Derived from the Greek menos, meaning month, menopause refers to the ending of menstruation.

But in fact the menopause is much more than just the cessation of a woman's periods; it involves a prolonged time of change throughout the body brought on by the gradual shutting down of the ovaries.

The blood levels of two hormones produced in the brain (FSH and LH) rise and the level of oestrogen drops significantly coming up to and during a woman's menopause. These dramatic hormonal changes give rise to the night sweats and flushes experienced by 80 per cent of women between the ages of 47 and 55.

Changes to skin, hair and nails as well as vaginal dryness can also be linked to hormonal swings. Mood and memory might also be affected.

Almost 50 per cent of the 260,000 Irish women who are going through some stage of menopause say the experience has a substantial effect on them. The majority of women say they find it difficult to identify when exactly menopause begins; some two in three women specifically go to their general practitioner to confirm their menopausal status.

So should women take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or not? Ever since the publication of two major studies confirming a link between HRT and breast cancer, ovarian cancer and cardiovascular disease, there has been a significant drop in the use of HRT.

Despite the acknowledged long-term benefits of HRT, such as the prevention of osteoporosis, it is currently recommended that doctors prescribe the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time.

It is especially important that an individual risk assessment be carried out on every woman considering taking HRT.