Coping with the symptoms of menopause
Mrs Sadiya Aliyu, 49, said about two and half years ago, she began to notice that her period had become irregular, and that she increasingly experienced sweating episodes and felt more uncomfortable than before. “I began to have this internal heat always. Sometimes I can’t sleep because of the internal heat,” she said. “I also […]
Mrs Sadiya Aliyu, 49, said about two and half years ago, she began to notice that her period had become irregular, and that she increasingly experienced sweating episodes and felt more uncomfortable than before.
“I began to have this internal heat always. Sometimes I can’t sleep because of the internal heat,” she said. “I also had heavy period sometimes and then I wouldn’t see it for some months and then gradually it stopped.”
Sadiya, who doesn’t want her real names mentioned, said the one that affected her the most is the frequent sudden heat she felt from her head to her toes. She was later told in the hospital that it is called hot flashes.
She added that most of the symptoms have reduced within the last six months.
A woman is said to be in menopause when she does not have her menstrual period for a year or more. It is a biological process in which the function of the ovaries ceases and marks the end of fertility.
While it is a normal process and not a disease, it comes with changes that trigger symptoms before the last menstrual cycle and even months and years after that.
Dr. Eche Ugochukwu, said menopause is the time that marks the end of a woman’s menstrual cycles and that it is diagnosed after a woman has gone 12 months without a menstrual period.
Dr. Ugochukwu, who is a general medical practitioner at the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State, said the average age of menopause in Nigerian women is typically between the ages of 45 – 54 years of age, adding “but menopause may occur as early as the 30s or as late as the 60s. There is no reliable laboratory test to predict when a woman will experience menopause.”
The physician said the causes include: Natural decline of reproductive hormones, hysterectomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy and primary ovarian insufficiency.
Some of the signs and symptoms of menopause, he enumerated include:
– Hot flashes, that is sudden sensation of heat associated with sweating and increased heartbeat which can last from 2 – 30mins for each episode.
– Irregular periods
– Vaginal dryness
– Chills.
Others are night sweats, sleep problems, mood changes, osteoporosis and weight gain.
Dr Ugochukwu gave the following as ways to cope with the symptoms of menopause:
– Take note of your hot flash triggers such as; caffeine, alcohol, hot room, stress which are common causes and avoid them. However when a flash starts, take slow deep breaths in your nose and out of your mouth till it subsides.
– Anti-depressants and stress management will ease mood swings.
– Eat right, ensure regular exercise, this will keep your weight in check and ensure that your sleep patterns are better.
– Hormonal therapy.
On what women should do when they enter menopause too early, he advised them to see their doctor for guidance.
“Manage the symptoms as listed above. However, if symptoms are more severe, the woman may benefit from hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Dietary supplements containing vitamin D and calcium can lower your risk of osteoporosis.
“These treatments will not return fertility, however, so if you wish to become pregnant, in vitro fertilization may help,” he said.
He said menopausal women should understand that menopause is a new stage of their life and should endeavour to seek more awareness and live with the realities of this new stage.
He said that during menopause, the risk of cardiovascular disease such as stroke and heart failure increases. He said heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in women. “So it’s important to get regular exercise, eat a healthy diet and maintain a normal weight.”
The physician also advised women to ensure regular visits to their doctor for check-ups.