Menopause is a reality that all women except those who have already had their ovaries removed eventually experience.
It’s not that all women who go through menopause experience negative physical and emotional consequences but most are affected. A survey of British Women, for example, revealed Three-quarters of women say that menopause caused them to alter their life and over half say it had a negative impact on their lives.
The survey revealed that 45 per cent of menopausal women had struggles with work, nearly 1/3 felt they were less social, 51 per cent say sex has affected their sex lives negatively, and over 1/3 said their partners did not understand what they were going through, often leading to heated arguments.
Sadly, despite these dramatic impacts menopause had on their lives, fully a third of the women responding to the survey reported they did absolutely nothing to alleviate the symptoms. But there are plenty of things a woman can do to better manage her menopause symptoms. Here are just a few:
#1. Maintain good bone health nutrition
Will eating and drinking foods that contain lots of Vitamin C and D reduce your menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats? Probably not.
However, what many women do not recognize is that changes in hormones can cause bones to weaken, leading to osteoporosis which is literally a weakening of bone density.
So while getting enough nutrition, or taking menopause supplements that keep your bones strong will not eliminate the majority of menopause symptoms, preventing a bone fracture in your hip or legs is one good pieced of advice.
#2. Get Counselling
Many women are unprepared for all the emotional and physical changes they go through with menopause. That’s why some counsellors or social workers centre their attention on menopause counselling.
While some doctors are also good at helping women understand the changes they are going through and what it means to go into a different phase of life, doctors rarely have the time to dedicate to doing thorough menopause counselling.
Women, of course, can turn to the age-old standby, the mother-in-law and friends network, but many women are simply too embarrassed to discuss their feelings with someone close and intimate.
If a woman cannot find a counsellor to talk to, often many women’s groups also have meetings where women can meet and discuss what is taking place, and what others have done about it. Often as well, these groups may have literature that will help their husbands or partners understand the type of changes they may be experiencing.
3. Consult your doctor about hot flashes
Hot flashes are a frequent complaint with women who are experiencing menopause. The number one treatment for hot flashes is estrogen or a combination of estrogen and progesterone together.
In fact, a Center For Disease report states that 22 per cent of all menopausal women are currently undergoing some form of Hormone Replacement Therapy, and 44 per cent of women have at one time or another.
Some studies have reported that up to 80 per cent of hot flashes can be reduced or eliminated using Hormone Therapy.
4. Change your sex practices
Many menopausal women experience fundamental changes in their sex life. While some sort of loose desire for sex, more often than not, the women decide that sex is no longer worth it due to sexual discomfort.
As women lose estrogen, and an unfortunate side effect is that women experience less vaginal lubrication. Sex often becomes difficult.
If your doctor determines that Hormone Therapy Replacement is not right for you, then consider adding a vaginal lubricant, either water-based or silicon-based. In fact, besides using a lubricant, many gynecologists now openly suggest that menopausal women add vibrators to their sexual practices. Often a vibrator can minimize the amount or need for lubricants.
#5. Dealing with Insomnia
Many women experience significant problems with how menopause interrupts their sleep cycles. Some of the best recommendations include:
- Meditating a few minutes before bed
- Listening to soothing music for a few minutes as you relax
- Avoiding caffeinated drinks in the evening
- Avoiding sleeping with screens that emit blue light that can interrupt your sleep.
- keeping the bedroom cool
#6. Give up smoking
You probably know that there are dozens of reasons why smoking is not good for you, including the risk of cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. Add one more in that smoking has been found to increase hot flashes in menopausal women.
#7. Drink enough water
There is plenty of evidence that most people don’t drink enough water in general, but the health advocates at Healthline.com remind people that the hormonal changes in menopause tend to increase the amount of water menopausal women need to stay healthy. Drink up with the H2O.
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