls of childbearing age. In most cases endometriosis involves the ovaries, bowel or other tissues around the pelvis, however, in rare cases the endometrial tissue may spread beyond the pelvic region.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease characterised by low bone mass, otherwise referred to as BMD, structural deterioration and porous bones which are at increased risk of fracture. Bone loss relating to declining estrogen levels increases fracture risk in postmenopausal women who make up the majority of cases.

PCOS is a condition which results from a hormonal imbalance associated with irregular ovulation and menstruation, infertility, obesity and hirsutism. It is a condition which is suffered by many women around the world, however, what many people aren’t aware of is that ovarian cysts are a symptom of the disease; they are not the root cause. PCOS is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility, which means that infertility is the result of the absence of ovulation. It often goes unnoticed until a woman tries to get pregnant.

Andropause, also known as the “male menopause”, occurs as hormone levels, particularly testosterone, decline with age. This happens naturally in men from age 30 onwards with some men become symptomatic when their testosterone levels fall below a critical level. This level differs for each man, so it is important to pay close attention to changes in behaviour and physical symptoms.

Thyroid hormones (thyroxine and T3) are produced by the thyroid gland. They have diverse actions and they act on nearly every cell in the body to regulate the body’s metabolism, energy levels and its sensitivity to other hormones in the body, such as estrogen, testosterone and progesterone. They play an important role in temperature regulation and muscle contraction. Some people experience thyroid dysfunction which can result from the thyroid gland being underactive, known as hypothyroidism, or overactive which is known as hyperthyroidism.

Have you noticed low libido and fewer erections, fatigue, trouble sleeping, difficulty maintaining or building muscle, unexplained weight gain, mood swings, and brain fog? If you’re a man aged 30 or above, this could be caused by low testosterone.

PMDD is short for ‘premenstrual dysphoric disorder’ and is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (otherwise known as PMS). It is an often misunderstood condition however much like PMS, PMDD follows a predictable, cyclical pattern in tune with your hormones. Symptoms begin in the second half of the menstrual cycle (after ovulation) and end shortly after menstruation begins.