FERNWOOD FITNESS - PULSE eMagazine - Issue#14 - Flipbook - Page 18
EXPERT
INSIGHT
Menopause expert Dr
Kelly Teagle knows
exactly how debilitating
menopausal symptoms
can be and how dif昀椀cult
it can be to recognise
what’s happening.
“I experienced a
particularly early
menopause at age 42. As
a working GP and single
mum with young kids, life
was pretty stressful. It was
hardly surprising that I
became tired and moody.
It wasn’t until I started
getting hot 昀氀ushes that I
昀椀nally realised what was
going on.”
If it’s so dif昀椀cult for
a doctor specialising
in women’s health to
recognise the signs
of menopause and
perimenopause, how
will the rest of us
昀椀gure it out? “One
of the problems
with diagnosing
perimenopause and
menopause is that
the de昀椀nitions relate
to women’s periods,”
Dr Teagle explains.
“In fact, the early
hormonal changes of
perimenopause can
start while you’re still
having quite regular
periods. But what if you
aren’t having a natural
cycle or any periods at
all? For example, you
may be using hormonal
contraception, like the
pill or a Mirena IUD, or
had a hysterectomy or
endometrial ablation. It
can be really tricky to
work out.”
Dr Teagle founded the
WellFemme Telehealth
Menopause Clinic so that
all Australian women
could access personalised
menopause information
and support. “It can be
unclear exactly which
