Menopause has always been a major affliction for middle-aged women. Many women suffering from menopausal syndrome do not know how to cope, blindly believe in various methods, and even think that "seeking treatment indiscriminately" is more effective, unaware that they are entering a misconception about treating menopause.
Four symptoms of menopause in women
1. Hot flashes: This is a common symptom experienced by women during menopause.
2. Palpitation: also known as heart palpitations, is one of the most common symptoms of menopause.
3. Abnormal manifestations of mental and neurological symptoms.
4. Lower back pain: This is an early symptom of osteoporosis in menopausal women.
Common menopausal illnesses
1. Temporary joint stiffness and pain. This is joint pain caused by vasomotor insufficiency, and estrogen therapy is very effective.
2. Lower back pain, sciatica, or neck and back pain. These are caused by osteoporosis, muscle relaxation, or obesity that occurs after menopause, and sometimes include flat feet, genu valgum, varicose veins, etc.
3. Osteoporosis. It usually occurs within 10 years after menopause and is characterized by back pain, spinal wedge deformity, which can lead to kyphosis, decreased height, and increased risk of fractures.
4. Postmenopausal hypertension is a manifestation of autonomic nervous system dysfunction. It is often benign, characterized by elevated systolic blood pressure without significant changes in the heart or fundus. Blood pressure is unstable and responds effectively to treatment with sedatives and hormones. Blood pressure usually returns to normal naturally by the end of menopause.
5. Atherosclerosis. Postmenopausal women and women who have had both oophorectomies have an increased incidence of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, but it is uncertain whether estrogen can prevent or treat atherosclerosis.
Misconceptions about treating menopause
1. Decreased memory
46% of women believe their memory decline is related to menopause. In fact, menopause often brings mood swings, but not memory decline. Memory decline is related to aging; the brain gradually shrinks during the aging process, and this applies to both men and women.
Second, menopausal symptoms are only hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings;
Third, there is excessive fear of hormone therapy, with people worried that the use of estrogen drugs will cause cancer;
Fourth, some people regard estrogen therapy as a panacea for eternal youth and start supplementing with estrogen as soon as they turn 40.
Fifth, some believe that menopause is a natural physiological process for women and does not require treatment.
VI. Health Supplements as Alternatives to Medicines. Many women regard estrogen supplementation as a panacea for regaining youth, and even purchase estrogen supplements on their own to delay menopause or alleviate discomfort symptoms, which is very dangerous. Experts say that estrogen should not be abused, and should not be supplemented too early, too much, or too quickly. Professor Jiang Zefei, a breast cancer expert at the 307 Hospital, points out: "When estrogen levels are too high, it may cause diseases such as breast hyperplasia, breast cancer, and endometrial cancer. In particular, if there is a previous history of uterine fibroids, high estrogen levels will accelerate their growth."
7. Some believe that drinking soy milk and taking health supplements are natural ways to treat menopause.
8. Weight gain
A survey found that more than half of respondents believed women would gain weight during menopause. In fact, not all women gain weight during this period. Russell explained that after menopause, a woman's metabolic rate decreases, and she does burn less energy than before. However, research shows that if women maintain a regular daily exercise routine from a young age and consciously control their diet during this stage, avoiding excessive high-energy foods, they can maintain a weight similar to that of a young woman during menopause.
