You may have heard of, or even met the Seven Dwarves of Menopause: Itchy, Bitchy, Sweaty, Sleepy, Bloated, Forgetful, And Psycho! These are the debilitating symptoms that plague women as their ovaries fail and they stop being the wonderful women that they have enjoyed being for the past 30 years.
This is a scary time, as ever since the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) that was released over twenty years ago, women have often been left with very little guidance and support to help us through this important time. However, all of this is changing, and new evidence is emerging to show that the modern hormone replacement therapies are not only safe but are improving the long-term health of the women who take it.
What is more, we now recognize that seven to ten years before menopause (which is defined as one year of no period or when the ovaries have no more eggs), is something called the ‘perimenopause’. This is the time when our ovaries are just starting to fail, leaving us in a ‘chaotic time’ as our hormones are all over the place (very similar to puberty).
The perimenopause is very difficult to diagnose with blood tests, as our hormones are so erratic on any given day. Therefore, much of the diagnosis is made on symptoms, with a trial of gentle hormonal support to see how much benefit is enjoyed.
The day we are born we have all our eggs in our basket (1-2 million in our ovaries). By the time we are 30 we have 10% of these eggs and by the time we are 40 we have 3% left. As our eggs dwindle, so do our our estrogen and progesterone levels. This is perimenopause and it can start as early as 35-years of age.
Once we have no more eggs, we stop menstruating and our ovaries stop producing estrogen. Estrogen is the hormone that keeps our bodies and minds running relatively smoothly for the first half of our lives. As it drops, we can start to notice the deficiency of it throughout the body. As we replace the estrogen, we should expect to notice improvements in the symptoms.
If you are a woman in your late 30’s to early 50’s with three or more of below symptoms, then you may be in perimenopause even if you are cycling regularly:
· Hair changes loss or thinning
· Weight gain
· Anxiety or depression
· Weepiness
· Rage and irritability
· Heavy or flooding periods
· Sleep issues
· Developing skin problems like rosacea or more wrinkles
· Dry eyes /skin/ mouth/ vagina
· Aches and pains
· Chronic UTI’s Yeast infections
· Peeing more frequently
· PMS
· Irregular periods
· Painful swollen breasts
· Fluid retention
· Migraines or headaches
· Brain for, forgetfulness, Concentration issues
· Night sweats or hot flashes
· Low Libido
· Inability to build muscle
So what to do?
NUTRITION – the healthier your flora, the better you clear problematic hormones. Eat a rainbow of vegetables on your plate.
Minerals and vitamins must be supported to support cellular and overall health.
EXERCISE. Lifting heavy is mandatory for your health.
Manage your STRESS. Slow down and quiet the nervous system at all costs.
Consider HRT. Even If symptoms are minimal, natural HRT reduces your risk for multiple chronic disease as you age.
Make sure you get seven to eight hours of SLEEP.
Speak to us for more advice https://ihasa.co.za/contact-us/
