Managing Menopause

All women experience menopause, but each in a unique way. For all women, menopause presents an ideal time to evaluate personal health and improve health practices

Hormonal changes can cause physical and psychological symptoms before and during menopause. Symptoms may occur for a few weeks, a few months, several years, or not at all. The symptoms may come and go, or they may occur regularly.

Making healthy lifestyle choices may help ease some of the symptoms. Good nutrition – adopting a low-fat, high-fiber diet that's rich in fruits, calcium-rich foods, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine, which can trigger hot flashes. Regular exercise will help prevent weight gain, improves your sleep, strengthens your bones and elevates your mood.

Hormone replacement therapy in perimenopause and menopause gets a lot of attention and can be synthetic, bioidentical, or custom compounded bioidentical.  Women should be aware that:

• there is a lack of evidence for increased safety of bioidentical compared to synthetic hormones
• there is no evidence to support hormone testing prior to starting hormone replacement therapy
• there are known risks of hormone replacement therapy include heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, uterine cancer

Women should see their health care provider to carefully review the information available to determine if hormones (and which type!) are right for them.

A woman's health risks change after menopause, including increased risk of heart disease, sexual changes, and osteoporosis. Knowledge of these risks can lead to healthier lifestyles and better health outcomes.

Learn more at the “Healthy Lives, Healthy Hearts at Midlife & Beyond” Brunch on Saturday, November 7, 9 a.m. to Noon.

10/28/2009