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Are
YOU going through menopause?
The dictionary defines menopause as “the time in a woman’s
life when menstruation diminishes and ceases, usually between the ages
of 45 and 50.” And it is identified as not having a period for
one year. Perimenopause (peri is Latin for “around or near”)
is the time prior to the cessation of menstruation when you experience
hormonal changes and you are still having periods. Many doctors now
refer to perimenopause as the menopausal transition. So I will
also refer to it as the same. Postmenopause is the time after
menopause when the symptoms of estrogen absence appear.
Going through the menopausal transition is the reverse of puberty. Puberty
was the transition in your life when your hormones were gearing up for your reproductive
years to come. Remember your first period? Emotional outbursts, swollen
breasts, restless nights, and feeling bloated? Now, at the menopausal transition
you may experience many of the same symptoms, but for different reasons. Instead
of “turning on” your hormones, your body is now “turning off” your
hormones. Many women who had difficult puberties have challenging menopause. And
women who got through adolescence easily often have the same experience with
menopause. We are all different and menopause is no exception.
So how do you know you are going through menopause?
Let’s identify your symptoms. You may have one, some
or all at different stages of menopause. Sixty percent of
women experience mild to moderate symptoms, 10-20 percent suffer
from severe symptoms, and 10-20 percent have no symptoms. Your
symptoms can be a guide to what is happening in your body. These
clues are the hard evidence you will need when deciding what course of action
you may wish to exercise.
Do you experience any of these symptoms?
• Weight gain
• Mood swings
• Night sweats
• Heart palpitations
• Changes in your period
• Migraine headaches
• Bladder changes
• Vision changes
• Joint aches
• Nail and tooth problems
• Breast tenderness
• Memory loss
• Hot flashes
• Sleep problems
• Loss of libido
• Dry vagina
• Hair and Skin changes
These are all messages from your body.
If you are experiencing one or many of these “changes” you
may be perimenopausal, menopausal, postmenopausal or having symptoms
from surgical menopause (hysterectomy). You are not alone; 44
million women are going through similar transitions with 4,000 a day
joining the club.
If you suspect that you are going through one of the stages of
menopause, call you doctor and request a FSH (Follicle Stimulating
Hormone) blood test. The results of this test will allow you
and your doctor to determine how best to treat your symptoms.
While you are waiting to get test results, start an exercise program.
Regular exercise can improve the symptoms of menopause. It helps
regulateweight, benefits your heart and bones, and contributes to
a sense of overall well-being and improvement in mood. Click here for this month's exercise tip.
• Exercise
Tips
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