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The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Offers Advice on Enjoying the Menopause Years LIVINGSTON, N.J. -- Hot flashes, sleeping problems, emotional ups and downs—these and other symptoms are often a normal part of menopause. There are ways to alleviate these symptoms and deal with the changes that occur around menopause. A natural event, menopause is the time in a woman's life when she stops having menstrual periods—specifically, when she has gone 12 consecutive months with no period. Menopause marks the end of the reproductive years that began in puberty. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the average age that women go through menopause is 51. “Most women can expect to enjoy good health for years afterward,” says Veronica Ravnikar, M.D., Chairperson of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. “In fact, today women can plan on living one-third of their lives after menopause. As menopause nears, a woman's ovaries make less estrogen. At some point, the ovaries stop making enough estrogen to thicken the lining of the uterus, and menstrual periods stop. Menopause is different for every woman. Although some women will have few of the usual signs of menopause, most can tell something is going on with their body chemistry during the transition. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Saint Barnabas Medical Center and ACOG offer the following information about the symptoms of menopause: Hot flashes — Hot flashes are the most common symptom of menopause. As many as 75 percent of menopausal women in the U.S. will experience them. A hot flash is a feeling of heat that spreads over the body, and is believed to be caused by a rapid loss of estrogen. Hot flashes can be mild or severe. Sleep problems — A lack of sleep may be one of the biggest problems you face menopause approaches Too little sleep can affect mood, health and ability to cope with daily activities. Hot flashes are the main cause of lack of sleep, often waking a woman from a deep sleep. Vaginal and urinary tract changes — Loss of estrogen causes changes in the vagina, often making the lining thin and dry. These changes can produce pain during sexual intercourse and make the vagina more prone to infection. Tissues in the urinary tract also change with age. Some women have an increased risk of bladder infection after menopause. Bone and other body changes — Bone loss is a normal part of aging, but at menopause, the rate of loss increases rapidly. Called osteoporosis, this bone thinning increases the risk in older women of breaking bones. Also, the loss of estrogen after menopause means that women lose the benefit of this hormone in protecting against heart disease. The risk of heart attack and stroke then increases. Emotional changes — Menopause does not cause sudden mood swings or clinical depression. But the change in hormone levels and a lack of sleep due to hot flashes may result in irritability or exhaustion. If you are under stress, the changes of menopause may be harder to manage. One of the most common symptoms of menopause, hot flushes, can sometimes be managed with the following tips:
Taking charge of your health during menopause By making some lifestyle changes, menopausal women can increase their chance for health. Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol, high-fiber diet that includes plenty of calcium and vitamin D. Exercise regularly. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Most importantly, speak with your obstetrician/ gynecologist about how you can deal with the changes of menopause. For a referral to a Saint Barnabas Medical Center obstetrician / gynecologist, please call 1-888-SBMC-DOC. For more information about Women’s Health Services at the Medical Center, please call (973) 322-5360. [ top ] |
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