How to lighten menopause | Measures by symptom and actions to avoid

1 in 2 women ‘decline a promotion’ because of menopause

The “menopausal symptoms” seen in menopause are painful.

In addition to physical symptoms such as hot flashes (hot flashes, hot flushes, sweating), which are typical symptoms of menopause, mental symptoms such as “irritability”, “anxiety, depression”, “memory loss, forgetfulness”, etc. , with a variety of symptoms.

Menopause symptoms and menopausal disorders are factors that greatly affect the working style of working women.

According to the results of a questionnaire survey published by NHK, one in two women said that they had “declined a promotion” because of menopausal symptoms.

Not only at work, but also at home, I made small mistakes that I never made before, and I couldn’t do things that I used to take for granted. It seems that there are not a few women who feel itchy and frustrated.

However, menopause does not last forever, and it will come to an end. Let’s know the measures to overcome painful menopause symptoms and menopause disorders.

What is menopause

Menopause is one of the four life stages that women undergo: puberty, sexual maturity, menopause, and old age.

Although there are individual differences, women reach menopause around the age of 50. The 10 years from the mid-40s to mid-50s that span this period are generally called ” menopause .”

During menopause, the amount of female hormones that have been secreted for a long time decreases significantly. This causes many changes in the mind and body.

Is there a way to prevent menopausal disorders and menopausal symptoms?

The various symptoms that appear during menopause are called menopausal symptoms, and menopausal symptoms that are severe enough to affect daily life are called ” menopausal disorders .”

Although there are large individual differences in the degree and appearance, menopausal symptoms always occur in women. Therefore, it is said that it is difficult to completely prevent it.

However, there are ways to reduce menopausal symptoms. Since the amount of female hormone secretion gradually decreases in women from around the late 30s, it is recommended to start measures early.

What causes menopause? What is the difference between those with severe symptoms and those with mild symptoms?

The main cause of the various symptoms that occur during menopause is the decrease in female hormones and the associated fluctuations. In addition to that, personality and environmental stress also affect it, so there is a difference between heavy people and light people.

[Causes of menopause]

• Decrease and fluctuation of female hormones
• character and temperament
• environmental factors

When you think, ” Maybe menopause? “

How to relieve menopausal symptoms

Here are some ways to ease the symptoms of menopause.

1: Take measures according to symptoms

During menopause, various symptoms appear. Since the appearance and severity of symptoms vary from person to person, it is best to take measures according to the symptoms you are concerned about.

hot flash

Hot flashes are typical symptoms of menopause that are said to be experienced by about 60% of women, and include hot flashes, hot flashes, and sweating.

To prevent and improve hot flashes, it is recommended to warm the lower body. Activating your metabolism through exercise such as bathing, yoga, and walking can help prevent this.

palpitation

During menopause, you may experience symptoms such as a sudden pounding in your chest even though you haven’t done any strenuous physical activity, or shortness of breath after just a short walk.

When you feel palpitations , take slow belly breaths to relax. As a daily countermeasure, reviewing the daily rhythm and adjusting the autonomic nerves will lead to symptom relief.

dullness

During menopause, the autonomic nerves become unstable due to the rapid decrease in female hormones, and fatigue and chronic fatigue can occur. Lack of sleep and psychological factors can also contribute to sluggishness.

Actively ingest vitamin B1, which increases metabolism and improves blood flow, vitamin E, which balances hormones and promotes blood circulation, and vitamin C, which has antioxidant and anti-stress effects, to relieve dullness and fatigue.

Also, without overthinking it, one way to rest is to say, “I can’t help it because it’s a symptom of menopause, and I’ll be fine when the time comes.”

Nausea, gastrointestinal upset, loss of appetite

During menopause, the autonomic nerves are disturbed, making it easier for gastrointestinal upset to occur. Although there are individual differences, some people seem to feel nausea and loss of appetite frequently .

Try to live a relaxed life, and when you don’t have an appetite, eat nutritious foods to replenish your nutrition.

In order to balance the autonomic nervous system and hormones, consider taking supplements with estrogen action and visiting a medical institution.

tinnitus

Disturbances in the autonomic nervous system during menopause can also lead to tinnitus .

Stress can also cause tinnitus, so it is important not to accumulate too much stress and to release stress regularly. You can also expect to improve tinnitus by warming your ears with a steamed towel and promoting blood flow.

Numbness

During menopause, numbness may occur due to factors such as thinning of the skin, easy dryness, and poor blood flow . If you feel numbness, move your body or massage the numb area to promote blood circulation.

It is also recommended to actively incorporate nutrients such as vitamin C that keeps blood vessels strong and vitamin E that improves blood flow.

cold

Cold is originally a symptom that is often seen in women, but many people seem to have more painful symptoms during menopause.

The basic measures against cold are to warm the body and not to cool the body. Protect your body from the cold by dressing carefully, avoiding cold foods and drinks that cool your body, and warming up your body with stretching and exercise.

Finger pain/stiffness

During menopause, pain and stiffness in the fingers may occur due to the decrease in female hormones .

If the symptoms are not severe, take a bath or massage to warm the body. However, if the pain is strong or there is swelling, it may worsen with heat, so caution is required.

If the symptoms persist, do not leave it unattended and visit a clinic to receive appropriate treatment.

2: Basic self-care “diet, exercise, sleep”

The basics of self-care during menopause is to adjust “diet, exercise, and sleep” .

By improving these, it leads to relieving menopausal symptoms and preventing aggravation. If it is difficult to tackle everything at once, try to improve one by one.

3: Deal with and eliminate the stress that often occurs during menopause

When the human body is stressed, it secretes various “stress hormones”.

There are many types of stress hormones, but representative ones include cortisol, which causes irritability, catecholamines, which increase blood pressure by constricting blood vessels, and noradrenaline, which increases when you are tired from working long hours. target.

These stress hormones affect the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and immune systems, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath, and loss of appetite, which in turn exacerbate menopausal symptoms. will be

In addition, stress hormones are said to accelerate the aging process because they disrupt the balance of hormones such as estrogen and testosterone.

Menopausal stress common in women

• Children’s entrance exams, employment, marriage
• Now that I have finished raising my children, I have more time to spend as a couple and face my husband
• Decline or loss of confidence as a woman

Menopausal stress common in men

• Work pressure and restructuring
• Family problems such as marital crises and divorce
• Decline or loss of confidence as a man

The above stress is said to be common among women and men in their mid-40s to mid-50s who are approaching menopause. In addition, menopause is also a time when life events that cause stress, such as anxiety about one’s own health, nursing care of parents, and bereavement, occur.

Although there are some differences between men and women in the stress experienced during menopause, they all have in common that they are related to “the current self and the way one lives in the future”.

In today’s world, where people live to be 100 years old, it is important to stay healthy after menopause. Menopause is also a good opportunity to reassess your life and think about the future.

Finding hobbies and activities that suit you for a better life in the future, reviewing the relationship of trust between husband and wife and building a new relationship of trust will help relieve stress.

4: Equol intake

A survey was conducted to measure the amounts of equol, daidzein, and genistein in the urine of 108 women (Journal of the Japanese Society of Menopausal Medicine, 15: 28-37, 2007). It is known that there is a big difference in the amount of equol between heavy people and light people.

Although there was no significant difference in the amount of daidzein and genistein in the urine between those with severe and mild menopausal symptoms, the amount of equol was clearly lower in those with severe symptoms.

Equol is a substance produced by intestinal bacteria metabolizing daidzein, which is contained in soy isoflavones. However, not all people can produce equol in their bodies, and one in two Japanese people cannot produce equol.

You can test whether you can produce equol with a commercially available test kit .

Equol is said to be effective for menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, stiff neck, and stiff shoulders, as well as skin wrinkles, suppression of bone density loss, and reduction of bad cholesterol. Taking equol supplements as a countermeasure against menopausal symptoms is one way.

5: Incorporate herbal medicine

Kampo medicine recommended by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology is also recommended for improving menopausal disorders. Chinese herbal medicine improves symptoms by adjusting hormone balance, blood flow, and autonomic nervous system disturbances that cause menopausal disorders.

If you want to improve from the root or if you feel resistance to treatment such as hormone treatment and psychotropic drugs, why not use it?

In addition, Kampo medicine is made from a combination of natural herbal medicines and works to restore the disturbed balance of the mind and body as a whole, so it is particularly effective for menopausal women who complain of various symptoms.

Here are some recommended herbal medicines for those who are suffering from menopause.

Two herbal medicines recommended for menopausal discomfort

・Kamishoyosan
: A herbal medicine that can be expected to improve irritation and hot flashes. Recommended for those who are concerned about stiff shoulders and insomnia.

・Unkeito (Unkeito)
is a herbal medicine used for menopausal disorders of weak type due to sensitivity to cold. Recommended for those who are concerned about hot flashes on their hands and feet and dry lips.

An important point when choosing a herbal medicine is whether it matches the person’s condition and constitution. In order to determine which Chinese herbal medicine is suitable for you, it is recommended to borrow the power of an expert.

If you don’t have a regular Kampo doctor, consider using an online Kampo service such as Anshin Kampo , which delivers Kampo to your home at an affordable price.

Behaviors to avoid that make menopausal symptoms worse

Excessive dieting and smoking can adversely affect ovarian function and make menopausal symptoms worse.

It is important for people who smoke to quit smoking as much as possible, and for those who are on a diet, it is important not to restrict their diet unreasonably.

Go to the hospital without enduring painful menopausal symptoms

If you try self-care to reduce menopausal symptoms and it doesn’t improve, don’t put up with it, go to a gynecologist, menopausal outpatient clinic, or women’s outpatient clinic for treatment.

The hospital provides the following treatments:

• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• herbal medicine
• psychotropic drug
• Placenta　, etc.

Menopause is not your fault! It is important not to overdo it

Menopause can cause a variety of physical and mental symptoms. However, these changes are due to the effects of menopause, and it cannot be helped. Don’t blame yourself.

Even if you feel unwell, it is important to take it as a symptom of menopause and rest when you can.

If the symptoms do not improve even after trying to alleviate the symptoms of menopause, or if they worsen, there is a possibility that other diseases are hidden. See a doctor as soon as possible to treat your symptoms.