Get ready for today's modern, more optimistic approach to life during -- and after -- menopause
By Hilary Parker
WebMD Feature
Menopause symptoms, like hot flashes and drop in sex drive, haven't changed. But the way women deal with menopause has.
"Women are becoming more accepting of the physical and emotional challenges that are associated with menopause and accepting them as natural, transitional changes," says Karen Giblin. She's the founder of Red Hot Mamas, a national menopause education program. "They're focusing on feeling good and looking at menopause more positively."
The Pros and Cons of Hormone Replacement Therapy
Trying to keep up with the latest on hormone replacement therapy (or HRT) can be tough. "Women don't know what to believe anymore," says Shelley R. Salpeter, MD, director of medicine consultation services at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, Calif. Experts debate the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy, but everyone, including the FDA, agrees that it definitely helps with two conditions: the symptoms of menopause and osteoporosis. Here are the pros and cons of using...
Read the The Pros and Cons of Hormone Replacement Therapy article > >
Those Famous Menopause Symptoms
Technically menopause means not having a period for 1 year. But the word is often used to describe the changes taking place as a woman nears the end of her reproductive years. Every woman goes through menopause differently. Experts say about 75% of women have menopause symptoms. About 20% to 25% get treatment for those symptoms.
Signs of menopause often start during perimenopause, a time leading up to menopause that can last for as long as 10 years.
Changes in estrogen and testosterone during perimenopause and menopause can cause a wide range of symptoms, including:
- Irregular periods
- Heavy bleeding
- Worse PMS
- Sleep problems
- Hot flashes
- Vaginal dryness
- Loss of sex drive
- Joint pain
- Memory problems
- Mood swings
Lower levels of estrogen also can affect the heart and bone density.
Manage Menopause Symptoms: Lifestyle Changes
Around the time of menopause, many women are busy working and taking care of teenagers and aging parents. That can mean they're not eating right, exercising, or getting enough sleep. All that stress can make it harder to handle changes in your body.
But there are many things you can do to improve symptoms, both during and after menopause.
Regular, weight-bearing aerobic exercise, such as walking and jogging, can protect your heart and bones. Add some strength training for even more bone protection. To help you sleep better, exercise at night, unless you find it makes it harder to drift off. You also can try yoga or Pilates to help ease stress.
Exercise may also help with problems in the bedroom.
"Staying fit for both partners helps, but particularly women, because if they feel good about themselves they are more likely to feel more sexual," says Margery Gass, MD. She is director of the University Hospital Menopause and Osteoporosis Center, University of Cincinnati. "It's important for women to maintain regular sexual activity as they get older, too."
A healthy diet with plenty of calcium and vitamin D may also help you control symptoms and avoid extra pounds that sometimes come with menopause. Also, try to skip spicy foods, red wine, and hot drinks -- that may help ease hot flashes.
Yoga, deep abdominal breathing, and acupuncture may help with hot flashes, too.
Ease Symptoms of Menopause: Modern Medicine
At some point, you may want to talk to your doctor about medical treatment.
- Symptom Relief. Hormone therapy is the most effective way to ease symptoms and make it easier to get through the day. For a long time, people thought extra hormones had some other health benefits, such as lowering the risk of colorectal cancer and bone fractures. But studies show that hormone replacement therapy (estrogen and progestin combined) can also lead to a greater chance of heart attacks, stroke, and breast cancer. Ask your doctor about the benefits and risks.
- Osteoporosis Prevention. Your doctor may do tests to figure out how dense your bones are and the chances that you can get a fracture. The doctor may suggest bone-building medication based on those test results.
- Boosting Sex Drive. Estrogen creams may ease vaginal dryness, but there's still no perfect medical solution to fix your sex drive. Be patient and communicate with your partner.
source : It's Not Your Mother's Menopause
