MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS

• Women suffer from menopause during their late 40s or early 50s.

• Menopausal women are at a higher risk of several ailments.

• There are ways for women to continue with their lives and cope with menopause successfully.

• Although common symptoms of menopause cause physical pain, menopause can also cause mental stress.

• Some dietary regulations and exercises can reduce (if not eliminate) the symptoms of menopause.

It is common for women to suffer from menopause when they are in their late 40s or early 50s. This is the age when at least two-thirds of menopausal women experience symptoms of menopause which include hot flashes, irritability, mood changes, night sweats, and tiredness.

Menopause often lasts for few years. Menopause is a natural part of life for women, but it can be a difficult time for some.

Women suffering from menopause are at the risk of suffering from various ailments such as obesity, osteoporosis, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Apart from physical pain caused by symptoms, menopause can also cause mental stress which can be agonizing.

Impact of Menopause on Mental Health

Hormonal changes caused by menopause can affect physical as well as mental health. Such changes usher stress in the mind of a woman to the extent of her suffering from irritability, regular fits of anger, forgetfulness, loss of confidence as well as self-esteem, sad mood, short attention span, and depression.

In order to overcome mental impact of menopause, HelloDr can help you by connecting you with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) experts, counsellors, and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) experts. They can talk to you suggest remedies as well as treatment accordingly after hearing their problems.

Measures to prevent Menopause

Although menopause is a natural process happening to all women at some point in their lives, it does not mean that a woman has to give up on life.

Here are few tips that can help women to reduce the painful effects of menopause symptoms.

Morning walk under the sun:

Sunlight is the main source of Vitamin D and Vitamin D is necessary for good bone health because menopause weakens bones. Therefore, it is advisable to take morning walk under the sun. However, sunlight of afternoon or evening does not offer Vitamin D. You need to obtain Vitamin D from morning light.

Diet Rich in Calcium, Protein, Vitamin D and phytoestrogens:

Hormonal changes during menopause can cause the weakening of bones. They increase the risk of osteoporosis. Hence, a diet rich in calcium and Vitamin D strengthens the bones. After menopause, diet rich in Vitamin D is still necessary in order to lower the risk of hip fractures from weak bones.

Dairy products are good sources of calcium. Some of the key examples are milk, cheese, and yogurt are good sources of calcium. Green, leafy vegetables such as collard greens, kale, and spinach also offer calcium. So do beans, sardines, and tofu. Drinking fruit juice on regular basis also helps. For people preferring non-vegetarian food, cod liver oil, eggs, and oily fish can be good source of Vitamin D.

As sunlight is the main source of vitamin D, one needs to talk morning walk under the sun. When human skin is exposed to the sun, it produces Vitamin D. However, at old age, human skin becomes less efficient at making it. For people who cannot take morning walk under the sun, eating Vitamin D health supplements is advisable.

Food items rich in protein include dairy products, eggs, fish, legumes, meat, and nuts. Protein-rich diet not only helps in weight-loss, it also prevents muscle-loss.

Phytoestrogens are defined as naturally occurring plant compounds that can provide the effects of estrogen in the body, preventing hormonal imbalances. The food items that can provide phytoestrogens include beans, flaxseeds, linseeds, sesame seeds, soybeans, soy products, tofu, and tempeh. However, depending on the processing of food items, phytoestrogens may vary.

When you sign up with HelloDr, you can interact with nutritionists who will help you to chart your diet plan, helping you to determine the quantity of food items your should consume on regular basis to avoid or reduce menopause symptoms.

Avoid trigger foods:

Certain drinks that can trigger menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, and night sweats are alcohol and caffeine-based drinks. Reducing dependence on processed foods is also a good idea. Too much sugary or spicy food items can also trigger the menopause symptoms mentioned here. Therefore, if such food items and drinks are avoided, then menopause symptoms would be less painful.

Regular exercise:

There is no direct evidence of physical exercises reducing the symptoms of menopause. However, exercises like Pilates can burn fat, make the joints healthy, strengthen the bones, and burn metabolism, along with enabling better sleep. So these benefits can reduce the possibilities of bone-related ailments like osteoporosis.

You can learn Pilates and other exercises for physical fitness by connecting with fitness trainers on HelloDr.

Avoid skipping meals:

You know that skipping meals can lead to digestive juices causing acidity. Similarly, irregular eating can lead to imbalance in digestive system and worsen the menopause symptoms. Weight management also becomes difficult when you skip meals. Therefore, be regular with your diet and eat at right time.

Drinking water regularly:

Many menopause symptoms are caused due to dryness. Therefore, keeping the body hydrated and drinking water regularly is a remedy that can make certain menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, less painful.

Often people consume health supplements to minimize the symptoms of menopause but it is always advisable to consult a doctor and understand the side-effects of health supplements. So not just for nutrition or exercises, on HelloDr, you can also meet experts of medicines and decide which health supplement is best for you. In order to clear any doubt or misconception related to menopause, you can always find a good gynecologist on HelloDr and figure out problems to your solutions in no time.

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