Drew Barrymore had a hot flash on TV. Yes, menopause is having a moment.
Drew Barrymore had a hot flash on TV. Yes, menopause is having a moment.
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It's time we talk about perimenopause and menopause
The hormonal and physical changes that come with menopause are rarely discussed openly. Why not?
The show must go on – even during a hot flash.
Actress Drew Barrymore, 50, learned that lesson as she experienced a particularly rough one in the middle of Wednesday's episode of her talk show, "The Drew Barrymore Show."
Instead of opening the program with a discussion on food expiration dates, viewers saw the host being fanned down by Valerie Bertinelli, Ross Mathews and Danny Seo while she stripped off her plaid jacket.
'It's just so weird that they come out of nowhere, you know?' Barrymore said. 'I'm so lightheaded right now.'
Hot flashes are a sudden feeling of warmth that most often affects the face, neck and chest and can cause sweating, according to the Mayo Clinic. Most people who have hot flashes experience them daily, and can last between one and five minutes.
They're one of the dozens of symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, which also commonly include irregular periods, night sweats, sleep problems, mood changes and brain fog.
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Menopause specialist Dr. Sameena Rahman, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Chicago, said Barrymore's candid TV moment demonstrates how this physiological transition is finally becoming a public conversation instead of a shameful secret.
'This moment is here to stay,' Rahman said. 'It's such an important topic that impacts women's quality of life and life expectancy, and it hasn't been getting the treatment it deserves.'
Other stars have joined the movement. Oprah Winfrey hosted a public discussion on menopause, called "The Menopause Revolution," that aired Monday and featured experts and celebrity guests such as Naomi Watts and Halle Berry. Watts just released her first book, "Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I'd Known About Menopause," and Berry launched the health and wellness platform Respin, which offers tools on navigating menopause.
It's also not the first time Barrymore experienced a hot flash on national television. In May 2023, the talk show host suddenly had one while interviewing guests Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler.
'I think I'm having one of my first perimenopause hot flashes,' she told the actors, as Aniston helped her friend adjust her microphone.
An estimated 6,000 women reach menopause each day, which amounts to about two million women per year, according to the Mayo Clinic.
While women have been undergoing menopause since the dawn of time, Rahman said Generation Xers and Millennials are bravely going public with the discrimination and ageism they face when seeking treatment for symptoms instead of "sucking it up" like previous generations.
"No one wants to do that anymore. No one wants to suffer in silence, so they're not and I love it," she said.
Menopause is not only a health issue, Rahman said.
A Mayo Clinic study found it costs women an estimated $1.8 billion in lost work time per year and about $24.6 billion in medical expenses. Research also shows more than 70% of women blame menopause for the breakdown of their marriage, according to a survey conducted by The Family Law Menopause Project and Newson Health Research and Education.
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It can also be difficult to find help for menopausal symptoms with many clinicians receiving minimal training to diagnose and treat the condition, Rahman said. But with more awareness, that's beginning to change as more medical schools dedicate centers to perimenopause and menopause.
Doctors "are out there hungry for the information... they're pissed off they didn't learn this and this is all a product of how women's health has been discounted for so long," she said. "This is changing now. There is some hope and light."
For women who suspect they may be experiencing perimenopause, Rahman recommends meeting with their healthcare provider immediately instead of waiting for their annual visit. She also recommends going to the appointment prepared with detailed information about symptoms and when they started, and about their last menstrual cycle.
Rahman said it's also important to ask your healthcare provider about certain treatment options like hormone therapy. If their clinician isn't comfortable, make sure to ask if they know other providers who might be able to help.
While hormone therapy "is not a magic bullet," she said it can be an important tool for treatment that might also include diet, exercise and sleep modifications.
"We're all going to go through this period of time, if we're lucky enough to live as long," Rahman said. 'Women should understand that aging is inevitable but suffering is not."
Adrianna Rodriguez can be reached at adrodriguez@usatoday.com.
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