The menopausal transition process in the opinion of experts

“Menopause is not the end of a woman’s life. This should be understood not only by women themselves, but also by those closest to them.”

During the menopausal transition, women experience significant changes in their lives. Physiological changes, mood swings, and a decline in well-being can significantly impact daily functioning. Relationships, both professional and family, often become more strained, and feelings of fatigue and difficulty concentrating can complicate daily tasks.

We invite you to an interview with prof. dr hab. n. med. Wojciech Zgliczyński, president of the Polish Society of Menopause and Andropause, and with dr hab. n. med. Michał Ciebiera , prof. CMKP, director of the Warsaw Institute of Women’s Health.

An interview with dr hab. n. med. Michał Ciebiera , prof. CMKP, director of the Warsaw Institute of Women’s Health.

Can you be prepared for the arrival of menopause?

Yes and no. Menopause is a single point, a moment in a woman’s life, when she stops having periods. It is preceded by a transition period called perimenopause , during which women may experience typical menopausal symptoms, such as chronic fatigue, hot flashes, heart palpitations, and menstrual cycle disruptions.

It’s not like a woman just goes through menopause one day. It’s a process. The hormonal system can no longer cope. Therefore, a patient should be placed on the right treatment path by a specialist as early as perimenopause . This point cannot be determined. It can be 5 or even 10 years before menopause. It’s important to observe your body, the changes taking place, and not to ignore the first symptoms. At this point, at the Warsaw Institute of Women’s Health, we can offer the woman appropriate hormonal treatment so that the patient can gently enter the menopause process.

Menopausal transition – help from the Warsaw Institute of Women’s Health

The Warsaw Institute of Women’s Health is popular due to its unique approach to patients undergoing menopausal transition. Managing a menopausal patient is a process that can last from several months to several, even a dozen or so years.

“At our facility at 6 Inflancka Street in Warsaw, we can provide comprehensive diagnostics and treatment—all in one place in the heart of the capital. Thanks to the Clinic, we provide outpatient care, and we also offer comprehensive inpatient care based on in-depth diagnostics and off-site treatment planning. If necessary, we continue care within the Endocrinology and Gynecology Clinic.”

One of the unique aspects of the Institute is the fact that it is an obstetrics, gynecology and endocrinology hospital with a Gynecology-Endocrinology Sub-Department, supported by the multi-specialty Bielański Hospital.

Menopause. Benefits of treatment.

A visit to a gynecologist-endocrinologist requires a referral. This is the first step worth taking to improve quality of life. A woman who sees a specialist receives a comprehensive diagnosis of all symptoms, and if necessary, the doctor will initiate treatment.

Menopause can be a barrier to normal functioning; a woman may become less effective at work, struggle to cope in her personal life, become anxious, and lack sleep. Providing appropriate care allows a patient to return to normal functioning in the family and society. The problem is that over the years, menopausal hormone therapy in Poland has been significantly limited. Primary care physicians are either untrained or unwilling to treat such patients. All care has been focused on a group of gynecologists and gynecologist-endocrinologists who are skilled in this field, but this pool is completely insufficient given the scale of the problem.

According to his experience, doctors too often ignore patients reporting menopausal symptoms or simply do not know enough about it.

We want to promote awareness of the menopausal transition among women, encouraging them to seek medical help. Patients often “bounce back,” trying to find the causes of their worsening well-being on their own. They visit cardiology, psychiatric, hypertension , and endocrinology clinics – where they receive piecemeal treatment without addressing the underlying problem.
A patient who regularly visits her doctor, in addition to standard tests such as cytology, ultrasound , and mammography, should openly discuss her health, any concerns, and any changes she notices. However, if the patient doesn’t communicate these concerns, and the doctor doesn’t ask, the woman will live with bothersome symptoms, often with a reduced quality of life.

“During appointments, I try and suggest other doctors gently asking if a woman’s quality of life has changed, whether she’s starting to feel excessively hot, sweat profusely, or irritable , or if she’s having trouble sleeping. A few well-chosen questions can assess a woman’s condition during the menopausal transition. And that’s what we all want. To pinpoint and diagnose the cause, and then initiate appropriate, specialized treatment.”

Interview with prof. dr hab. n. med. Wojciech Zgliczyński – president of the Polish Society of Menopause and Andropause.

Just as Jan Kulczyk was a business visionary, his daughter, in my opinion, is a visionary of social change, primarily affecting women. I’m delighted that one of the main goals of the Dominika Kulczyk’s Foundation is to raise awareness of menopausal transition in society, especially among women.

It’s important to speak out about what menopause is and that it’s not the end of a woman’s life. This should be understood not only by women themselves, but also by their immediate circles: family (husband, partner, children), professional (boss, coworkers), and the medical community (family doctor, gynecologist).

These are the areas where efforts promoting menopausal transition should focus. The Kulczyk Foundation excels in this role, exerting its influence on the social stage through the media, opinion-forming circles, and even celebrities.

My role as president of the Polish Menopause and Andropause Society, on the other hand, focuses on the health dimension. Let’s explain the menopausal transition process to women. This is a time associated with a deficiency of female hormones, which not only impacts a woman’s well-being through symptoms of sexual intercourse, mood swings, poor sleep quality, and irritability, but above all, increases the risk of numerous diseases. These include weight gain and metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease (atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke), osteoporosis, and breast and reproductive cancers.

The most important thing – menopause, which is the average age of 50 – should be the time when a woman undergoes a health checkup to prevent potential illnesses. Recent studies indicate that the average age of a woman will be reduced to an average of 78 by 2050. A woman’s average lifespan will also be shorterin health– up to the age of 63. These are devastating figures, resulting from addictions, obesity, lack of exercise, unhealthy eating, lack of vaccinations, and lack of preventive screenings.