100 questions about menopause health knowledge

Menopause is a normal physiological transition stage for women from strong ovarian function to decline, and is not an "aging sign" or "emotional disease". About 85%-90% of menopausal discomfort symptoms do not require special treatment and can be passed smoothly through diet, exercise, and emotional adjustment. The remaining 10% or so of people with severe symptoms will not affect the quality of life at all as long as they follow the doctor's instructions and standardize the intervention. There is no need to bear it. Don't buy IQ tax products on the market for "ovarian maintenance" and "menopause delay".

Last week, I met a 51-year-old lady in the clinic. She burst into tears within three minutes of sitting in. She said that in the past six months, she had been so hot that she was sweating and had to open the window in winter, or she could not sleep all night long until dawn, quarreling with her husband and daughter. She felt annoyed. She secretly bought more than 3,000 yuan of maintenance essential oil to rub her belly, but it was of no use. She also found that her breast nodules had grown a little, and she was very worried. In fact, there are too many people who fall into this trap like her. Today I will break down the most frequently asked questions and say that they are all real cases that have been encountered in clinical practice for more than ten years. They are not false.

People often ask me, I started having irregular menstruation at the age of 42. Is it because I am experiencing early menopause? There is really no need to scare yourself. The normal age of menopause is 45-55 years old. Premature ovarian failure occurs before the age of 40, and premature menopause occurs between the ages of 40 and 45. Nowadays, everyone stays up late and is under great pressure. Indeed, many people start to experience symptoms of hot flashes and menstrual disorders in their early 40s. Check the six sex hormones and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) first to find out. Don’t just blindly accept the symptoms on the Internet. The more you think about it, the more anxious you will become.

When it comes to intervention plans, this is also the most controversial area. I generally do not recommend a certain method to patients. The view of Western medicine is that as long as there are no contraindications - such as a history of breast cancer, unexplained vaginal bleeding, active liver disease, etc. - the benefits of hormone supplementation therapy far outweigh the risks if started within 10 years of menopause or before the age of 60. It can not only quickly relieve hot flashes and night sweats, but also prevent osteoporosis and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in the elderly. ； The idea of ​​​​TCM is more towards overall conditioning. For example, if the kidney yin deficiency is obvious and hot flashes are obvious, use Zhibai Dihuang Pills. If the liver is depressed and the mood is bad, use Xiaoyao Pills. Together with moxibustion and Baduanjin, the state can be slowly brought back. There is no absolute right or wrong between the two options. The one that suits you is the right one. There was a patient who had a history of breast fibroids and did not dare to use hormones. She went to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department for three months of treatment. The number of hot flashes dropped from more than ten times a day to two or three times, and her sleep was also sound. ； There is also an aunt with particularly severe symptoms. After drinking traditional Chinese medicine for half a year, she still sweats frequently and suffers from insomnia all night long. After taking hormone supplements for three months, she regained her energy and could stand in the C position while dancing in the square.

By the way, someone asked me if I have any emergency tips for hot flashes. In addition to medical intervention, small tips in daily life are really useful. I have seen many patients find methods that are more effective than taking medicine, such as carrying a small hand-held fan with them, wearing loose cotton and linen clothes, and avoiding strong tea and coffee. An aunt told me that every time she had a hot flash, she took a sip of warm light honey water, took three deep breaths, and it can be suppressed in half a minute. You can also try it. In addition, exercise is really the most cost-effective way of conditioning. Moderate-intensity exercise at least 3 times a week, such as brisk walking, square dancing, and Tai Chi, can not only relieve hot flashes, but also regulate mood and prevent osteoporosis. Don’t lie down at home all the time. The more you lie down, the more likely you are to get into trouble.

I also mentioned the pitfalls that people have asked the most about. Stop believing in the claims that "soy isoflavones can delay menopause" or "taking birth control pills can reverse growth." Soy isoflavones are phytoestrogens and have very weak effects. People with mild symptoms may have some auxiliary effects when taking them, but it is impossible to "delay menopause", let alone rejuvenation. If you buy compound health products that add unknown estrogen, it may increase the risk of breast and endometrial lesions. There are also those ovarian care programs in massage parlors, which are purely IQ-based. The ovaries are deep in the pelvic cavity and cannot be touched when you rub your belly. If you have an ovarian cyst, indiscriminate pressing may cause the cyst to rupture, causing pain so severe that you need to go to the emergency room. It is purely a waste of money. Some people have asked me before if I can drink soy milk during menopause, saying that drinking soy milk will cause breast cancer. This is all nonsense. The phytoestrogens in soybeans are two-way regulated. When the estrogen in your body is high, it will antagonize it. If it is low, just supplement it in small amounts. Drinking a cup of 300ml of soy milk every day is absolutely fine and is actually good for the body.

Many people are embarrassed to say that they can't help but get angry recently and don't like anything they see. Are they suffering from depression? It’s really not that your personality has deteriorated, nor that you are pretentious. Fluctuations in estrogen will naturally affect neurotransmitters. It is normal to be emotionally sensitive and lose your temper. Your family should be more tolerant. If you continue to be depressed and have no interest in anything for more than 2 weeks, you should check for menopausal depression. Intervene if necessary. There is no shame in it. Don’t be careless about osteoporosis. Bone loss is the fastest in the first 5 years after menopause, with a loss of 2%-5% per year. Drink more milk, eat dark green vegetables, supplement vitamin D and calcium, and spend 15 minutes in the sun every day. It is best to check your bone density once a year. Don’t regret it after falling and breaking a bone.

Oh yes, many people also ask whether men have menopause? In fact, it does happen. It is usually caused by the slow decline of androgens after the age of 50. There may be symptoms of fatigue, insomnia, and poor mood. However, most people have much milder symptoms than women and don’t feel it themselves. If the symptoms are severe, you can go to the men’s department to check your hormone levels, and standard intervention can also alleviate it.

I have been doing clinical gynecology for almost 15 years. I have seen too many people treat menopause as a scourge. They either ignore it or spend money to buy a bunch of useless health products. In fact, it is really unnecessary. This is just a normal stage of your life, just like menstruation in adolescence, pregnancy and childbirth. It is nothing special. Just calm down, go to a doctor if you feel uncomfortable, and make adjustments and treatments when you are in your 50s and 60s. You can still live comfortably in your 50s and 60s. If you have any questions that haven’t been mentioned, you can also leave a message in the comment area and I will reply as soon as I see it.