Menopausal health advice

The core logic of menopausal conditioning has never been to use a unified formula of "anti-aging supplements" or to endure it. Rather, it is to first conduct basic screenings for six hormones, liver and kidney function, breast + pelvic B-ultrasound, and then choose an individualized plan that suits you from three gradients: lifestyle adjustment, non-pharmacological intervention, and medical intervention based on the severity of symptoms and basic physical conditions. There is no need to blindly follow the trend of supplementing estrogen, and there is no need to treat menopause as a "shameful obstacle".

Last week, I met 48-year-old Sister Zhang at the outpatient clinic. She came in with half a bag of unfinished soy isoflavones. She said that her sister said that this product can treat hot flashes. Not only has it not healed after three months of taking it, her breasts have been swollen and painful recently. After a check, she had breast nodules of grade 3. The basic estrogen level was not low enough to require additional supplements. On the contrary, eating too much phytoestrogens put a burden on the breasts. I have met too many people like her who follow the trend. They always want to find a universal remedy, but ignore the most basic principle of "investigate first and then adjust."

Speaking of this, many people will definitely ask, is the hormone supplement that everyone is afraid of safe or unsafe? The industry has different considerations on this issue: Most endocrinology doctors will suggest that as long as you are within 10 years of menopause, under the age of 60, and have no contraindications such as family history of breast cancer, history of blood clots, or abnormal liver and kidney function, low-dose hormone supplementation is the most profitable solution for relieving the symptoms of moderate to severe hot flashes, insomnia, and vaginal dryness. It can even prevent osteoporosis, and the risk is far lower than everyone imagines. ； However, some conservative gynecologists will suggest that if the symptoms are relatively mild, you can try a non-hormonal solution first instead of taking medication right away. ； The thinking of traditional Chinese medicine is even more different. It does not focus on hormone values, but adjusts yin and yang based on syndrome differentiation. For example, hot flashes, night sweats, and hot palms and soles are mostly due to kidney yin deficiency, and some prescriptions such as Zhibai Dihuang Pills will work. If you are always afraid of cold, swollen legs, and weak, it is kidney yang deficiency, and you need to use the thinking of kidney qi pills to adjust. There is no difference between these solutions, and the one that suits you is the best.

Oh, by the way, many people ask me if I want to take Xiaoyao Pill? Is this a universal remedy for menopause? Really not, Xiaoyao Wan is aimed at people with liver depression who usually like to be sulky, have pain in their chest and ribs, and always feel that their heart is congested. If you have a dry mouth and tongue every day, and your face feels hot in the afternoon, taking Xiaoyao Wan will make you more likely to get angry. Including dietary supplements such as royal jelly and snow clams that are rumored to be amazing on the Internet, unless you confirm that the estrogen level is very low and there is no risk of breast or endometrium lesions, it is really not recommended to eat more. The content of animal estrogen in them is unstable, and if you take the wrong supplement, it may cause problems.

To be honest, if your symptoms are very mild and you only have hot flashes once in a while, only two or three times a day, which does not affect your sleep or work, there is no need to take medicine at all. There is no need to force yourself to run five kilometers a day to practice your vest line. Many menopausal sisters have already begun to degenerate their joints, and hard running will hurt their knees. Walking in the community for 40 minutes after dinner, or dancing in a low-intensity square dance for half an hour, and sweating a little, is better than anything else. I met a 52-year-old aunt who suffered from insomnia at the beginning of menopause. Later she enrolled in a traditional Chinese painting class and went hiking with friends once a week. She usually raised flowers at home when she had nothing to do. Except for the occasional hot flashes in the two months after menopause, she had no irritability or joint pain. It was more effective than taking any supplements.

If you're so uncomfortable that you can't sleep, and you're having hot flashes at work, and it's so embarrassing that you don't have to deal with it. First, try not to watch short videos one hour before going to bed. The blue light will make the already fluctuating hormones more chaotic. Put some warm lily and Ophiopogon japonicus water by the bedside and take a few sips to moisten your throat. If you really can’t sleep, ask a doctor to prescribe some medicine to regulate autonomic nerves, or short-term sleep aids. It’s better than staying up until three o’clock every day with your eyes open. If you don’t sleep well for a long time, your blood pressure and blood sugar will be messed up.

In fact, menopause is really not that scary. It is just a normal transition stage in life. There is no need to regard it as a "sign of aging" and worry about it. Many friends around me have passed this stage and feel that they no longer have the trouble of menstruation, have free time, and live more freely than they did in their thirties or forties. To put it bluntly, the essence of conditioning is never to make you "reverse growth", but to allow you to spend this period of time comfortably, as comfortable as you want.