Menopausal health tips

The core principles of health and wellness during menopause have never been the unified “supplement of estrogen” and “exercise more”; Make personalized adjustments on the premise of accepting body changes. Don't force yourself to do it, don't blindly make up for it, and don't force yourself to pretend "it's okay."” , all health-preserving methods must be based on your own true feelings, and there is no standard answer.

Believe it or not, the 52-year-old Aunt Zhang I met a while ago is a typical example. She used to wake up in the middle of the night with night sweats, and her pillow towel was half wet. She watched a short video and saw people saying that taking soy isoflavones during menopause was effective. She bought three bottles at once, and within half a month of taking it, her breasts became swollen and painful. When she went to the hospital for a checkup, she found that her existing breast nodules had grown from grade 2 to grade 3. The doctor said that she was estrogen-sensitive and was not suitable for supplementing phytoestrogens.

Speaking of estrogen supplementation, this is also the most controversial topic in menopausal health care. The view of Western medicine is that as long as there are no contraindications such as hormone-dependent tumors and high-risk factors for thrombosis, hormone replacement therapy (MHT) for people with moderate to severe symptoms under the guidance of a doctor is currently the most effective way to relieve symptoms and can also prevent osteoporosis and cardiovascular problems. ； But the idea of ​​​​TCM is completely different, and it is more inclined to syndrome differentiation and conditioning. For kidney yin deficiency type with hot flashes, night sweats, dry mouth and tongue, it may be recommended to use Dianzhibai Dihuang Pills to nourish yin. For kidney yang deficiency type that is afraid of cold, cold hands and feet, and long urine, it is recommended to warm yang and use Yougui Pills and the like. If you do the opposite, it will only become more uncomfortable as you supplement. Of course, there is a lot of controversy about hormone replacement now. Some people are worried that it will increase the risk of breast cancer. The current consensus in the academic community is that the risk is controllable if it is used regularly and at the lowest effective dose under the evaluation of a doctor. Whether you should use it or not depends entirely on the severity of your symptoms and willingness. You don’t have to listen to others who say “taking hormones is not good” and just take it, and you don’t have to use it blindly after people say “you can become younger after using it”.

Many people drink soy milk every day as soon as they reach menopause, eager to eat soybeans. In fact, it is really unnecessary. My sister Li downstairs has a weak spleen and stomach. I heard someone said that she drank soy milk to supplement estrogen. She drank it every morning and had diarrhea for a week. Her hot flashes did not go away, and her spleen and stomach collapsed first. In fact, as long as you avoid spicy, hot, strong coffee and other things that can easily induce hot flashes in your diet, you can drink soy milk if you like it. If you don’t like it, it’s also good to drink milk to supplement calcium. You don’t have to impose so many rules on yourself.

Speaking of putting a burden on the body, exercise is a pitfall for many people. There used to be an aunt who was easily flustered. She heard someone said she should do more strength training to prevent osteoporosis, so she went to the gym to lift weights. After training, her heartbeat was so fast that she couldn't slow down for two hours, but she was so scared. Later, she changed to walking slowly for 40 minutes after dinner every day. On weekends, she and her old sisters went to the park to play Baduanjin. Within two months, the problem of sweating all the time was much better. In fact, when it comes to exercise, if you usually love to move, running, jumping, and strength training are no problem. If you are usually lazy, the same goes for taking a walk or doing housework. Don't force yourself to complete any sports KPI, which will only add stress to the body.

What I want to mention the most is actually emotions. Many people feel that they are "hypocritical" when they reach menopause. They don't like everything they see, shed tears at every turn, and dare not talk about it for fear that their family members will think they have too much trouble. It’s really not necessary. An aunt told me before that she could cry for half an hour after watching a public service announcement about stray cats. She felt baffled. When I went to a menopausal clinic for a checkup, I found that hormone fluctuations affected serotonin secretion. It’s not that your personality has changed, it’s just that your body is sending you signals. If you feel really uncomfortable, talk to your old sisters to talk about it. If you can't help it, ask a doctor to prescribe some adjustment medicine. It's not shameful at all. It's better than keeping the problem bottled up in your heart.

I have been doing health science popularization for so many years, and I have seen too many people treat menopause as a scourge. They either insist on saying "I'm fine" or buy a bunch of supplements and stuff them into their stomachs, but they really don't use them. Menopause is just like menstruation in your teens, acne in your twenties, and pregnancy and morning sickness in your thirties. It is just a stage in life. There is no "standard way to spend it." You can do it however you feel comfortable, which is more effective than any Internet celebrity health regimen.