[김윤수 기자 @이코노미톡뉴스] Menopause, the so-called ‘second puberty’, is inevitably accompanied by various physical symptoms and emotional problems due to hormonal changes.
Until now, these symptoms have been perceived as temporary problems that everyone experiences. However, if you neglect health care before and following menopause, your quality of life may drop and there is a high risk of chronic diseases. On the occasion of World Menopause Day on October 18, let’s take a look at the typical symptoms of menopause and how to manage it.
Menopause symptoms that everyone experiences but are unfamiliar to me
Menopause, which usually appears in women following their mid-40s, means that the ovaries age and menstruation stops. The menstrual cycle becomes jagged for 2 to 5 years before the complete cessation of menstruation, which is called menopause (pre-menopause). During menopause, the secretion of estrogen rapidly decreases, causing abnormalities in the reproductive system, cardiovascular system, digestive system, and mental nervous system. These are symptoms that make normal daily life difficult, such as hot flashes, night sweats, headache, depression/anxiety, poor concentration, and memory loss.
A disease that requires special attention during menopause is osteoporosis. This is because bone loss increases due to a deficiency of female hormones that act on bone formation. In fact, according to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service’s statistics on diseases of national interest, the proportion of women with osteoporosis is 94.1% of the total, and the incidence increases rapidly following the age of 45. Coronary artery disease and diabetes are also known to increase the incidence of menopause.
Actively respond to changes in the body
If suspicious symptoms appear, it is desirable to first check for hormonal abnormalities. Using a commercially available menopause test, it can be done in just 10 minutes. In menopause, the concentration of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) increases due to endocrine changes. The menopausal test measures this concentration to determine whether the menopause is progressing.
It is easy to use because it can be tested through urine rather than blood. There are also products that have confirmed high performance, such as Dong-A Pharmaceutical’s E-Check menopausal test with an accuracy of 98.6%. The echeck menopausal test can be easily purchased at nearby pharmacies, and for those who are reluctant to purchase face-to-face, it is also sold at Dong-A Pharmaceutical’s official mall: D Mall.
There’s no need to cringe just because your menopause test is positive. If you accept the changing body condition naturally and actively cope with it, you can continue an energetic life even following menopause. First, try to improve your eating habits and lifestyle in your daily life. Aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking or climbing stairs, improves bone density.
It is recommended to do aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3 times a week. Isoflavones, which are abundant in plant proteins such as soybeans and tofu, act similarly to estrogen in the body and help relieve symptoms. Increasing intake of calcium and vitamin D from milk and fish can help prevent osteoporosis. Reduce your intake of caffeine, which drains calcium from the body. Caffeine is highly likely to aggravate sleep disturbances or headache symptoms by continuing to wake up the brain.
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