To mark Menopause Awareness Month, Dr Lee Lim has highlighted the importance of preventative medicine in managing perimenopause and menopause symptoms.
The theme for Menopause Awareness Month this year is lifestyle medicine, focusing on how everyday choices like food, sleep, stress management, and self-care can make a difference when tackling key symptoms such as hot flushes, changes to sexual health, sleep issues, mood changes, and anxiety.
Dr Lim, consultant gynaecologist and subspecialist in reproductive medicine at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Welbeck Health Partners, said: “Hormone replacement therapy should not be the first line of treatment for patients experiencing symptoms.
“Investing in perimenopause and menopause health through simple lifestyle changes can significantly improve quality of life.”
She says a regular exercise routine, balanced diet, and an understanding of preventative health are key to easing symptoms and that medical treatments such as hormone replacement therapy should only be considered once these foundations are in place.
Monitoring key metrics such as heart rate, blood pressure, weight, and blood sugar levels can also help clinicians to personalise care plans to individual needs.
Dr Lim continued: “Experiencing the menopause is an important stage of a person’s development and will affect everyone who has had a uterus and ovaries.
“Healthy lifestyle choices and consistent routines can make a much greater difference than people often assume, reducing the need for hormone replacement therapy.
“When hormone therapy is required, dosage and treatment should always be tailored to the individual, but making healthier choices is something we can all start today.”
Dr Lim is among a team of leading health experts set to join Welbeck’s new £30 million medical practice in Jordan Hill, which will open in north Oxford next year.
A model of Welbeck Health Partners’ new £30 million medical practice (Image: Fortitude Communications)
The state-of-the-art centre will offer a complete suite of medical services and cater to 12 different specialties, including heart health, lung health, digestive health, endoscopy, and neurology.
At Welbeck Oxford, women experiencing menopause will benefit from same-day, personalised care plans, using the latest technology to review and monitor symptoms on a case-by-case basis.
Dr Lim said: “Menopause treatments are rarely covered by medical insurance and women should check what cover they are eligible to receive.
“That’s a significant issue for many, but timely advice and professional support can make a real difference.
“Welbeck Oxford will transform private healthcare in the city by providing unrivalled access to expert specialists who can fulfil on the day diagnosis and treatments.”
Welbeck Health Partners is a partnership of leading healthcare specialists that was founded to transform patient care through the use of new technologies.