All in BRAIN

Menopause Mechanics: 2. It’s Not an Oestrogen Problem. It’s a Brain Problem.

Menopause Mechanics: 2. It’s Not an Oestrogen Problem. It’s a Brain Problem.

Sandra Ishkanes
BRAIN, PERI/MENOPAUSE MECHANICS

Hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety, insomnia, brain fog, headaches - what do all these symptoms have in common? They all start in the brain - they are neurological. 

The brain is the control centre of the body and 70% of it is made of fat. It consists of grey and white matter, and is mainly made up of neurons. Neurons are like electrical wires which are insulated with an outside covering of fat instead of plastic. Neurons are responsible for receiving sensory input from the outside world, for sending motor commands to our muscles, and for transforming and relaying signals at every step in between. They form the information superhighway.

Sandra Ishkanes

Menopause Mechanics: 3. Hot Flushes: Overheated and Underpowered.

Menopause Mechanics: 3. Hot Flushes: Overheated and Underpowered.

Sandra Ishkanes
BRAIN, HOT FLUSHES, PERI/MENOPAUSE MECHANICS

The hot flush - that sudden feeling of warmth that can leave a woman flushed and drenched in sweat - has long been considered the defining symptom of menopause, experienced by around 80% of women.

The typical narrative around hot flushes is that they last for 3-5 years around the last menstrual period, that every woman follows the same pattern, and that they are all about the decline in oestrogen hence replacing oestrogen -whether synthetic, bio-identical or plant based - is key to reducing their frequency.

So let’s bust these myths.

Sandra Ishkanes