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18 articles
Desire and sexuality
Why Does Desire Drop in Menopause, and Is It Hormones or Something Else?
Less desire in midlife is common, and it is rarely just one thing. An overview of the hormonal, physical, emotional and relationship factors that public health sources describe.
Hot flashes and night sweats
Why Do Hot Flashes Happen? What Is Known About the Body's Thermostat
A hot flash is commonly described as a sudden wave of heat with sweating and flushing. This is what public health sources say about the hormonal shifts, the brain's temperature control and night sweats.
Hot flashes and night sweats
What Makes Hot Flashes Worse? What Is Known About Common Triggers
Coffee, alcohol, spicy food, stress and warm rooms are often mentioned in connection with hot flashes. Here is what public sources and women's accounts describe about triggers and how patterns are usually identified.
Intimate and bladder health
Painful Sex in Menopause: Lubricants, Moisturisers and Medical Options
An overview of why sex can become painful after menopause, how lubricants and vaginal moisturisers differ, and which symptoms are commonly assessed by a doctor.
Mood and emotions
Irritability in Menopause: What Is Known About the Short Fuse
Irritability in the forties is widely reported and has recognised contributors: hormone fluctuations, disrupted sleep, stress and overload. An explanatory look at what public sources describe.
Sleep
Insomnia in Perimenopause: Why Sleep Changes
Waking at midnight or at four in the morning is one of the most frequently reported complaints of midlife. An overview of why sleep shifts during perimenopause and what public health sources describe.
Style and self-image
Fear of Ageing and Feeling Invisible After 50: What Is Known
An explanatory look at why many women over 50 report feeling unseen, how researchers describe grief and growth around this stage, and what public sources say about midlife wellbeing.
Hot flashes and night sweats
Cooling Sheets and Blankets for Night Sweats: How to Choose (and What to Check First)
A plain-language guide to choosing cooling sheets and blankets when you wake up hot or damp: fabrics compared, what the labels mean, and four popular options with their ratings.
Mood and emotions
Burnout After 40: When Tiredness Does Not Go Away
Exhaustion, irritability and a sense that work has lost its meaning are commonly described as burnout, and midlife changes such as poor sleep and hormonal shifts can overlap with it. This article explains what public sources say about the signs.
Memory and focus
Brain Fog in Menopause: What Is Known About Word-Finding and Focus
Word-finding lapses, lost focus and a sense of mental slowness are commonly reported in midlife. An explanatory look at what is known about menopausal brain fog.
Bones, muscles and movement
Bone Health After Menopause: Osteopenia, Osteoporosis and What Is Known
Bone loss accelerates around menopause. An explanation of what osteopenia and osteoporosis mean, how bone density is assessed and which factors public health sources link to bone health.
Intimate and bladder health
Bladder Leaks After 40: What Pelvic Floor Training Involves
An explanatory look at urinary leakage in midlife: the difference between stress and urge incontinence, what pelvic floor muscle training consists of, and which signs are commonly described as reasons to consult a professional.
Mood and emotions
Anxiety That Appears After 40: Could It Be Hormonal?
Racing heart, dread for no reason, a mind that will not switch off: new anxiety in midlife is common. An explanation of how hormones, sleep and life load can contribute, and why anxiety is a health issue professionals can assess.
Hot flashes and night sweats
How to Dress to Handle Hot Flashes at Work
Practical and welcoming tips for choosing clothes that help you cope with hot flashes in the professional environment, with comfort and style.
Perimenopause and menopause
Does menopause have a good side? An honest conversation about this phase
Yes, it can. Without romanticizing or hiding what's hard, let's look at what many women say improves when menopause arrives.
Perimenopause and menopause
What are the first signs that I'm entering perimenopause?
A different cycle, nights of broken sleep, irritability that doesn't feel like you, sudden heat. Here are the most common early signs of the transition, what else it could be, and when to book an appointment.
Perimenopause and menopause
Perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause: what is the difference?
Three words that confuse almost everyone. Find out which stage you are in, how long each one usually lasts, and why so many symptoms show up before your last period.
Purpose and spirituality
Welcome to Ella Plena
A safe space, with up-to-date information and real stories, for women who want to live well after 40. Here is what you will find and why this project exists.