It is now accepted that Thai society is entering an aging society. It is estimated that there are approximately 7 million menopausal women in Thailand. And of this group of menopausal women, approximately half have underlying diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, bone and joint diseases, and central obesity.
Have you entered menopause yet…?
The first stage of menopause is nearing the end of menstruation and 1 year after menopause. Most women are between the ages of 45-55.
Why do women enter menopause…?
The main cause is that the ovaries stop producing female hormones and there is no ovulation, which used to be the job of the ovaries since reproductive age. Or women who have had both ovaries removed.
How do you know if you are entering menopause…?
Menstrual irregularities will occur, starting with menstruation coming earlier. Then it will start to be less distant, for example, once every 2-3 months. And after no menstruation for 1 year, it is considered complete menopause. In addition, there will be symptoms of hot flashes, night sweats, depression, irritability, fatigue, insomnia, vaginal dryness. There will be pain during intercourse. When falling, bones will break more easily.
How to behave when entering menopause…?
If possible, it would be recommended to take good care of physical and mental health and a good lifestyle from childhood and adolescence because it will help prevent and delay health problems during menopause. However, when entering menopause, it is necessary to give importance to various issues such as food. You should reduce starchy and sugary foods and eat carbohydrates from grains, vegetables, and fruits which have a lot of fiber.
Reduce saturated fat foods such as all types of animal fat, coconut oil, palm oil, etc. Change to use unsaturated fats instead such as soybean oil, olive oil, etc. You should eat enough protein, calcium, and vitamin D. Reduce salty foods, tea, coffee, soft drinks, and alcohol.
For herbs, studies have found that some herbs may be beneficial for menopausal women, but caution must be exercised when using them.
Herbs that have been studied and found to be beneficial include soy extract, ginkgo biloba, or Black Cohosh.
Menopausal women should pay attention to the postures used in their daily activities, such as standing or walking, lying down, sitting, bending down to lift heavy objects, and reaching for objects from high places. Exercise helps build bone mass, increase muscle strength, increase joint flexibility, increase agility, and has a positive effect on balance.
Daily routines such as doing housework, watering plants, washing cars, cooking all have a positive effect on physical and mental health, but may not be able to replace exercise entirely.
Menopausal women who have indications or a need for hormone replacement therapy, the doctor will consider each case individually.
The doctor will explain and provide information along with other details before deciding to take hormones.
In cases where there are other underlying diseases. Multidisciplinary care by specialists in various fields is required. Annual health check-ups are important in screening and diagnosing diseases in order to provide treatment from the beginning of menopause and help set a better guideline for appropriate behavior. It seems that menopause is a period of age with many problems. But in another aspect, it is found that menopausal women are a valuable time, complete in family, career and living. It is a time to accumulate enough life experiences to determine a happy way of life.