Menopause health guidance content

Menopause is neither "hypocritical" nor "something you have to deal with when you are old." There is no need to endure discomfort or blindly follow the trend of supplements. Follow the principle of "symptom priority, personalized adjustment, and safety first" and adapt to your own situation from the three levels of discomfort intervention, lifestyle adjustment, and emotional support, so that you can get through this special stage smoothly.

After talking about the core conclusions, the first thing I want to talk about is the most controversial issue of hormone supplementation. The current consensus in the field of Western gynecological endocrinology is that for people who are younger than 60 years old, within 10 years of menopause, and have no contraindications such as breast cancer, thrombotic diseases, and unexplained vaginal bleeding, if symptoms such as hot flashes and insomnia are particularly severe, the benefits of standardized use of hormone replacement therapy (MHT) outweigh the risks. ； However, many traditional Chinese medicine and natural medicine schools believe that people with mild symptoms should give priority to non-pharmacological adjustments, such as taking Chinese patent medicines based on syndrome differentiation and adjusting diet and rest, which can also achieve relief and avoid the potential risks of exogenous hormones. The 47-year-old Ms. Wang I treated last week had hot flashes more than a dozen times a day and could not sleep at night. After checking, there were no contraindications. She used the lowest dose of estrogen and progesterone compound preparations, and her symptoms were relieved by 80% in less than two weeks. ； Another 46-year-old patient only had occasional hot flashes and a short temper. I gave her some wheat, lily, and jujube seeds boiled in water to drink, and she walked briskly for 20 minutes every day. After a month of follow-up, she said she was basically no longer feeling uncomfortable, and she did not take any hormonal drugs. You see, no one’s solution is the standard answer, only the one that suits you.

To be honest, rather than wondering whether to use hormones, more people fall into the trap of buying supplements indiscriminately. As soon as they reach menopause, many people go crazy and stock up on so-called "sacred skin care products" such as soy isoflavones, royal jelly, and donkey-hide gelatin. This does not mean that these things are completely useless, but it depends on your physical constitution. Soy isoflavones are phytoestrogens, which may have some auxiliary effects for people with very mild symptoms. However, if you have problems with breast nodules, uterine fibroids, or endometrial hyperplasia, blind consumption may stimulate the growth of the lesions. I have seen several people who randomly supplemented soy isoflavones for half a year, and their breast nodules increased from category 2 to category 3. It is really unnecessary. Some people think that menopause requires "replenishing qi and blood". Drinking broth and eating donkey-hide gelatin every day will actually increase blood lipids. Metabolism is inherently slow at this age, so you should avoid eating high-fat and high-sugar foods. Eat one pound of vegetables and half a pound of fruits every day, which is better than any supplement.

Many people don’t know that the most invisible health risk during menopause is bone loss. Bone loss is the fastest in the first 10 years after menopause, with 2% to 3% lost every year. Many people break bones when they fall in their 50s and 60s. In fact, bone mass is not preserved during menopause. Don’t think that calcium supplementation means taking hundreds of dollars of imported calcium tablets. My general advice to patients is to consume 300ml of pure milk, 1 egg, and 15 minutes in the sun every day. If you can’t drink milk, switch to lactose-free milk or Shuhua milk. The absorption efficiency is much higher than taking calcium tablets. When exercising, don’t just dance square dance for two hours every day. Dancing too much will hurt your knees. Take time twice a week to practice arm raising with two mineral water bottles filled with water, or squat against the wall for two or three minutes. Doing some resistance exercises can help preserve bone mass. An aunt I know started doing light strength training twice a week when she was 50 years old. Now she is 58 years old and her bone density is better than that of many 40-year-olds.

Finally, I want to talk about the emotional issues that are most easily overlooked. When many women reach this age, they feel inexplicably irritable and displeased with everything they see. They turn around and scold themselves for being so pretentious. It is really not your problem. It is the fluctuation of estrogen that affects neurotransmitters, which makes them prone to emotional instability. I met a 52-year-old aunt who used to be famous for her good temper. During that time, she always quarreled with her husband and children. After the quarrel, she secretly cried and even felt that life was boring. Later, it was diagnosed that she was in a state of menopausal depression. After a few weeks of psychological counseling and a small amount of drug intervention, she slowly recovered. Don't be stubborn. If you feel that your mood is wrong, tell your family that it is due to hormone fluctuations. If you really can't do it, seek help from a doctor. No one will think you are being hypocritical.

In fact, menopause is a normal physiological stage for women, just like menstruation during adolescence and morning sickness during pregnancy. There is no standard for "what must be done". Some people get over it easily, while others take five or six years to go through it. It's all normal. You don’t need to compare yourself with others, or get anxious after seeing all the “secret recipes for freezing your age” on the Internet. If you feel uncomfortable, seek professional advice. Eat and move when you should, and do more things that make you happy. That’s better than anything else.