Vaginal dryness in menopause is common and treatable. Learn the symptoms, how lubricants, moisturisers and vaginal oestrogen work, and when to seek help.

You’re in the middle of a high-stakes board meeting. You’ve prepared for this for weeks. You know your data inside out. But as you open your mouth to make your key point, the word you need, a simple, everyday professional term, completely vanishes. There is a hollow, ringing silence where your sharpest thought used to be. You style it out, of course. You’re a professional. You find a synonym, you take a sip of water, and you move on. But inside, your heart is hammering agains

You’re used to being the one who holds everything together. You’ve always been capable, organised and health-conscious. Then, somewhere in your 40s or 50s, your body starts feeling less predictable. Your weight creeps up around your middle. Your clothes suddenly don’t fit the same. You may be eating less and moving more, yet the scale refuses to move. And if you’ve heard “eat less, move more” from someone who hasn’t asked about your sleep, stress or symptoms, it can feel as i