For more information on menopause (including the symptoms), visit the Irish Family Planning Association website here.
We’re not so keen on the term “hot flushes” – we prefer to call them “power surges” – but that’s not important right now.
What is important is that a new drug, developed by experts at Imperial College London, could potentially bring an end to such flushes for millions of women going through menopause.
According to the Daily Mail, the treatment has been hailed as “very important” and is currently being tested on menopausal women (after positive results on female rats).
How it works is it blocks a brain signal that brings on the flushes, which many find interfere with their personal and professional lives.
Endocrinologist at Imperial College London, Dr Julia Prague, told the publication: “Of all menopausal symptoms, hot flushes tend to bother women more than anything else.
“The impact on women’s lives can be huge but because the menopause is still a taboo subject, many are suffering in silence.”
She added that it could be incorporated into “routine clinical practice within five years” and could serve as an alternative to Hormone Replacement Therapy.
