Menopause Health Highland

02/10/2025

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness month and it’s never to soon to ‘get to know your own breasts’. Get to know what’s normal for you. Get into a routine of checking, for example when you shower and find something that works for you. Remember to seek medical advice if you feel concerned about and lumps, bumps or skin changes.

www.menopausehealthhighland.co.uk

06/09/2025

18/06/2025

REMAINING APPOINTMENTS THIS WEEKEND!

Ladies we still have a few slots for this Saturday for our specialist menopause clinic.

Appointments available face to face or can be remote by video or telephone if that’s easier.

If you’ve been struggling for a while - take action now and make that step to come and see us.

We hope to see you!

www.menopausehealthhighland.co.uk

17/06/2025

THE MENOPAUSAL TUMMY AND YOUR BODY

This can be a time of major hormonal fluctuations - several hormones can be involved not just oestrogen but stress hormones like cortisol, testosterone and insulin. Many women notice significant changes to their body including an increase of weight gain around their middle that just won’t shift. There can be increased cravings for sugar which makes matters worse. Sleep may be poor, joint pains or feelings of fatigue which means exercise feels like the last thing on your mind!

Choices around lifestyle at this time, including diet and exercise are more important now than ever - but it’s complicated as many factors feed into this such as our genetics, eating habits, stress, mental health and sleep.

Strategies that might help:
*think about a food diary - it might help identify your ‘trigger’ times and hot spots
*watch alcohol intake - it’s full of sugar and makes you more likely to snack
*work on stress - it raises cortisol and might be a factor for emotional eating
*keep your fluid intake up as it’s easy to mix up hunger and thirst on some occasions
*try to follow a Mediterranean diet which contains a wide spread of fruit and vegetables
*lots of current evidence talks about something called our ‘microbiome’ which is the good bacteria in our gut - many foods can boost our microbiome

AS always be kind to yourself! It’s not easy and remember we are here to help if you need us.

www.menopausehealthhighland.co.uk

06/05/2025

BRAIN FOG.

What is brain fog? Well it can encompass a variety of issues such as losing things, difficulty concentrating, forgetting appointments, events and even names! Some women may struggle to recall words and numbers or be easily distracted and lose their train of thought. It can be very distressing, especially for those women who find an impact at work. According to recent research 73% of women experienced brain for related to menopause.

So what causes it? Well it’s fair to say it is complex, but we know there are oestrogen receptors in various parts of the female brain. However other factors can come into play to make brain fog worse like fluctuating oestrogen levels, hot flushes and sweats plus low mood and poor sleep. They are all interconnected.

It is important to know it is NOT associated with developing dementia.

So what might help? Optimising our ‘cognitive health’ or brain health is the key. Ensuring good brain health relies on many positive lifestyle strategies:
*be smoke free
*limit alcohol intake
*regular exercise at least 150 mins moderate intensity per week
*a healthy heart means healthier brain - maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol
*maintaining healthy weight helps protect the brain and lower dementia risk
*exercise your brain - challenge yourself, learn new skills, read
*regular social contact - this is so important!

www.menopausehealthhighland.co.uk

26/04/2025

RECURRENT URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS.

Some women can suffer terribly with recurrent urinary tract infections around the time of their menopause. This can be part of a bigger issue called ‘Genitourinary symptoms of the Menopause’, which can include vaginal pain, itch, dryness, bladder symptoms and pain on sexual in*******se. Sometimes it might be easy to miss the fact that the lack of oestrogen down below is the issue.

The good news it there are several local treatments available such as vaginal oestrogen, that we can apply directly to this area to help reduce these symptoms. If you are a menopausal women suffering from recurrent UTIs then it might be worth exploring this with your GP. Equally we are very happy to see any ladies in our specialist clinic to talk options!

Drinking plenty of fluids can help and avoiding triggers like alcohol and caffeine. A good vaginal moisturiser can also be of great help. Avoid washing with soaps or using other prouducrs down below that may actually be aggravating despite what they say on the packaging.

www.menopausehealthhighland.co.uk

24/04/2025

EMOTIONAL WELNESS

The hormonal changes we experience in menopause can cause many physical symptoms, but if can also have a dramatic impact on our emotional well-being. There can be issues such as:
*mood swings
*feeling low
*crying easily
*anxiety and panic
*a loss of joy
*loss of confidence and many more!

There are a variety of treatments available to help and these may include HRT, anti-depressants and CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy). We also know that meditation, relaxation and mindfulness can be very powerful in helping to manage these symptoms. Restorative exercise like Yoga or Pilates can help renew a sense of well-being and calm.

Come visit us or book a remote consultation in our clinic if you want to explore anything further. We would love to help!

www.menopausehealthhighland.co.uk

19/03/2025

It’s neurodiversity celebration week - Neurodiversity Celebration Week is from 17 - 23 March in 2025. It's when people all over the UK are encouraged to think about and celebrate neurodiversity, as well as challenge stereotypes people might have about it.

Findings reveal that menopause transitions intensify symptoms of neurodivergence, and can interrupt how women engage with paid work.

www.menopausehealthhighland.co.uk

08/03/2025

ENDOMETIOSIS AWARENESS MONTH.
March marks Endometriosis awareness month which is an annual initiative to try and raise general awareness about this long-term condition that affects about 1 in 10 women. Symptoms can have a significant impact of a woman’s physical health and mental well-being.

Even though we are a menopause clinic - we still see a lot of women who have been affected by this in the past and it can be a very important factor in deciding which HRT to use if she is struggling with symptoms of menopause. If you have any concerns it’s important to chat to your GP and explore this with them.

www.menopausehealthhighland.co.uk

01/02/2025

LETS KEEP TALKING MENOPAUSE.

It’s a new year so a good time to remind ourselves of the spectrum of symptoms of the menopause. This image taken from the fantastic ‘Menopause Matters’ magazine is a favourite of ours for showing women the huge variety of symptoms you can experience at this challenging time.

Nowadays you don’t simply need to put up with this and suffer - help us out there! Think about making an appointment with your GP to chat it through, or even come and give our clinic a visit.

www.menopausehealthhighland.co.uk

11/01/2025

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM MENOPAUSE HEALTH HIGHLAND!

Hello from a snowy Drs Emma and Beth. We are excited about all the new patients we will meet in 2025 and help on their menopause journey. We have met so many amazing women already. How has it been two years already since we decided to open our clinic!

Remember we can see you face to face or consult via video link or telephone. We are two British Menopause Society registered specialists based in Inverness.

Hope to meet you soon.

www.menopausehealthhighland.co.uk

30/12/2024

GOODBYE 2024!

Have you been struggling with your menopause this year? Time to make some positive plans in 2025. Let us help you feel more like your old self again.

Come visit our website at www.menopausehealthhighland.co.uk where we are now taking bookings for 2025.

Our clinic is run by British Menopause Society trained specialists who are here to help.