After the age of 45, most women will experience the onset of menopause, which is the stage of life during which they no longer have periods. When your ovaries stop releasing oestrogen and progesterone, a transition that is frequently referred to as “the change” takes place in your body. If you don’t obtain help, you won’t be able to get relief from the symptoms, which can be rather unpleasant and even downright difficult at times.
According to Jeremiah McNamara, MD, an OBGYN working at Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree, Colorado, “I wish more women would talk to their doctor about menopause and not assume that it’s part of being a woman and that you’re supposed to just suffer through it.” “I wish more women would talk to their doctor about menopause and not assume that it’s part of being a woman and that you’re supposed to just suffer through it.” “The vast majority of women report that they are concerned by symptoms, yet just a small fraction seek therapy for them.”
Typical symptoms of the menopause include the following:
- Nighttime sweats and bursts of heat
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Vaginal dryness
- Depression and other mood disorders
- Trouble concentrating
- Memory problems
When prescribed by a doctor, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), also known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or hormone therapy (HT), does not pose a health risk to women who are getting close to the age when they will experience their last menstrual period. Women who are experiencing severe symptoms benefit the most from this treatment.
There are, however, some natural therapies that you might try if your symptoms are minor to severe and you would rather not use any medications to treat your condition.
Maintain a mindful attitude
An old Buddhist idea eventually developed into what is now known as “mindfulness,” which is the practise of paying attention on purpose to what is happening in the here and now. The purpose of this exercise is to help you become more aware of your senses and how you are feeling, and to encourage you to let any thoughts or feelings that are associated with your experience pass without passing judgement on them. The activity has been associated with lower levels of tension and anxiety, in addition to improved capacity to cope with pain. According to research conducted at the Mayo Clinic, practising mindfulness may also help ease some of the symptoms associated with menopause.
Researchers asked around 1,740 women between the ages of 40 and 65 about their menopausal symptoms, their daily stress, and their level of mindfulness. The participants’ ages ranged from 40 to 65 years old. They discovered that women who reported being more aware tended to have fewer symptoms associated with menopause. [Citation needed] The correlation between increased mindfulness and decreased menopausal symptoms was highlighted most clearly in the women who reported experiencing higher levels of stress.
The research, which was conducted in 2018 and published in January 2019 in the journal Climacteric, does not prove a cause and effect relationship between the two, but it does suggest that practising mindfulness could be a natural and noninvasive way for women in this stage of life to manage their anxiety and some potentially uncomfortable symptoms.
A fundamental meditation practise is an excellent place to begin for anyone interested in cultivating greater mindfulness. It entails carrying out the following steps:
- Keeping your attention on your breath, particularly when you are preoccupied with unfavourable thoughts or feelings
- Taking in your surroundings through paying attention to the sights, smells, or sounds
- Taking pleasure in the simplest of activities, such as eating or cooking
- It’s possible that foods and supplements will help.
According to Dr. McNamara, taking a supplement including flaxseed, black cohosh, evening primrose oil, and red clover may help relieve some of the symptoms.
“A considerable number of women do report some degree of improvement in their symptoms with these options,” he says. “However, many major, well-designed scientific trials have failed to show a meaningful quantitative effect compared to a placebo.”
McNamara suggests that if you are going to give one of these supplements a try, you select one that was manufactured by a trustworthy manufacturer. “Don’t mix them with other supplements that treat menopause, and don’t overuse them,” he adds. “They shouldn’t be used in excessive amounts, either.” “Give everyone of them a shot in turn.”
You may have heard that consuming foods high in phytoestrogens, which are estrogens found in plants, can help ease symptoms. Some examples of foods rich in phytoestrogens are soy, chickpeas, lentils, and flaxseeds. The reality is that there are no research of this magnitude that support the conclusion that this is the case. According to McNamara, there is not much danger involved in attempting them because there is a possibility that they will not function.
McNamara recommends avoiding foods like curry, chilli sauce, and peppers if you struggle with hot flashes because of their high levels of heat. According to him, some women may also find that indulgent delicacies like cake and pudding, as well as bitter foods like lemons and coffee, cause their symptoms to flare up. Other women may find that lemons and coffee cause their symptoms to flare up. Alcohol is another factor that could bring on hot flashes.
Consult your healthcare physician if you are unsure about whether meals or supplements are appropriate for you to try (HCP).
Daily motion is a must
According to McNamara, there are two reasons why engaging in physical activity can be useful for the treatment of menopause symptoms. The majority of persons who are sedentary have the most difficulty dealing with the symptoms of menopause, and he notes that weight loss alone can help symptoms such as hot flashes.
The implementation of a daily exercise routine, even if it consists of nothing more than a nightly stroll after dinner, can also be helpful in alleviating symptoms, as he says. It has been shown that getting regular exercise can help alleviate the symptoms of stress and anxiety that are typically associated with menopause.
According to the recommendations of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the majority of healthy persons should aim for a minimum of 150 minutes of aerobic activity with a moderate intensity or at least 75 minutes of exercise that is more vigorous each week (DHHS). At the very least twice each week, you need to engage in any form of resistance training that builds muscle, such as push-ups or heavy gardening. As you get older, these pursuits will become even more essential to you.
Balance-training activities, such as walking backwards and standing on one leg, should also be incorporated into the weekly routines of people who are 60 years of age and older. The health benefits of exercise increase in proportion to the amount of activity that is performed. It is important to keep in mind that even brief periods of movement, such as a stroll that lasts only two minutes, can assist enhance your overall health.
Get better sleep
According to McNamara, one of the most essential things you can do to manage the symptoms of menopause is to practise proper sleep hygiene. According to him, “the quality of sleep that women experience following menopause is significantly worse than it is before menopause,” and “the poorer your sleep quality, the lower your threshold for anxiety and other conditions as well.” To achieve better comfortable sleep:
- When you get into bed, make sure the TV and your mobile are off.
- Maintain a consistent schedule for when you get up and when you go to bed each day.
- You want to make sure that your room is nice and dark, as well as silent.
- Before you go to bed, steer clear of caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes.
Researching different methods to alleviate the symptoms of menopause can be difficult due to the abundance of information that must be sorted through. McNamara recommends that you have an honest dialogue about your symptoms with your HCP, and that you keep in mind that you don’t have to learn to live with discomfort.
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