WHEN YOU think of the menopause, what symptoms come to mind?
Experts have said that menopause can bring with it up to 62 symptoms.
Menopause can affect your mouth and ears in strange ways
Despite this, women tend to only recognise about five, namely hot flushes, night sweats, tiredness, sleep difficulties and irregular periods.
Here are some unusual symptoms you might not associate with the menopause, including some you can see and hear.
1. Burning mouth
Ever felt a scalding, tingling or burning sensation in your mouth and lips?
Turns out this bizarre symptom is called burning mouth syndrome can actually be brought on by the menopause.
Aside from pain, discomfort and some numbness, other symptoms may include a dry mouth, a bitter or metallic taste and loss of taste
Studies suggest this unusual symptom only affects about 18-33 per cent of all menopausal women.
Writing about this peculiar sign for The Menopause Charity, Linda Mutton, a nurse with a special interest in the menopause, said your burning mouth is probably linked to hormonal changes – lower levels of the hormone oestrogen are common at this point in a woman’s life.
But an underactive thyroid could also be the culprit, as well as certain vitamin deficiencies and allergies.
But Linda said hormone replacement therapy (HRT) might help relieve some of these symptoms.
She also advised you drink plenty of fluids, avoid acidic foods, alcohol and cigarettes, and you could even try changing your toothpaste to one for sensitive teeth or that contains bicarbonate of soda to neutralize acid.
2. Tinnitus
Tinnitus – characterised by a ringing, buzzing or whooshing sound in one or both your ears – can have many causes, including exposure to loud noises, ear infections, and as side effects of certain medications.
But according to Tinnitus UK, hormonal changes brought on by the menopause can play a role in this condition developing.
Declining oestrogen and progesterone levels can can affect the auditory system and potentially contribute to tinnitus, it wrote.
Oestrogen specifically has been shown to play a role in the development and maintenance of auditory pathways in the brain, according to the charity.
But a study published in 2018 did find that taking HRT could decrease the risk of tinnitus in menopausal women.
Sleep disturbances and anxiety could also be behind the appearance of these auditory symptoms, Tinnitus UK said.
“Sleep disturbances, in particular, can have a negative impact on tinnitus because they can interfere with the ability to cope with and therefore manage the condition.”
3. Change to sense of smell and taste
Some women might notice that their sense of smell is heightened, making them more aware of smells.
Menopause advisor Eileen Durward said many might no longer be able to tolerate the perfume that they’ve used for years.
The reason behind this quirk is again hormonal.
Some women might also become more sensitive to certain foods and drinks during the perimenopause and menopause, like dairy, wheat, caffeine, alcohol, and sometimes sugar as well.
This can lead to bloating, constipation, and, occasionally, diarrhoea too.
Eileen recommended taking note of what foods trigger these kinds of symptoms and avoiding them.
4. Changes in vision and spatial awareness
Eileen said many people going the menopause also find their depth of vision and spatial awareness has changed.
She gave the examples of bumping into doorframes or suddenly having trouble parking.
“f you’re in this situation where you’re finding that these particular symptoms are occurring, it is also a good idea just to check with your optician,” Eileen wrote.
“The reason being is that we know that changing oestrogen levels can actually affect your sight,” she explained.