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VERIFIED CONTENTConsultation: dr Tadeusz Oleszczuk, gynecologist-obstetrician
Menopause is a specific period in a woman's life. Stories about the menopause of our mothers and grandmothers are sometimes terrifying, and yet it is a natural stage in our lives. Why do some women go through it easier? How to deal with the bothersome symptoms of the menopause? We asked the expert Dr. Tadeusz Oleszczuk about it.
Patrycja Pupiec: Does every woman go through the menopause similarly?
Tadeusz Oleszczuk:No, this is an individual mode. Often these differences relate to the thyroid gland and the way we live and eat. When a patient with suspected menopause and its troublesome symptoms comes to me, I recommend blood tests to assess the level of hormones and an ultrasound of the thyroid gland, because changes are usually visible there.
Some women, over the years, do not pay attention to it or downplay the problem, mainly check the TSH level, because these are the recommendations. So it turns out that TSH is often normal, but unfortunately the antibodies are sometimes over 100 times normal. Antibodies are created in the digestive tract, so if a woman has been eating unhe althy food all her life, unfortunately she may be in the group of about 30 percent. women with worsening thyroid problems during menopause. Especially if there were such illnesses in the family.
What does this result in?
It may increase excessive prolactin spikes and disrupt blood glucose levels, leading to excess weight. The combination of a drop in blood pressure and spikes in glucose can increase the feeling of hot flushes, especially during stressful situations. But it all comes out of ignoring problems that have never been diagnosed and resolved in the past. Such difficult symptoms begin around forty, when a woman begins to gain weight, concentration disorders, decreased libido, short-term memory disorders appear …
What should be done then?
This problem affects about 30-40 percent. women. In the case of this type of disorder, HRT is usually prescribed, i.e. hormone replacement therapy, which patients usually come for themselves. But not every woman should be recommended the same and not the same amount, because every girl should do the samethe case requires an individual approach.
It is customary to say that the daughter will go through the menopause at the same age as her mother, is this a true claim?
This is often the case when we inherit a hormone profile. I wrote about it in my book. Just as we inherit genes, we also inherit the gut microflora. Therefore, if the mother had changes in the ultrasound of the thyroid gland, her sisters and daughters may also have them. When a perimenopausal patient comes to me, I always ask when her mother was in the menopause.
Does a woman who had children and childless go through the menopause differently? Is there any difference, doesn't it matter?
In this case, one would have to answer the question why the woman has no children. If she has tried to get pregnant but has failed due to severe hormonal disorders or thyroid disease, she will be a candidate for the more difficult going through menopause. In the case of a woman who gave birth to at least one child, the risk of breast cancer is reduced, it has a positive effect on the work of hormones and less often women complain of difficulties in the menopause period.
But it cannot be absolutely stated that it will be yes or definitely not. It's all about an individual approach. Stress levels, exercise and diet are important.
Can you prepare for menopause?
Many elements are measurable, so you can check the level of hormones and individual he alth parameters. The results will confirm whether you can already diagnose menopause, and will also assess the level of risk of becoming pregnant if your periods are already irregular. Check your family history of diseases, in particular metabolic problems and other diseases, along with an assessment of thyroid function.
Diet and lifestyle also contribute to a smoother transition to menopause, so if you eat unhe althily (large amounts of animal products and processed foods) you need to change it as soon as possible. Take a look at yourself and see if you have a problem with constipation, diarrhea, breast pain, cysts, weight regulation.
Disorders who are already over the age of 30 will only get worse over time. If we do not try to find the cause, we are only risking our he alth. When we find the cause, change the lifestyle, diet and feel the effects, we will gently go through the menopause. It can be compared to a situation in which a car is involved in a speeding car without a driver - sooner or later it will hit an obstacle.
So we have a chance to save, because the degree of risk is assessablefor example through appropriate blood tests.
If there is already this obstacle, i.e. bothersome symptoms, is there anything besides HRT that a woman can do to facilitate this period?
There are plant preparations that have proven their effectiveness in scientific research, which to some extent facilitate and eliminate these negative symptoms. During this time, the woman should take care of her sleep, the minimum 7-9 hours of sleep. Physical activity and related weight control also play a role. And, of course, diet.
That's why it's worth knowing what you need to do to consciously create better conditions for the transition of menopause and get rid of those cold hands and feet, mood swings, concentration and memory disorders, decreased libido - these symptoms can be eliminated in a natural way or completely avoid them if we act sooner. However, you can always do some research and try to change your daily life.
And stress?
This goes without saying as stress plays a significant role in your he alth and well-being. Physical activity is the cheapest way to fight stress, but we are talking about regular activity, not once a week, but much more often. Preferably in the open air, in a forest outside the city, where there is about 70% less. airborne pathogens.
Is this last period different from other periods?
It's not that the period is and suddenly it's not. They just start to fade in their regularity. They then appear every two or three months - they become irregular and this is what we call the perimenopausal period. It takes about two to four years. However, if there is no bleeding for six months, we can talk about menopause.
The important thing to check if it is indeed the menopause is to do some research. Then it remains to be seen whether the ovaries are still producing hormones. Around the age of 46-54 - the average age in Poland is around 50.
I came across this statement: I am postmenopausal, everything is fine and I don't have to go to the gynecologist anymore. I don't think that's how it works, right?
Unfortunately not. Most, as much as 80 percent. tumors occur after the age of 50. For example, the risk of cervical cancer begins to increase after the age of 35, and cancer often appears during the menopause, because it does not appear overnight, but matures for years. If a woman does not see a gynecologist, does not perform preventive examinations, then she does not give herself a chance to diagnose the disease early - that is what preventive examinations are for.
Additionally, living under stress, eating contaminated(additives from production - pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, etc.), food, lack of exercise, it all causes the immunity to decline and cancer to appear. There is something to fight for, because statistically every fourth person in Poland will develop cancer. The way we live affects how we finish, i.e. how our he alth will develop after 50.
So, preventive examinations at least once a year?
Of course. There is also another kind of problem here, namely the time window in which the woman does not see the gynecologist at all. This is the moment of risk when a woman gives birth to a child, or even a few, and all is well, and then she stops examining herself. The years fly and it does not appear in the office until the menopause, for example after 15 years. Then it turns out that there can be serious problems including cancer.
The tumor may not be symptomatic, it may be a cubic millimeter in size, but we will not be able to detect it without testing. In the case of cervical cancer - there is no chance of getting cancer if you have a regular Pap smear or if you have been vaccinated against several types of HPV. However, if you do not perform preventive examinations for several or even several years, you risk your he alth.
You have to test yourself. Just because we don't want to get sick is not enough. Women are often mobilized by a situation in which one of their loved ones finds themselves. For example, patients come to me, because my colleague at work died of cancer and all the women who work with her suddenly go to medical examinations. And they all want to have a result on the next day, because there is a fear for my he alth, whether I am sick.
We forget about the most important things, because there are many other things that we treat as a priority. We remember about the car check-up because it has to be done once a year, so let's also remember about regular preventive examinations, at least once a year or two, if the previous results were always correct.
gynecologist-obstetrician Tadeusz OleszczukGynecologist-obstetrician with over 30 years of experience. Author of the books "What the gynecologist will not tell you" and "Calm your hormones".
www.tadeuszoleszczuk.pl
fb.com / drtadeusz
Read other articles from the StrefaKobiety series:
- First visit to the gynecologist: what can you expect?
- Ignorance or maybe ignorance? Why do women die of cancer?
- 20 percent couples deal with infertility. Mostly not the fault of the woman
- A woman must be he althy before starting contraception
- How to take care of intimate hygiene to avoid infections?
- Allergies - where did you come fromare they taking? Allergy to semen and condoms
- A couple in the gynecologist's office? Situations in which it is worth coming with a partner
- Gynecologist banning abortion: Let's not condemn women to suffering at risk of losing he alth and life
- Pain in the intimate areas. Is it normal to feel pain?
- Sexually transmitted diseases. How to take care of your safety?
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), or when the body and mind suffer
- Gynecological visit during a pandemic. What has changed?
- Breasts. What about their appearance should worry us?
- Are you pregnant and afraid to vaccinate against COVID-19? Expert explains why it is worth doing this
- Why is it so long to be diagnosed with endometriosis?
- Endometrial cancer, i.e. a cancer in which lifestyle is important
- Why are uterine fibroids mostly only monitored?
- Gynecologist: People are afraid to name the basic elements of the reproductive system, let alone know what the physiology of the cycle looks like