While menopause is a natural time in a woman’s life, its effects can feel anything but natural. Hot flashes and weight gain may be just the beginning. While there are common symptoms that many women share, the combination of symptoms and their severity could be unique to you.
Some women seem to suffer heavily from menopause symptoms, while others bypass the worst. When your life faces disruption, dealing with these symptoms, you need a menopause medical partner.
Gynecologist John A. Whitfield, MD, and his team in Fort Worth, Texas, are here to help you, regardless of your symptom types or severity. To help you cope, we’ve gathered some of the top tips for thriving through menopause.
Small changes can add up to big relief. Review this list and incorporate the tips with the greatest potential to help you. When self-care isn’t enough, visit with Dr. Whitfield to investigate your options for medical relief.
There are three phases in each woman’s menopause experience. These are:
The average age for menopause is 51 in the United States. However, it can happen in your 40s, or after an event like surgery or radiation, where your ovaries are removed or cease functioning.
Unlike some features of getting older, there’s nothing you can do to prevent menopause. You can, however, choose self-care practices that help you cope or ease your symptoms. Consider these menopause busters:
Drinking plenty of water helps regulate body temperature and replace fluids, which are essential for hot flashes and night sweats.
Focus on a healthy eating plan built around fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, low-fat dairy, and healthy fats. It can help you counter postmenopausal weight gain while providing the nutrients your body needs.
You can trigger your own hot flashes by consuming alcohol and caffeine, so eliminate or moderate your consumption if temperature regulation is a concern.
Another hot flash trigger, tobacco aggravates life after menopause, along with all its other health challenges.
Make the changes you need to your sleep habits to stay comfortable, whether that means switching to lighter pajamas, using different bed linens, or adding air conditioning or fans to stay cool.
Your body doesn’t arouse in the same way, physiologically, so you can’t always count on natural lubrication to stay comfortable during sex. Keep the heat where you want it with a sexual lubricant to counter vaginal dryness.
Exercise moderates menopause symptoms; enough said. Meditation and yoga count too, as all three are mood regulators.
Menopause is a hormonal event, and as such, it can be unpredictable and unmanageable. Contact John A. Whitfield, MD, to explore further treatment options when menopause gets unruly. We’re hormone replacement therapy (HRT) specialists. Call our office at 817-927-2229 to schedule your consultation today.
