Healthy Living

How to Survive Perimenopause

November 19, 2008

Istockphoto
By Lambeth Hochwald
From Health magazine

“Whoa, is it hot in here?”

If that sounds like you talking, welcome to the club: There are 37 million American woman (ages 40 to 60) in the perimenopause and/or menopause years. Officially, perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause (one full year without periods), during which you start to notice certain changes in your body and menstrual cycles thanks to a slowdown in your ovaries’ production of estrogen and progesterone. According to the North American Menopause Society, menopause, interestingly, is really just the one-day anniversary of a full year without periods. And then, hello, suddenly you’re postmenopausal!

The average age at menopause is 51, but symptoms—from hot flashes and vaginal dryness to mood swings and memory loss—can start a decade before and last for years after. That’s a lot of time to be dealing with hormonal ups and downs. That’s why we created this Health Guide to help you cope, and perhaps even learn to celebrate this time of life.

In This Feature
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The Estrogen Debate and Perimenopause

November 19, 2008
By Lambeth Hochwald
From Health magazine

When the National Institutes of Health shut down a hormone study in 2002 because women who were taking estrogen and progestin had higher incidences of breast cancer and other problems, women stopped taking hormones in droves. Six years later, the decision to take them is still tricky. Read More

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Should You Ditch Your Gyno When You Stop Having Periods?

November 19, 2008
From Health magazine

We tackle that question and others about menopause with Lauren Streicher, MD, clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago and author of The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy.

Q. I feel like my doctor isn’t in tune with my changing body. How do I know if it’s time to shop for a new gynecologist?

A. If you feel like your doctor isn’t paying attention, switch now. This is a typical problem since gynecologists are often also obstetricians. Many women are frustrated that the doctor who delivered their babies isn’t as involved with them now that they’re dealing with perimenopause or menopause. Menopausal women tell me they’re tired of sitting in waiting rooms with pregnant women and feeling like no one is paying attention to them. I’ve been hearing this for years. The bottom line: If you feel that you’re not getting the attention you deserve or that your questions are going unanswered, go elsewhere. Read More

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Four Women Talk About Thriving In Menopause

November 19, 2008

Want to know what it’s like to survive—and thrive—during menopause? Here, four women share their tips and successes dealing with their journey.

“I spent six years in perimenopause”
Margo Spellman, 53, a marketing executive in Seattle, spent years with night sweats so bad that her husband and two dogs couldn’t sleep with her. She experienced bald spots, weight gain, trouble sleeping, and huge memory lapses. While her doctor checked her hormones every year, it wasn’t until last year that he confirmed she was, indeed, in menopause. “It was a relief to know that at last it’s here,” she says. Spellman is still battling hot flashes but is skipping the hormone therapy. “For now, taking Ambien once a week helps me get one decent night of sleep. That has saved me!” Read More

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Relief for Perimenopause and Menopause Symptoms

November 19, 2008
perimenopause-menopause-relief

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Insomnia
Take a bath and/or sip relaxing teas with valerian or chamomile before bed. Make your bedroom a shrine, including blackout shades, and skip the exercise right before bed. An over-the-counter sleep aid like Tylenol PM is OK occasionally, but see your doctor if you’re dealing with perpetual insomnia. Read More

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How to Protect Yourself From HPV and Cervical Cancer

October 16, 2008

It’s hard to avoid the virus, but tests can prevent its worst consequences.
(ISTOCKPHOTO)
By Louise Sloan

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is nicknamed “the common cold of STDs” because if you’re a sexually active adult, you’ve probably contracted several of the 100 different types out there—more than 30 of which are sexually transmitted—and you probably had no idea. A new vaccine promises to make the virus much more scarce in the future, but HPV is still the number one cause of cervical cancer and genital warts.

Pap smears are a must for all women
“HPV really is harmless to the vast majority of people,” says H. Hunter Handsfield, MD, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle and a nationally recognized STD expert. “It’s like having staph or strep on our skins,” he says, “pretty universal, unavoidable, and usually not harmful.” But several strains can lead to cervical cancer, so all women should have yearly Pap smears to screen for cancerous changes.

Genital warts can be pesky and unattractive, and removing them can be painful, but they are more of a cosmetic effect of HPV than a true health risk, experts say.

Introducing the Gardasil vaccine
Gardasil, the HPV vaccine introduced in 2006, protects against the two strains of the virus that are most likely to cause cancer, as well as the two strains of the virus that are the culprits in most cases of genital warts.

The CDC recommends that girls be immunized against HPV at age 11 or 12, before they are sexually active, but girls and women ages 9 to 26 are approved to get the vaccine, in hopes they haven’t yet caught the cancer-causing strains of the virus.

Also use condoms to prevent HPV
Using condoms or other latex or plastic barriers can help prevent HPV infection, although they are not completely effective because the virus can be present on areas of the skin not covered by the latex. The best prevention available, other than abstinence, is believed to be the HPV vaccine.

Related Links:

How to Finally Fix Your Menstrual Problems
How HPV Causes Cervical Cancer and Abnormal Pap Smears
What You Need to Know About the HPV Vaccine, and Why It’s Controversial
What Should I Do if the Condom Breaks?
Birth Control Is Safer Than Ever
Who’s Most at Risk for STDs?
What Is Safer Sex?
Why These Energy Boosters Are Poor Substitutes for Sleep
For Big Drinkers, Talking About Sex and STDs May Be a Wash
Social Smokers Aren’t Hooked on Nicotine, Just Smoking
Do I Have a Drinking Problem?
Make Over Your Snacks
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What You Need to Know About the HPV Vaccine, and Why It’s Controversial

October 16, 2008

Gardasil is recommended for girls, but boys and women can get it too.
(AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
By Louise Sloan

Almost everyone carries the human papillomavirus (HPV), and it’s usually pretty harmless. But a few strains are the main cause of cervical cancer. Gardasil, the HPV vaccine approved by the FDA in 2006, guards against two of these strains, plus two other strains that are responsible for most genital warts.

Since most adults have already been exposed to HPV, the vaccine is recommended for girls who haven’t become sexually active yet. (The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccination at age 11 or 12, but Gardasil is approved for girls as young as 9.)

So far, so good. But the introduction of this new vaccine has stirred up a small fuss.

Get More Advice for Your Daughter

The controversy
Perhaps the main fear of the vaccine’s opponents is that it might encourage adolescent promiscuity.

H. Hunter Handsfield, MD, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Washington and a nationally recognized STD expert, believes most parents are all for it, however. “It can prevent cancer?” he says, parroting the most common parental concern. “Well, duh, give my kid the shot.”

Still, questions come up all the time because the vaccine is so new. Here are a couple of the most common:

1. Should boys get the HPV vaccine?
Men rarely get cancer from HPV, but they do pass the virus to their female partners, and they do get genital warts from HPV as well. In Europe and the U.K., Gardasil is licensed for use in both boys and girls, although so far only Austria’s public health program actually recommends vaccinations for both.

The reason it’s not generally recommended for boys in the U.S. is because it hasn’t been approved for use in boys. General thinking may be, too, that it’s more cost-effective, from a public-health standpoint, to vaccinate girls only. And insurance companies won’t cover vaccines that aren’t recommended. Gardasil retails at around $375 for the three-dose course.

Next page: What about women over 26?

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How HPV Causes Cervical Cancer and Abnormal Pap Smears

October 16, 2008

(ISTOCKPHOTO)

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is so common that one out of every two sexually active adults has been infected with one or more of the approximately 100 types of HPV, only 30 of which are transmitted sexually. Most of these are benign, but some can cause genital warts, while others can cause cervical cancer—a disease that can be halted in its very early stages by a gentle, painless scraping of the cervix known as a Pap smear, generally recommended annually. Read More

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Have Your Best Gyno Visit Ever

October 13, 2008

By Linda Formichelli
From Health magazine

Few women look forward to an annual gyno appointment. Like flossing, shaving, and entertaining your mother-in-law, you see the doc because you have to. But that doesn’t mean this crucial checkup should feel like torture. These five tricks will help you be prepared and feel less stressed. Read More

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Do C-Sections Lower Pelvic-Disorder Risks?

October 12, 2008
From Health magazine

Facts of life: Pregnancy itself ups your pelvic-disorder risks.

Pop-music diva Christina Aguilera says she chose to have a cesarean section because she didn’t want any vaginal tears (or other surprises). It’s true that a vaginal delivery doubles the chance of having a pelvic-floor disorder. But lots of women deliver vaginally and don’t have pelvic-floor problems. Read More

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