“Earlier” detection and “earlier” intervention

“Earlier” detection and “earlier” intervention

Endocrine and Metabolic Clinic of Zhangjiakou First Hospital Duan Jianying and Xu Nan

When I was over 40, many female classmates would quietly ask me at class reunions: "Xiao Duan, you work in a hospital. You said that recently my menstruation has come this month but not next month, or it comes very little and only lasts for a day or two. I am also very prone to anger and have hot flashes and sweats. Do you have depression?" As we age, these conditions have been bothering us. In fact, at our age, we are more likely to enter menopause if we experience the above conditions.

Everyone should know some knowledge about menopause. Let us understand menopause together.

1. First of all, what is menopause?

Menopause is the physiological stage when women enter old age from childbearing age. During this stage, ovarian function gradually declines and various hormone secretions become abnormal. The duration of menopause varies from person to person, some people can last one to two years, and some can last as long as ten years.

2. How do we determine that we have entered menopause?

If you are around 50 years old and have symptoms such as irritability, palpitations, chest tightness, shoulder and neck pain, hot flashes, sweating, and headaches, you may have entered menopause.

In addition to the above visible symptoms, there are some invisible hazards if the menopause transition is not done well. For example, the incidence of osteoporosis and sarcopenia increases significantly. In addition, menopause may cause menopausal cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, central nervous system diseases, gynecological tumors, digestive tract problems, urinary tract infections, and may affect your "sexual" life.

Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in women after menopause. Continuous hot flashes, sweating, palpitations, chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness and other symptoms will increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in the future. Studies have shown that menopausal symptoms can affect the quality of life. For example, they can cause severe osteoporosis, increase the risk of fractures, severe urinary incontinence, senile vaginitis, and changes in body shape, such as abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, and excessive blood lipids. If we intervene actively, menopausal symptoms will be well controlled, and our bones will be protected, the risk of osteoporosis will be reduced, and the possibility of urinary incontinence or urethral atrophy and senile vaginitis will be reduced. We can also maintain a graceful figure and keep blood pressure and blood lipids at normal levels.

3. What if management intervention is carried out?

Menopause requires comprehensive health management, including a reasonable diet, keeping warm, regular health checks, safe Chinese medicine conditioning, appropriate mental activities, moderate healthy exercise and the most effective menopausal hormone therapy.

Due to the decline of ovarian function, the secretion of estrogen and progesterone will be affected, which may lead to a series of menopausal symptoms. Standardized hormone therapy is safe and necessary. It is recommended that female friends go to a regular endocrine clinic for consultation if you need help during this special period of menopause.

Let us maintain a positive attitude towards life, a healthy lifestyle, and enter a high-quality life in our later years. I hope that women all over the world can smoothly go through menopause and enjoy a healthy old age.

The above pictures are from the Internet