From Health magazine
Check out these smart and sneaky ways to chill your next hot flash. View the slideshow.
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How to Survive Perimenopause
November 19, 2008
Istockphoto
By Lambeth Hochwald
From Health magazine
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.
The Estrogen Debate and Perimenopause
November 19, 2008
By Lambeth Hochwald
From Health magazine
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
Hot Flash Triggers: How to Avoid Them
November 19, 2008
From Health magazine
Hot flashes can last from 30 seconds to five minutes and may occur once a day to several times an hour. They can start in perimenopause and, for some women, continue past menopause.
While researchers are exploring new treatments—including a combo therapy of estrogen and basedoxifene (a compound that works like estrogen without the breast cancer risk)—your best bet is to identify the triggers that cause your brain to release the adrenaline-like agents that dilate blood vessels and heat you up. Here are seven things known to cause hot flashes. Read More
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
Relief for Perimenopause and Menopause Symptoms
November 19, 2008
Fotolia
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
10 Reasons You’re Not Having Sex
March 20, 2008
Not getting any? You’re not alone: Women today have less time for sex than their 1950s counterparts. And it’s estimated that 40 million Americans have what experts call a sexless marriage (having sex less than 10 times a year).
A regular sex life is good for your health. It can satisfy all sorts of emotional- and physical-intimacy needs and help partners stay close, says Anita H. Clayton, MD, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Virginia and author of Satisfaction: Women, Sex, and the Quest for Intimacy. So why the dry spell? You can chalk it up to a sheer lack of time, but there are a slew of other reasons, too—from weight gain and perimenopause to technology overload (stop texting now) in the bedroom. Here’s how to beat the top 10 sex busters.
Reason 1: Your bed isn’t sexy anymore.
We hear it over and over again: The bed should be used for sex and sleep only. So why do so many of us insist on bringing third parties—laptops, PDAs, Law & Order—into the boudoir? All that technology and distraction can cause insomnia and put a damper on your sex life. After all, it’s harder to initiate sex if your spouse is hiding behind a newspaper or glued to the TV or if your hands are busy exploring the Web rather than his body.
Sex Rx: At a minimum, make the bedroom a no-technology zone, Clayton suggests. Then take a hard look at your life (from romance and work to entertainment and family), and give sex the priority it deserves. If you have to schedule sex like you do a meeting, do it!
Read More
Previous perimenopause Stories
How to Stay Cool During Menopause
11/19/2008 - Mind and BodyHow to Survive Perimenopause
11/19/2008 - Mind and BodyThe Estrogen Debate and Perimenopause
11/19/2008 - Mind and BodyHot Flash Triggers: How to Avoid Them
11/19/2008 - Mind and BodyFour Women Talk About Thriving In Menopause
11/19/2008 - Mind and BodyRelief for Perimenopause and Menopause Symptoms
11/19/2008 - Mind and Body10 Reasons You’re Not Having Sex
03/20/2008 - Sex and Relationships
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