The Complete Book of Menopausal Health and Wellbeing

There is no need to “suffer” at all, and there is no need to copy anyone’s “standard answer.” As long as you find a combination of physical and mental adjustment, medical intervention, and social support that suits your own situation, more than 90% of menopausal discomforts can be effectively alleviated, and you can even live in a more relaxed state than during your childbearing years.

I met 48-year-old Sister Zhang at the outpatient clinic last month. She burst into tears without saying a few words when she came in. She said that she had not slept a full night in the past six months. She was covered in night sweats in the middle of the night, and half of her pillow towel was wet. She was always hot at work during the day, and her face was so hot that she could fry an egg. She suddenly broke down in front of the entire department during a meeting last week. She cried for no reason. Everyone thought something had happened to her family. I checked the guide and bought soy isoflavones before, but it didn’t work for two months. I also heard people say that taking estrogen supplements can easily lead to cancer. I was so scared that I didn’t even dare to drink soy milk. I always felt that I would have to wait until I was in my fifties or sixties to get rid of this problem.

In fact, many people's understanding of menopause is stuck in the binary misunderstanding of "either carry it out or take hormones." The current mainstream directions of menopausal intervention in the industry actually have their own applicable scenarios, and no one is right or wrong at all. The clinical guidelines of orthodox obstetrics and gynecology clearly state that as long as people are within 10 years of menopause, under 60 years old, and have no contraindications such as family history of breast cancer, unexplained vaginal bleeding, or active liver disease, the benefits of supplementing estrogen and progesterone during the window period far outweigh the risks. It can not only relieve symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, but also prevent osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Many colleagues around me are also supplementing regularly when they reach their age. It is very safe.

But if you are resistant to exogenous hormones or have contraindications, don’t panic. Our colleagues in the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine have made statistics. According to statistics, 80% of mild to moderate menopausal discomforts can be improved by treating yin, clearing away heat, soothing the liver and relieving stagnation through syndrome differentiation, combined with external treatment methods such as acupuncture and moxibustion. The improvement effect is no worse than hormones. I used to have a 52-year-old aunt who couldn't stand the slight breast pain reaction caused by hormones. She switched to moxibustion and Chinese medicine for three months. Now her hot flashes have basically disappeared and her sleep is stable.

There are also many people whose symptoms are milder and whose Kupperman score is below 10. They don’t need to take any medicine and can get rid of it by adjusting their lifestyle. Oh, by the way, I want to dispel a rumor here. Many people say that drinking soy milk every day can replenish estrogen, but it is really useless. The activity of soy isoflavones is too low. You have to drink seven or eight pounds of soy milk a day to get enough, which will cause flatulence. It is better to eat 10g of flaxseed powder every day, or eat some soy products. Everyone knows that calcium supplements are needed, but many people still get leg cramps after taking calcium tablets for half a year. Why? You need to supplement it with vitamin D. Just bask in the sun for 15 minutes every day. If you are too lazy to do it, take 400IU of vitamin D. It is best to take time to do some strength training twice a week. Even if you drink two 500ml bottles of mineral water at home and practice for 15 minutes, the calcium can sink into the bones. Otherwise, it will be in vain.

In fact, I have been doing menopausal clinics for so many years, and I have found that the most difficult thing for many people is not the physical pain at all, but the fact that no one understands it. Your husband thinks you just have a sudden change of temper and you are being too pretentious. Your children think you are nagging you every day to make trouble. Even you yourself wonder, "Is there something wrong with me mentally?" It's really not the case. Those uncontrollable emotions and sudden grievances are caused by hormone fluctuations and have nothing to do with you. I had a patient before who came with her husband. I chatted with her husband for 20 minutes and explained the physiological changes at this stage. Later, he walked downstairs with his wife for 40 minutes after dinner every night.

Oh, by the way, don’t believe those “ovarian maintenance” IQs on the market. They say essential oil massage and abdominal massage can delay menopause. They are all nonsense. The ovaries are deep in the pelvic cavity and cannot be pressed by your hands. If you have an ovarian cyst, it may rupture if you press it too hard. It is purely a waste of money.

In fact, menopause is not a "downhill road in life". To put it bluntly, it is a signal sent by your body, telling you that you spent the first half of your life taking care of the elderly, taking care of children, and being busy with work, and it is time to spend more time on yourself. There is no need to carry it hard, and there is no need to be anxious. Some people are comfortable taking hormones, some are comfortable practicing yoga, and some are comfortable dancing square dances with their sisters every day. There is no unified standard answer. Just do whatever makes you feel comfortable. This hurdle is really not as difficult as you think.