Dr. Dwivedi says menopause should be treated as an important life transition rather than something women should feel embarrassed about. “A woman may spend one-third of her life after menopause, yet many women go into this phase without enough information about what to expect. Symptoms such as flushes, sleep problems, mood changes, brain fog, joint pain, vaginal dryness and problems with sex may be seen as normal, ignored or just taken,” she said.