As a woman reaching that "certain" age in life, you know that menopause is coming. You can plan for it all you want, but that doesn't make the symptoms any easier to deal with, right? These symptoms of menopause can last for many months, even years, and can sometimes continue after menopause. That is because your body is slowly learning to live with a reduced level of hormones. Let's talk about some of the challenges you may face after the "change" and give you some easy tips that you can use in your everyday life to make post menopausal life somewhat more pleasant.
For many women, it can feel like you're at the mercy of your own body, but there are things you can do to minimize the impact of hormone reductions. For a start, nutrition and exercise play a major role in the health of women in this time. It may mean being disciplined enough to make a significant change in your lifestyle, but you'll feel much better about yourself in every way. If you think of this as a chance to improve yourself and your habits, it will be much easier than if you try to fight it!
It's also a good idea to start taking a multivitamin that is high in Vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and folic acid. Vitamin D will help your body to absorb calcium, for bone building that is so important. Also if you are battling with night sweats then take a cool shower before bed, wear lighter cotton clothing to absorb sweat and keep yourself comfortable. Depending on what climate you live in, you may want to dress in layers so you can remove clothing as you get hot.
Another trick the body has in store for you is the diminished levels of estrogen have a direct effect on the hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for controlling your appetite, sex drive, sleep cycles, and body temperature. This big drop in estrogen confuses the hypothalamus, which is sometimes referred to as the body's thermostat, and this causes the body to overheat. Yes, even older women are "hot" sometimes! (Although they wish they weren't)
Your heart pumps faster, the blood vessels in your skin dilate to circulate more blood to radiate off the heat, and your sweat glands release sweat to cool you off even more. Eighty-five percent of the women in the United States experience hot flashes of some kind as they approach menopause and for the first year or two after menstruating has stopped. Once the post menopausal stage has been reached, this symptom should disappear, hopefully forever.
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