Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

A24 HEALTH
Wednesday 29 august 2018

Life’s Pauses - Peri, Andro and Meno

bodies. off synthetic, artificial hormone changing birth
Menopausal symptoms include hot flashes, control. We recommend using safer methods
mood swings, heart palpitations, insomnia, to keep track of their fertility status together
anxiety, depression, weight gain, decline in with natural family planning and hormone
skin quality, muscle loss, low or lost libido and balancing. A simple to use at home “fertility
inability to concentrate. Becoming less able to scope” can be effective in keeping track of
handle daily tasks for women, who are masters a perimenopausal woman’s changing cycles.
at juggling or multi-tasking, may come as a sur- Herbs such as Dong Quai, Red Chestnut, Rho-
prise and cause feelings of inadequacy or frus- diola, Black Cohosh and Kudzu have long been
tration. Although bewildered husbands, chil- known for menopausal and perimenopausal
dren and a society that thrives on youth seem support as well as B vitamins.
to believe all menopausal women experience Since women’s hormone levels vary greatly,
By: Dr Carlos Viana symptoms for years on end, research indicates natural alternatives work best when used under
that 15 percent of women are symptom-free at professional guidance. Some women should
menopause. Medical researchers have docu- not use estrogen. Some need DHEA or testoster-
mented that while some women simply stop one, a hormone found in men, as well. Hormone
menstruating and have no symptoms whatso- levels can fluctuate greatly during menopause
By: Dr Carlos Viana ever, 85 percent will experience some degree and women may need test their hormone levels
Medically, menopause is defined as: when of hot flashes. As a medical anthropologist, I and adjust their hormone therapy throughout
you have not had a menstruation in a year. In can tell you some cultures, such as traditional the change. Accurate, comprehensive tests
fact, Menopause is really the end of a long, Navahos, exhibited and reported few symp- are available from laboratories specializing in
slow process called perimenopause, marked toms of menopause. Moreover, socioeconom- hormones using saliva or blood spot rather than
by changes in a woman’s body. Menopause ic status was strongly correlated to menopausal a tube of blood.
is a normal part of a woman’s life, just like pu- women’s experience of symptoms. Women in Specialty hormone testing is not only for meno-
berty. A woman’s ovaries in her mid-30 begin to higher income brackets showed an elevated pausal women, but should begin in “pre” or
change how much estrogen and progesterone rate of symptoms. This study indicates that psy- peri-menopause. And, let’s talk about the
they produce. These two female hormones are chological factors, rather than physical ones, men. Men’s hormone levels also change with
both important for normal menstrual cycles and may strongly determine menopausal symp- age. This is known as andropause. All men
successful pregnancy. toms. Belief systems, feelings and attitude can over 50 need to check not only prostate, but
In our clinic, when I inform women between 35 go a long in affecting many health concerns. also hormone levels. Testosterone can diminish
and 50years old that the symptoms they are Major factors influencing a woman’s emotional even in younger men and women. Testoster-
feeling, which seem to be Premenstrual Syn- and physical passage through the change of one is responsible for muscle strength, beautiful
drome (PMS) are actually “Pre” or Peri-meno- life include: personal health and childbearing hair and a healthy libido.
pause symptoms. Many women remark that history, health of her female ancestors and liv- Get The Point! Aging and menopause are
since they are not over fifty, this cannot be! ing female relatives, past and present dietary natural, not diseases, so a “cure” is unneces-
Although, the current average age of meno- habits, past and present tobacco and alcohol sary. Only with factual information can we be-
pause is about 52. The age span is usually from use, medications, exercise, life style, stress and gin to manage normal changes in our bodies.
45 to 55. However, symptoms of the body’s self-esteem. Another very influential factor is the Having symptoms? Acupuncture and Chinese
changes during perimenopause can begin in amount of circulating glucose and insulin in the herbs have been used for more than 5,000
the late 30”s and last up to thirteen years! blood stream. years to help rejuvenate the body and treat
Statistics indicate that approximately one in a Many women have been led to believe that menopausal symptoms. Acupuncture can help
hundred women goes through menopause at there is a cure for menopause by using estrogen ease symptoms such as insomnia, night sweats,
age 40 or younger. Early menopause can oc- or other forms of hormone replacement thera- mood swings and stress. A diet designed for the
cur as a result of surgery, for example, when a py (HRT). New medical findings have proven individual, including dietary supplements and
woman has a hysterectomy or uterine removal that synthetic hormone replacement may do nature’s herbs can make your transition easier.
with ovarian removal. According to some ex- women more harm than good. Younger wom- Counseling can bring a positive change in at-
perts, early menopause can also be caused en using synthetic birth control pills, patches or titude. With information and guidance, men
by various factors, such as an autoimmune dis- injections are using a form of HRT. This can be a and women can journey through these life’s
order related to poor nutrition or chronic stress big factor affecting women of perimenopaus- changes with healthy “pauses” for rebalancing
resulting in the production of anti-ovarian anti- al age. In our clinic, we try to get all women and enjoyment. Call us for a guided journey.q