DysautonomiaMD: MENOPAUSE

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

MENOPAUSE

In 2000, the average American woman went into menopause at 51.4 years of age. Menopause is a diagnosis of retrospect. By definition, we don’t know we had it or were in it, until it’s been officially one whole year without a period. Until then, we may have hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, insomnia, depression, mood swings, and well, just hormone fluctuations that wreak a little havoc on our bodies. And we didn’t know it was menopause, unless we guess or someone tells us about it.

At Medi-Baskets™, we put together some items for you. These are items that we wish we would have had when we were going through “the change”. We have educational information, websites you can visit, books you can buy, and most importantly, we have items you may use. Items that you can peruse in the privacy of your own home, items that are there when you need them.

Cold packs can be placed over arteries to cool down the body. They can go under the arms or on the carotid arteries of the neck for a quick ‘cool down’. This will undoubtedly alleviate some distraction and bring back that charming, sexy voice you used to have. That you still have inside you. That womanly and sweet voice that sets the tone for the entire home, the car, and trips that you take. You make a difference.

Surgical Menopause seems to be predominant in our culture, and a Second Opinion is not always sought. I believe in Second Opinions on a hysterectomy, because in America, 40% of women over age 45 have had their uterus taken out (i.e., hysterectomy). And the concept and science of Ovarian Conservation is one that is not new. If you keep your normal ovaries at the time of hysterectomy (assuming you had a 2^nd opinion and normal ovaries without any risk factors), disruption of their blood supply may occur at the time of the hysterectomy anyway, causing you to experience menopausal symptoms.

Symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, vaginal atrophy, night sweats, memory loss, cognitive dysfunction, irritability, mood swings, insomnia, depression, and more. Treatments are available for every symptom, and I know that if you could simply get a good night of sleep, you would feel better. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is now freely given to many peri-menopausal women who have few risk factors for endometrial (uterus) or breast cancer. So HRT is an individual decision that a woman makes with her doctor. And plenty of newer studies show that estrogen can save you from dying from a heart attack (#1 killer in America, with 1/4 deaths from heart disease), and progesterone can actually decrease your chance of breast cancer. So learn about it so you can have alternatives to improve your Quality of Life (QoL).

So don’t expect to be the same after a hysterectomy, or after your period stops. Expect changes, especially some tied to your womb, which represents womanhood and fertility. Many women suffer psychologic damage that they didn’t realize they would have, because either they feel they did not receive Informed Consent, or they were told their ovaries would be spared, but instead were taken out. So be careful here. You will require general anesthesia and all the risks that go with that (i.e., sore throat, cracked tooth, lip cuts, heart attack, stroke, aspiration of stomach contents into the lungs, aspiration pneumonia, and death). My opinion is that if it’s not cancerous, don’t take it out. There are plenty of alternatives to menstrual bleeding, cramps, fibromas, and endometriosis.

In my Women’s Health Book that is now being published, I give you and your daughter and your mother, and your sisters, plenty of information (and stories) of being a female. As we look at spending 1/3 of our lives in Menopause, we have to get good at this, right? We have to live with it as best as we can. We can do this.

We bring you unique and personal gifts via Medi-Basket(TM), to help you during this time. And we urge you to consider that there are millions of women worldwide that are going through this with you. And men, too. We can't forget the men. Andropause needs to be recognized and our guys need to continue to be our best friends. They need us, and we need them. And we are

Women helping women. We can get good at this.

Medical Disclaimer: Not intended as medical advice, treatment, or cure. Patients need to be seen by a physician in person, in order to receive an appropriate assessment. Otherwise, generalizations only are made, and are not meant to apply to any one individual. Call 911 in case of Emergency.

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