Surviving Menopause
Surviving Menopause
Hello again,
Did you know that a woman’s hormone levels start changing as menopause comes on? Well, it’s true; this can precipitate a variety of reactions and symptoms in every woman, and the extent to which these reactions and symptoms affect a woman can vary significantly. Typically, the indicators are changes and/or irregularity in the menstrual cycle, and the irregularity increases with time. The quantity of blood released during the cycle also changes. The symptom that is probably most widely known is hot flashes. Hot flashes are defined as a sudden heat wave flushing over the body, producing redness in the face and neck. Apparently, some women also have hot flashes when they are asleep, and these are called “night sweats”.
Emotional changes and the tendency toward exhaustion are reported by a most women in menopause. The reason behind these changes is changing hormone levels. Women experiencing menopause are worn down more easily, sometimes evidencing serious fatigue. The night sweats aggravate the situation, making a decent night’s sleep even more impossible. The strange thing is that most women do not lose weight as a result of the stress their body is taking. In fact, they tend to gain additional weight because the body’s fat levels increase as the women age.
Menopause tends to be an unpleasant fact of life. It is a period of aging that has its emotional up’s and down’s, and millions of women have no choice but to try to live through it. A healthy sense of humour is a bonus during this stage of life, since, if you look upon it properly as a stage that every woman goes through, you can lower your stress level by changing your point f view. If you are reading this article, you may becoming close to menopause, and you wonder how best to protect your heart, your bones, and your memory in the long term. There are some things you can do to help your body come through it reasonably unscathed. One option of course is just to put up with the symptoms. Another is more pro-active: go into a Hormone Replacement Treatment (HRT). If you are uncomfortable with the idea of an HRT, you might want to try out some of the multitude of natural and herbal supplements available in health stores and online.
The most popular treatment for menopause has been HRT. However, several major international studies were terminated because there is an increased risk of serious medical conditions such as heart disease, stroke, thrombosis, ovarian and breast cancer, as well as other illnesses for participants. Understandably, many women are looking for an alternative to HRT. The good news is that it appears to be possible to reduce the effects of menopause symptoms without using HRT.
The way to do this is to remember that the symptoms of menopause are not always related to changes in the body’s oestrogen levels. Make sure that you do the following as part of your daily routine
- switch to a healthy diet and omit the fast-food and obviously unhealthy food sources;
- use diet supplements that have scientifically valid basis, rather than an emotional appeal;
- make sure you get sufficient relaxation every day; and
- exercise is a must – keep your body moveable and flexible.
All of this will help you survive menopause.
According to Soya fans, soya products are the best sources of phytoestrogens, and you should consume a minimum of 100 mg of phytoestrogens per day to help minimise the menopausal symptoms. Add good, well-rounded, multi-vitamins to get better results. But even the Soya manufacturers are not certain that this is true. Gregory Burke and colleagues at Wake Forest University in North Carolina did a study about the effects phytoestrogen from soya had on women in menopause. The results of his study were not convincing, at best. “Most studies find that soy has no effect on menopausal symptoms,” says Burke. “When a benefit is detected, it appears to be relatively mild, and much less than what women get from estrogen replacement therapy.” (Menopause 6: 7, 1999)
Relaxing is a basic necessity during menopause. Exercise helps in two ways; it alleviates depression and anxiety, and at the same time makes it easier to sleep. As long as you don’t suffer from osteoporosis, an activity that puts mild stress on your bones, such as jogging or brisk walking, is a good help. This helps stimulate the regeneration of bone tissue and reduce calcium loss, which in turn helps to protect against the onset of osteoporosis.
Every woman will have menopause
These options are really good news for you and your body. There really is no substitute for learning to meet your body’s needs, especially at the time of the menopause. This is a problem that all women go through to some extent, so minimising its effects on you will have major significance in your life.
Thanks for looking in,
Jimmy Craig
for
Sue & Craig Websites
.
.
-
Our Skype Status