Menopause Health Guide

Menopause is a normal physiological transition stage for women from strong ovarian function to decline. There is no need to endure all the discomfort, nor is there any need to be overly anxious and treat it as a serious illness. It can be passed smoothly by following the principle of "personalized assessment and on-demand intervention".

Sister Zhang, who I met at the gynecological endocrinology clinic last week, is a typical example. She is 48 years old and has worked as an administrator for 20 years. She used to be famous for her good temper. In the past two months, her period only came once every two or three months, and then she would break out in hot sweat at every turn. She would toss and turn until two or three o'clock at night. Only then could she fall asleep. Last week, because her husband forgot to buy the cereals she asked for, he threw the bowl. She hid in the toilet and cried for half an hour afterwards. She thought she was suffering from depression. After checking her sex hormones, she found out that it was a typical symptom of perimenopause, which is what everyone often calls "menopause."

There are actually two opinions about how to deal with menopause. Most of the older generation think that "this is a hurdle that women must go through, and it will be over after enduring it for three to five years. Taking medicine is just a waste of money and has side effects." Many aunts who are now in their 50s and 60s survived in this way. It is true that some people have mild symptoms and get over it, but there are also many people who have suffered from sleep disorders, severe osteoporosis, and even psychological problems due to long-term poor mood. The other is the "universal theory of hormone supplementation" that has been widely circulated on the Internet in recent years, saying that as long as you reach menopause, you must supplement estrogen, otherwise you will age quickly and develop Alzheimer's disease. This statement is also inaccurate. Hormone supplementation has clear indications and contraindications. People with a history of breast cancer, active thrombosis, and unexplained vaginal bleeding are not suitable for use. Blind supplementation is risky.

Don't tell me, the symptoms of menopause really vary from person to person, and not everyone will have the typical symptoms of hot flashes, night sweats, and bad temper. Last month I met a 51-year-old aunt who suffered from knee pain for more than half a year. She went to several orthopedic hospitals for physical therapy and plasters, but to no avail. Later, when she checked her bone density, she found that she had reached the level of osteoporosis, which is a rapid loss of bone mass caused by a decrease in estrogen. After three months of estrogen supplementation and calcium tablets, her knee pain was 80% relieved. Some people have no discomfort throughout the process, but their menstruation slowly stops. Apart from annual physical examinations for bone density, no special intervention is needed at all. This kind of people are just like God's blessing, and they don't have to follow others to join in the "menopausal health care excitement".

If you only have occasional hot flashes, once or twice a day at most, and it doesn't affect your sleep or your dealings with people, then you can adjust it yourself. My aunt is 51 years old. When she first had hot flashes last year, she changed all her pajamas into pure cotton cardigans. The bedroom air conditioner was fixed at 24 degrees. The milk tea and strong coffee she used to drink were replaced with chrysanthemum Ophiopogon japonicus tea. She danced square dances with the aunties in the community for 40 minutes after dinner every day. Now, more than half a year later, the symptoms have basically disappeared, and she has not even gained much weight.

Oh, by the way, I want to mention here that many people gain weight during menopause not because of "putting on weight", but because the basal metabolic rate drops by about 15%-20% after the decrease in estrogen. In the past, it was just fine to eat a bowl of rice at a meal, but now I still eat a bowl. If I can't use it all, I will naturally gain weight. , you don’t need to go on a diet, just replace one-third of the polished rice and white flour with corn, sweet potatoes and other grains, and walk an extra 3,000 steps a day, and you can basically maintain your weight. There is no need to force yourself to do high-intensity exercise, which will easily injure the joints that are already losing calcium.

If the symptoms have affected your normal life, such as hot flashes more than ten times a day, your clothes are soaked with sweat at every turn, or you cannot sleep for more than half a month, your mood is so bad that you can’t watch anything, your relationships with your family and colleagues are affected, or your menstruation is so irregular that it comes once every two months and is extremely heavy, then don’t bear it and go to the gynecological endocrinology clinic of a regular hospital. , check six items of sex hormones, gynecological B-ultrasound and bone density, and let the doctor evaluate your physical condition. If you are suitable for hormone supplementation, use it during the "window period" within 10 years of menopause and before the age of 60. The benefits far outweigh the risks. If hormones are not suitable, there are alternatives such as botanical medicine and Chinese patent medicine. You can always find a method that suits you. There is no need to suffer.

Another point that many people overlook is that the support of family members is really important. I told Sister Zhang before that when you go home, you don’t have to hold back and think, “How did I become like this?” You can just tell your husband and children directly, “I’m menopausal now, and sometimes I can’t control my emotions. Please be patient if I say something that offends you. I don’t mean to target you.” She said when she came home. After getting married, her husband now asks her if she wants to bring some of her favorite strawberries when buying groceries. When her children see her coming over to pour water during online classes, they will also take the initiative to chat with her about school. Recently, she came for a review and said that she has not quarreled with her family for more than half a month, and her sleep is much better.

In fact, menopause is really not that scary. To put it bluntly, it means that the ovaries have been working for 30 to 40 years and are about to "retire." The various minor conditions that occur when the body is temporarily unable to adapt to this change are just like when you have just retired and are suddenly unaccustomed to being free. Adjust slowly and find comfort as you see fit. Don't listen to others saying "you must endure" or "must take medicine." What suits you is the best. If you survive these few years smoothly, there will be decades of comfortable life ahead.