The Complete Book of Menopausal Health and Wellbeing

Absolutely. There is no need to insist on "bearing it and it will be over", and there is no need to be overly anxious about buying sky-high-priced health products and paying the IQ tax. Find the right plan that suits you. This period of time can even become the most relaxed second adolescence in your life.

A while ago, my best friend was still talking to me, saying that her mother was having temper tantrums with the family every day half a year ago. She would throw chopsticks if she put too much salt in the cooking. She would wake up in the middle of the night with hot flashes and sit in the living room blowing cold air. She could not sleep all night. She would always say that she was "old and useless", and the whole family was worried. Later, the community organized a free menopausal screening, and I went there with the mentality of giving it a try. After the doctor assessed that there were no contraindications, he prescribed the lowest dose of estrogen and progesterone compound tablets, which I took for only two months. Now I go to dance folk dances with my little sisters every day. Last week, I signed up for a Chinese painting class at a senior college. The last time we met, she gave me a lotus fan that she painted by herself, and her face was full of red. Who would have thought that half a year ago she was still crying to her daughter that she couldn't live with her life.

When it comes to hormone supplements, many people must be thinking: "It's a medicine that is three parts poisonous. Will taking hormones make me gain weight or get breast cancer?" ”There’s really no need to cut it across the board. At present, the domestic and international obstetrics and gynecology circles have a clear consensus: as long as the patient is under the age of 60, within 10 years of menopause, and has no contraindications such as breast cancer, severe liver function abnormalities, or history of thrombosis, the benefits of low-dose natural hormone supplementation (MHT) far outweigh the risks. But if you really have concerns, or you are really not suitable for taking hormones, there are other ways: many European countries recommend the use of plant preparations such as black cohosh extract for regulation. Many people in China also seek reliable TCM syndrome differentiation and conditioning. They can control the symptoms by taking some Xiaoyao Pills, doing moxibustion, and playing Baduanjin. I have seen many aunts rely on regular exercise and adjusting their schedules, and they have survived smoothly without taking any medicine.

Last time I went to a menopausal clinic to help organize patient follow-up records, I met a 52-year-old aunt. She had hot flashes more than a dozen times a day just after menopause. Even when she went to the market to buy food, she had to carry a small fan with her. I heard that hormones had side effects and I was afraid to eat them. So I gave up the job of raising my son and grandchildren. I signed up for a travel group with my wife. In the spring, I stayed in Hangzhou for half a month to see the West Lake, and in the autumn, I went to Yunnan for a month to bask in the sun. Yang, played Baduanjin for half an hour every morning with the teacher in the group, and took a half-hour walk after dinner in the evening. She came back for a check-up six months later. Her symptoms of hot flashes were basically gone, her sleep was better, and even her previously high blood pressure had dropped to the normal range. She told me, "Before, I always thought about saving money for my children and helping the family, but I never lived for myself. It was only after menopause that I realized that when I am comfortable, my whole family is comfortable."

To be honest, I have seen too many people regard the emotional problems during menopause as "a bad temper" or "looking for trouble". Even the person involved feels embarrassed. In fact, it is really unnecessary. Think about it, the ovaries have been working for thirty or forty years, and suddenly they have to "retire". The hormone levels are like a roller coaster, and no one can stabilize their mood. A patient previously told me that she could cry for half an hour while watching a cartoon, which she felt was inexplicable. Later, she established a group with several menopausal sisters in the same community, and they would meet up to drink tea and complain when nothing happened. On the contrary, it was much more effective than telling her family. Her mood stabilized, and her symptoms were reduced by more than half.

Of course, I have to be honest and don't believe in "menopausal health products that can cure all diseases." I met an aunt before who spent more than 30,000 yuan to buy some "ovarian maintenance supplement". After taking it for three months, her hot flashes did not go away. Instead, she developed abnormal liver function. The gain outweighed the loss. If you really feel uncomfortable, go to a regular hospital’s menopausal clinic or gynecological endocrinology department for evaluation first. Don’t buy food blindly, and don’t just follow others’ advice. Everyone’s physical condition is different, and what works for others may not be suitable for you.

In fact, menopause is not a "downhill road in life". It is a signal sent by your body: In the first half of your life, you lived for your parents, your children, and your work. Now it is time to focus on yourself. There is no need to force yourself to be the "perfect mother" or "perfect wife". You can do whatever you don't want to do, avoid the people you don't want to see, and do whatever makes you feel comfortable. Look at those aunts who have turned menopause into their golden period. Which one doesn’t put themselves first? After all, your life is your own, and comfort is more important than anything else.