3 Things Everyone must know about Menopause, 3rd one is tip for life.

1.What is Menopause?

   Menopause (natural) in simple words is the natural stoppage of the menstrual cycle of a female. 

        Surgical menopause is  surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries  from the female's body leads to menopause .

         This is like any other milestone in a female’s life.  But it is not as simple and easy as it is defined. It takes a toll on her mind and body at the same time. This is because it is happening at the level of hormones. 

         Hormones are chemical compounds that are responsible for various functions of the body. Here that hormone is estrogen. 

           Menopause usually occurs at 45 -50 yrs. of age. But it is also hereditary, so the age at which your mother and sisters reached menopause predicts your age for it.

          Natural  Menopause doesn’t occur overnight . There is a transition period called Perimenopause. This is a period of 3 to 4 years on either side of the stoppage of menses. 

           For some(very small percentage),  this transition is smooth with a few things going wrong here and there. For others ,there is a lot of suffering. 

          As I said earlier it affects the mind and body both.      The physical symptoms can be seen but the mental suffering  can’t  be shown to others. The female has to go through all of it alone.

2.What are the Symptoms of Menopause?         

The Physical symptoms	The Mental symptoms
Sweating spells	Crying easily
Hot flushes	Getting hurt emotionally
Palpitations	Fear of petty things
Weight loss	Anxiety
Easy exhaustion	Getting angry easily
Dryness of skin	Feeling suspicious
Dark pigmentation on face	Sadness
Constipation	Mood Swings etc.
Vaginal dryness
Irregular periods
Joint pains
Frequent or painful urination
Sleep disturbances etc

    

        Crying, anger, fear, anxiety all these could be a part of your normal behaviour too , but during

 perimenopause these are exaggerated to an extent that they start bothering your family and friends

3.How to deal with menopause ?

     In  Perimenopause  the estrogen hormone levels start decreasing in the body. So your body suffers due to paucity and later lack of estrogen. Thus you need estrogen to fix this right? 

           But estrogen is a hormone found in the body so how can you get it from outside? The answer is , in the form of Phytoestrogens.

           Phytoestrogens are found in plants and affect the body similarly as estrogens. So you can include such food items in your regular diet. Not all, but at least some part of it can get replenished .

Sources of Pytoestrogens for example- 

 1. Flax seeds /जवस , also help to lower the bad cholesterol 

Note- Flax seeds should be consumed in the whole or freshly grounded form. If you make  a powder/चटणी  out of it, it needs to be consumed within 3 to 4days otherwise it loses its properties .

 2. Sesame seeds/तीळ-  It is also a rich source of calcium.

 3.Soyabean and its products   

  4.Dry fruits

        Another problem associated with menopause is reduction in bone density(bone thinning/हाडं  ठिसूळ होणे ). Estrogen acts as a barrier to removal/resorption of calcium from the bone. Thus as it decreases bone density also decreases due to resorption of calcium from the bones. 

         So you also need to take daily calcium supplements post menopause and increase calcium rich products  in your diet.

          Daily 15 mins of Sun exposure in the morning before 9 am. will give you Vitamin D.

Sources of calcium rich products for example   -   

      1.      Milk and milk products

      2.      Amaranth or राजगिरा

      3.      Sesame seeds or तीळ 

      4.      Green leafy vegetables

      5.      Almonds and dried figs or बदाम आणि सुके अंजीर etc.

      6.      Ragi or नाचणी

To deal with the mental symptoms you can do the following things

        1. Indulge yourself in any of your hobbies

         2. Do regular meditation.

         3. Pranayam

         4. Brisk walking  and few stretching exercises daily for 30mins ,if your knees don’t hurt.

         5. Let your family members know that you are going through menopause. You can share this article with them.

         For Urinary Frequency and urgency do Kegels exercises daily

       How to do Kegels Exercises?

1. Make sure your bladder is empty, then sit or lie down.
2. Tighten your pelvic floor muscles(as if you are holding on to urine). Hold tight and count 3 to 5 seconds.
3. Relax the muscles and count 3 to 5 seconds.
4. Repeat 10 times, 3 times a day (morning, afternoon, and night).

        All said and done. But  there can be people who will still face problems inspite of their dietary modifications. For those I would recommend you to take Homeopathic treatment.

        Homeopathy has very good remedies for menopause. It will take you  through the journey of Perimenopause  smoothly. All your complaints can be addressed with it.

        We are just a call away. Our ears are always eager to listen to you. So let us help you  in this difficult time of yours.

Dr.Sneha Suryavanshi Porlekar MD(Hom),

Homeopathic Consultant

Homoeocare Clinic.

Katraj Pune, 

Maharashtra ,India.

Call on -9168614747 for Appointments. 

Video and Phone consultations on prior appointment.