[Concern] How did you overcome menopause and the menopausal transition??

My menstrual cycle, which was always regular two years ago, suddenly became irregular and then stopped abruptly.

I wondered if this was menopause, but my period started again a year later.

But my period has stopped again for the past three months.

From what I've heard around, when menopause comes, it usually happens in a way that it stops and starts again before finally stopping completely, so I wasn't too worried about it.

 

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But this year, I've been unusually tired and exhausted, and I feel sore everywhere;;;;;;;;

My friends who work out together fly around energetically, but even when I go to gatherings with them, I always run out of stamina and find it impossible to keep up with their energy. Since it's a game-based exercise, I have to participate in competitions and league matches with my friends, but I get so exhausted during travel to slightly distant meetups that by the time I arrive, I am too tired to play the game properly.

Not only exercising, but these days, even when I meet with people I like to have a meal and a drink, I get sleepy and feel so exhausted that there are many days when I want to go home shortly after meeting.

On weekends, I sleep for 12 or 14 hours a day, and even if I sleep until my back hurts, I still feel sleepy.

Even if I sleep like that, I feel tired again when I go to work on Monday.

I don't think I eat anything particularly wrong, but I often feel bloated, and once I get bloated, I usually suffer for at least three days.

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But the problem is, I've been unusually sensitive to temperature changes for the past two months.

I am very sensitive to the cold, but I am not particularly sensitive to heat.

However, since April, there have been many days when I suddenly felt that it was very hot.

I'm usually vulnerable to colds unless it's midsummer, and I'm so sensitive to the cold that I wear a scarf around my neck. However, starting in April, there have been days when I had to take out short-sleeved shirts. Of course... it's not that it's constantly hot because it's hot... suddenly, as if someone turned on a heater behind my back, I feel a sudden surge of heat. I sweat on my forehead to the point where beads form, and my back feels extremely hot. After a while, I feel okay, but then after a bit, I suddenly shiver as if I'm trembling from the cold.

It feels like a complete body experience of the three cold and four warm weather pattern...

I've been experiencing this symptom for two months, and I'm not sure if it's because the weather has gotten hotter since June, but lately the symptoms have become more severe;;;

When it's hot, I can't stand the heat anymore, and the feeling of my head overheating has worsened...

Am I going through menopause?????

They say menopause comes when menopause is near~~

I haven't gotten married or had children, so is it possible that this came so early?

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These days, I'm struggling so much that I've been looking up and reading about menopausal symptoms, and they seem quite similar.

I heard that the main symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, cold flashes, and insomnia, but I actually sleep way too much. I even hear that I sleep to the point of being comparable to a newborn...

Of course, the quality of sleep isn't great... It just feels like I'm exhausted and falling asleep suddenly??

If I stay still, I start to feel sleepy;;;

This time, I will share the information I learned about menopause and climacteric.

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Menopause

As one ages and the ovaries undergo aging, ovulation and the production of female hormones cease. This phenomenon is known as menopause. The timing of menopause is generally determined genetically. It usually occurs around the age of 50, but it does not necessarily happen exactly at this time. Some women experience menopause earlier than 50, while others experience it later. These changes typically begin in the late 40s and progress gradually. The period from when menstruation completely stops to about one year afterward is called menopause.

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The duration and symptoms vary greatly from person to person. In the past, menopause was considered a natural phenomenon that occurs with aging. However, as the average lifespan of women has extended beyond 70 years, one-third of their lives now occur after menopause. When approaching menopause, osteoporosis, which results from calcium loss from the bones, increases significantly compared to men. Additionally, increased blood cholesterol levels can lead to hypertension and coronary artery disease. As a result, the risk of developing these diseases has greatly increased compared to the past.

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[Cause]

When puberty occurs, the ovaries in women secrete female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen is a primary female hormone that plays a role in the growth of the breasts and uterus. Progesterone is a hormone that helps implant and protect the fertilized egg in the uterus. During pregnancy, progesterone is continuously secreted to protect the fetus. When not pregnant, the secretion of these hormones stops, leading to menstruation. During menopause, the production of these hormones decreases, and menstruation ceases. Even before menopause, the secretion of progesterone and estrogen gradually declines in the body. The symptoms resulting from this hormonal deficiency are known as menopausal symptoms.

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[Symptoms]

The most common symptom of menopause is irregular menstruation. Symptoms caused by a deficiency of female hormones also appear. About 50% of women in Korea experience symptoms due to acute female hormone deficiency, such as hot flashes, palpitations, and sweating. Approximately 20% of women experience these symptoms more severely. Symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, and memory decline may accompany hot flashes. When symptoms mainly occur at night, sleep disturbances may also occur. After several months, due to a lack of estrogen, moisture in the vagina decreases, leading to 'vaginal dryness' or 'vaginal atrophy.' This condition causes pain during intercourse and can be accompanied by severe itching due to infection.

 

#IrregularMenstruation #Menopause #FacialFlushing #ColdSweats #Fever/Sweating #Insomnia #Dysuria #DepressedMood #LossOfMotivation #Anxiety #Lethargy #MemoryDecline

 

Self-diagnosis method for women experiencing menopause

 

Suddenly, my face flushes and I start sweating.

I feel my chest pounding and tightening.

- I feel unmotivated and depressed about everything.

- Has a sharp temper and gets angry easily

- Feeling anxious and uneasy

- I have trouble sleeping at night

- The mind and body easily become tired

Lack of motivation in the marital relationship

- I frequently feel the urge to urinate and have symptoms of urinary incontinence.

- Joint pain, aching, or soreness

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If even one of these applies, it is suspicious; if three or more apply, it is considered menopause.

 

[Treatment]

Hormone replacement therapy is effective in alleviating menopausal symptoms, preventing atrophy of the genitourinary system, and reducing fractures caused by osteoporosis. It has been reported that administering female hormones increases bone density and decreases fractures. Accordingly, hormone replacement therapy is used to prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis. Additionally, this therapy is known to maintain skin elasticity and thickness after menopause, as well as reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer. In the past, individuals with hormone-dependent tumors such as endometrial or breast cancer are not recommended for hormone replacement therapy, as it may increase the risk of recurrence.

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In addition, hormone therapy cannot be used in cases of severe heart failure, ongoing gallbladder disease, vascular embolism, or undiagnosed abnormal uterine bleeding. If a person in such a situation experiences acute symptoms of hormone deficiency, symptom management can be attempted through medications other than hormones and changes in lifestyle patterns.

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[Precautions]

To maintain a healthy mind and body during menopause, it is best to avoid smoking, eat a balanced diet, and engage in appropriate exercise. To prevent osteoporosis, it is necessary to consume high-calcium foods such as dairy products and take calcium supplements daily. Avoid alcohol and carbonated drinks that hinder calcium absorption. Practicing a low-fat, low-salt diet can reduce the risk of heart disease. Doing aerobic exercise at least three times a week for about 20 minutes each time helps strengthen the heart and bones. Therefore, activities that involve the whole body, such as walking and swimming, are recommended.

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[The necessity of dietary therapy]

Women hormones (estrogen) promote calcium absorption and reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood, but after menopause, the decrease in female hormones leads to a significant increase in osteoporosis compared to men, and the loss of vascular elasticity and protective effects against heart disease cause the risk of cardiovascular diseases to increase greatly compared to before menopause. Therefore, a dietary therapy to prevent osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases is necessary.

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[Dietary Therapy]

1. Ensure adequate intake of essential nutrients while maintaining a proper body weight.

Consume high-calcium foods.

3. Alcohol and carbonated drinks should be avoided as they inhibit calcium absorption.

4. Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease through low-fat and low-salt diets.

Consume foods rich in vitamins such as vitamin E and minerals.

6. Enjoy dishes made with soybeans such as beans and tofu. Isoflavones contained in soy are substances structurally similar to the female hormone estrogen, and there are research findings suggesting they can alleviate menopausal symptoms (such as facial flushing and insomnia), but the differences are not significantly noticeable.

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[Recommended Foods]

1. High-calcium foods: milk, cheese, tofu, whole fish with bones, seaweed, etc.

2. Foods rich in vitamin E: vegetable oils, nuts, fruits, etc.

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[Caution Food]

Saturated fats such as meat fat, butter, cream, and coffee creamer are the main causes of increased blood cholesterol levels, so it is best to avoid them.