MENOPAUSE & PERIMENOPAUSE
Feel heard. Understand what’s changing.
Perimenopause and menopause can affect far more than your periods. Changes in sleep, mood, energy, cognition, sexual health and physical wellbeing can all have an impact on how you feel day to day.
At EIRA, you’ll have the time to talk through what you’re experiencing, understand your options and make informed decisions about your care.
Personalised, evidence-led menopause care — built around you, not just your symptoms.
UNDERSTANDING MENOPAUSE
Menopause can affect more than you might expect.
Perimenopause is a time of hormonal change that can begin several years before your final period. For some women the changes are subtle. For others, they can have a significant impact on everyday life.
Symptoms can affect your physical health, emotional wellbeing, relationships, work and confidence — and they don’t always appear in ways that are immediately recognised as hormonal.
At EIRA, we look beyond individual symptoms to understand what has changed, how it is affecting you and what else may be contributing to how you feel.
01 — SLEEP & ENERGY
Changes in sleep, fatigue, reduced energy or feeling less resilient than you used to.
04 — BODY & METABOLIC CHANGES
Changes in weight, body composition, muscle strength, joints or how your body responds to diet and exercise.
02 — MOOD & COGNITION
Anxiety, low mood, irritability, brain fog, memory or concentration changes.
05 — SEXUAL & UROGENITAL HEALTH
Changes in libido, vaginal dryness or discomfort, urinary symptoms and recurrent urinary infections.
03 — PERIODS & HORMONAL SYMPTOMS
Changes to your menstrual cycle, hot flushes, night sweats, headaches or worsening premenstrual symptoms.
06 — LONG-TERM HEALTH
The hormonal changes of menopause can also influence bone, cardiovascular and metabolic health, making this an important time to think about health for the years ahead.
YOUR CONSULTATION
Time to understand the whole picture.
Your menopause consultation is a chance to talk openly about what has changed and how it is affecting your life.
We’ll explore your symptoms, menstrual and reproductive history, medical and family history, current medications, lifestyle and the areas of your health that matter most to you.
We’ll also consider factors such as cardiovascular and bone health, and whether anything else could be contributing to your symptoms.
From there, we can discuss the options available to you and make decisions together about the most appropriate next steps.
There is no expectation that you should choose a particular treatment. The aim is to give you the information and support you need to make an informed decision about your care.
What to expect
01 - Time to discuss your symptoms and concerns
04 - Blood testing where clinically appropriate
03 - Review of your individual health and risk factors
05 - A personalised discussion of your treatment options
02 - A comprehensive medical and menopause assessment
06 - An agreed care and follow-up plan
YOUR OPTIONS
Menopause care isn’t one-size-fits-all.
There is no single right way to manage menopause. What is appropriate for you will depend on your symptoms, medical history, individual risk factors, preferences and what you want from treatment.
Following your assessment, we’ll talk through the options that may be suitable for you — including their potential benefits, risks and alternatives — so that decisions about your care are made together.
01 — HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
For some women, HRT can be an appropriate option for managing menopausal symptoms. Where clinically suitable, we can discuss the different types and routes of HRT and develop an individualised treatment plan.
03 — VAGINAL & URINARY HEALTH
Menopause can cause changes to vaginal, vulval and urinary health. These symptoms are common but often under-discussed, and there are treatment and self-care options that may help.
02 — NON-HORMONAL OPTIONS
HRT isn’t suitable or wanted by everyone. Where appropriate, we can discuss non-hormonal approaches and other options for managing particular symptoms.
04 — LIFESTYLE & LONG-TERM HEALTH
Sleep, nutrition, physical activity, strength, alcohol, smoking and stress can all influence health through midlife. We’ll consider these alongside areas such as bone, cardiovascular and metabolic health.
The aim is not simply to prescribe treatment. It’s to find an approach that feels right for you and supports both how you feel now and your health for the future.
BLOOD TESTING
Do I need a blood test for menopause?
Not necessarily. For many women over 45, perimenopause or menopause can be identified from symptoms and changes to the menstrual cycle without routinely measuring reproductive hormone levels.
However, blood testing can still be useful when there is uncertainty around the diagnosis, when symptoms occur at a younger age, or when we want to investigate other possible causes for how you are feeling.
At EIRA, we may also recommend targeted blood tests to help build a broader picture of your health through midlife — looking beyond hormone levels alone.
We don’t recommend tests simply because they are available. We use them when the result could add useful information to your care.
Depending on your individual circumstances, this might include assessment of:
Thyroid function
To investigate whether thyroid changes could be contributing to symptoms.
Blood count & nutrient status
Where appropriate, looking at markers such as iron, vitamin B12, folate or vitamin D.
Metabolic health
Including blood glucose regulation and markers relevant to diabetes risk.
Cardiovascular health
Including cholesterol and lipid markers to help understand cardiovascular risk.
Hormones
Hormonal testing may be appropriate in particular clinical circumstances, rather than being routinely required for every woman experiencing menopause symptoms.
ONGOING CARE
Care that changes with you.
Menopause care doesn’t end when treatment begins. Your symptoms, health and priorities can change over time, and your treatment may need to change with them.
If you start HRT or another treatment through EIRA, we’ll arrange appropriate follow-up to review how you’re feeling, assess your response and address any concerns or side effects.
Once treatment is established, ongoing reviews allow us to consider whether it remains appropriate for you and make adjustments where clinically indicated.
We’ll also continue to consider the wider aspects of your health that become increasingly important through midlife and beyond.
The aim is to build an ongoing relationship with your health — not simply manage menopause as a single moment in time.
YOUR CARE PATHWAY
01 — CONSULT
Understand your symptoms, health and priorities.
02 — PLAN
Agree an individual approach to treatment and support.
03 — REVIEW
Assess how you’re responding and make adjustments where needed.
04 — CONTINUE
Ongoing review with your changing health and priorities in mind.
FAQs
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Do I need to be in menopause to book a consultation?
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No. You can book if you think you may be experiencing perimenopause, are approaching menopause, are already postmenopausal, or simply want to understand whether hormonal changes could be contributing to how you feel.
What happens after my first consultation?
Do I need blood tests before my appointment?
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No. Blood tests are not routinely needed to identify perimenopause or menopause in women over 45 when the clinical picture is clear. Your individual circumstances will be assessed during your consultation and we’ll discuss whether any testing would be useful.
Can you prescribe HRT?
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Yes. Where HRT is clinically appropriate and you decide that it is right for you, it can be prescribed as part of your care at EIRA. Your individual benefits, risks, preferences and treatment options will be discussed before any prescribing decision is made.
What if I’m already taking HRT?
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What if I’m not sure whether my symptoms are caused by menopause?
You can still book a consultation. We can review your current treatment, how well your symptoms are controlled, any concerns or side effects you are experiencing, and whether your current approach remains appropriate for you.
That's absolutely fine. Many symptoms associated with perimenopause can have other causes. Your consultation allows us to look at the wider picture and, where appropriate, consider further investigation or recommend that another healthcare professional is involved.
We'll agree the next steps together. This may involve treatment, lifestyle measures, blood testing or further investigation where appropriate. If treatment is started, we'll arrange appropriate follow-up to review your response and make any necessary adjustments.
YOUR HEALTH. YOUR CHOICES.
Ready to feel more like yourself?
Personalised, evidence-led menopause care with the time to understand what you're experiencing and find an approach that's right for you.