Menopause in women: how to survive a difficult period

Most women are not ready for age-related changes in the body by the age of 45-50. Sometimes menopause is diagnosed earlier (starting from the age of 38), which can be a consequence of various endocrine problems, surgical interventions in the ovaries, an unhealthy lifestyle or psychological problems. The entire climacteric period takes 10-15 years of life and consists of three stages:

• Premenopause lasts 4-5 years before menopause and is characterized by the onset of ovarian function fading, has no pronounced symptoms, menstrual cycle disorders are possible.
• Directly menopause is the cessation of menstruation, an integral part of the natural aging process. On average, it comes at 51 years of age (for smokers, it can occur 1.5-2 years earlier) and lasts about two years.
• Postmenopause is the remaining period after menopause, characterized by involutional age-related changes and a deficiency of female sex hormones.

The American Cancer Institute cites data that smoking women are 26% more likely to experience early menopause. We are also talking about passive smokers who live side by side with a smoking person for more than 10 years.

How to recognize climacteric syndrome

During menopause, estrogen production decreases, not all body systems have time to adapt to the onset of changes, so typical signs of this period appear:

• sudden headaches, pressure drops, dizziness;
• menstruation becomes irregular, the cycle is disrupted without subsequent recovery;
• sexual desire disappears;
• hot flashes due to hormonal imbalance - accompanied by a feeling of extraordinary warmth penetrating the body. Most often occur at night and last from 30 seconds to 5 minutes, red spots may appear on the skin;
• metabolism disorders are observed;
• weight gain, sagging skin, loss of muscle mass;
• frequent unpredictable mood swings, depression, insomnia;
• dryness and itching in the vagina;
• weakness of the bladder;
• hypertension and other cardiovascular pathologies may develop, since the amount of hormones that help blood vessels remain elastic has decreased significantly.

A study involving 12,000 postmenopausal women showed that each year they live with functioning ovaries reduces the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease and reduces the risk of death by 2%.

How to prepare for menopause

Every woman should understand her body and know its basic physiological characteristics. Thanks to this, there is a chance to change the attitude to the climacteric syndrome and perceive it as an inevitable process. And the following will help you prepare for it:

• Undergoing regular diagnostics (starting at age 37), which includes a hormonal blood test and an ultrasound examination of the ovaries. An increase in the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a signal of the onset of menopause.
• Exercise aimed at strengthening the muscles in the pelvic area, toning the abdominal press. Exercise, massage, dancing, walking and fitness - all this will help to achieve the desired result.
• Water treatments in the form of a contrast shower and swimming help to train the body's thermoregulation system, and also rejuvenate the heart and blood vessels.
• Rational nutrition with limited fat intake. Due to the slowdown in metabolic processes during menopause, nutrients are absorbed worse, which is fraught with excess weight. Do not rely on high-calorie alcohol. Give preference to healthier cooking methods: replace fried potatoes with boiled ones. And find an alternative to a sweet chocolate bar in the form of fresh fruit or juices. Don't forget to replenish your diet with calcium, eat fish, dairy products and meat.
• Stress management, ability to relax (auto-training, yoga).
• Deep abdominal breathing, with which you can really fight hot flashes. If you do a diaphragmatic exercise twice a day for 15 minutes (breathe at a rate of 6-7 breaths/min), the intensity of painful sensations will decrease.
• Use of herbal preparations based on phytoestrogens, prescribed by a doctor. Even in ancient times, infusions of chamomile, oregano, St. John's wort and calamus helped women relieve and even eliminate the symptoms of menopause.

Scientists in the field of herbal medicine have examined 248 women aged 45-60, who have refuted the clinical effectiveness of phytoestrogens in regulating the level of female hormones. Those who regularly consumed soy to combat the manifestations of menopause often suffered from constipation and severe hot flashes.

Psychological overcoming of menopause

Menopause is emotionally crushing for many women. They give up, write themselves off and stop taking care of themselves. There are also those who go to extremes and become overly demanding of themselves, begin to exhaust the body with training, diets and other activities, just to return to their former youth.

The main thing is attitude. If you initially set the mindset that everything will be bad, then it will be. A person is able to program their own well-being. A woman who is sure that menopause is the end of her youth and the sunset of her life experiences it painfully not only physically but also emotionally. Those who perceive it as a natural stage of adolescence do not feel the drama.

An adequate reaction of family and friends is also important. During menopause, a woman, without realizing it, tries to splash out internal tension and discomfort with hysteria or scandal. As a rule, those around her who are caught in the heat of the moment suffer from this. They should support her and give her the attention and emotions that she requires.

The famous actress Kim Cattrall perceived menopause as the beginning of a new phase in life, no less eventful and interesting. Julie Walters experienced a ten-year menopause with constant hot flashes and came to the conclusion that a healthy approach to menopause improves the quality of life after its completion. She fought hot flashes by reducing alcohol consumption and using acupuncture.

You shouldn't hold back your age forever, because it's biologically impossible. Treat menopause as growing up, when youth is replaced by wisdom. For many men, a mature woman is more interesting than a young girl. At 50-60 years old, only a new stage in life begins, full and varied. Everything depends solely on you.