et tips for a healthier menopause

CAIRO – 10 May 2018: Every woman is fated to experience menopause as a normal part of the aging process. It typically starts in a woman’s 40s but it can also begin as early as the 30s as a result of surgery or damage to the ovaries. Yet, many women find themselves puzzled by all the physical and emotional changes that they go through while menopausing. Keeping an eye on your physical and psychological fitness and being well informed about the symptoms and changes can make all the difference to experiencing a healthier menopause.

What happens during menopause?
Every woman is born with a fixed number of eggs stored in the ovaries. The ovaries are also responsible for producing both the estrogen and progesterone hormones that control menstruation and ovulation. When the ovaries stop releasing an egg every month and menstruation stops, the menopause starts.

Any woman that did not have a period for two years is considered menopausal; meaning that she is reaching an end for her reproductive period. While the symptoms of menopause vary from one woman to another, they generally include some common signs as a result of hormonal changes and declining estrogen levels. These symptoms include: irregular periods (closer and heavier), vaginal dryness, mood swings, night sweats, sleeping difficulties, hot flashes, joint pains and aching, changes to skin and hair, difficulty concentrating and anxiety or depression.

How to deal with menopause symptoms?
Maintaining a healthy life style supports your health in the lead-up to menopause and helps you better handle any physical and psychological changes. Here are some tips to enjoy a healthier menopause experience.

- Keep yourself in a good physical condition by exercising regularly to avoid menopausal weight gain, and to lift your mood. In addition, exercise can help you eliminate the toxins from your body through sweating and can also improve your blood circulation.

- Watch your diet to protect your bones, heart and blood vessels which can protect you against heart attacks and strokes that may increase during menopause. Cut back on high fat foods and use sugar and salt in moderation.

- Stay well hydrated and drink more water to overcome fatigue during menopause which can also lead to headaches.

- Make sure you get adequate amounts of calcium to prevent bone loss and to promote bone formation and vitamin D to enhance calcium absorption.

- Consider increasing your intake of protein, vitamin B, vitamin C and iron to prevent hair loss and hair breakage that might result from the drop in hormonal production during menopause.
- Prevent menopausal hot flashes through avoiding common triggers including; caffeine, spicy food, sugar, stress and heat.

- Consider taking hormone replacement medications, but discuss it with your doctor first.

- Keep an eye on your mental health as you are more prawn to the risk of experiencing depression and anxiety during menopause as a result of changes in the hormones levels that affect the production and breakdown of brain chemicals. Consider speaking to your doctor to get the needed support if you are having a tough time dealing with the process.

- Practice stress relief activities like yoga, stretching, deep breathing and meditation to ease your muscle tension.

- Improve your sleep routine by including a regular sleep schedule, avoiding heavy meals at the evening, adjusting light levels and bedroom temperature and avoiding alcohol, caffeine and nicotine.

- Have regular medical check-ups and screenings such as annual pap smears and pelvic exams, monthly self breast exams and mammogram, biannual vitamin D level checkup and bone mineral density tests. You should also follow your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and thyroid.

- Talk to your gynecologist to stay on top of any concerns that you may have regarding your menopause and also to ensure that any of the changes you are experiencing is natural.