Items Tagged With Menopause

Doctors spend on average only a few minutes with each patient they see for routine examinations. (Of course, there is often time out of the exam room that is spent reviewing the chart and records.) The experience can be both confusing and frustrating when communication on one or both sides is lacking, particularly if you’re presented with new information to process or new instructions to follow.

While a visit to the clinic can be intimidating for anyone, you can lessen the stress and worry associated with doctor’s appointments by taking steps to be sure that you’re provided with all the information you need at the appointment. There are also ways you can improve the quality of your care by helping your doctor develop the best understanding possible of your symptoms and condition.

Before the appointment, write down a list of things you need to tell the doctor. Note any concerns or questions you may have. Also write down the names and dosages of any prescription,  over-the-counter medications,  or supplements you are taking. It is very important to take this list with you to the appointment – don’t count on remembering every single item. Before you leave the office, go over the list to be sure you’ve covered everything. This simple step benefits both you and your doctor by keeping the discussion focused and ensuring that all your concerns are addressed.

Don’t hesitate to use the words “I don’t understand.” Doctors are only human and may not always know when they haven’t explained something well or in terms you can understand. Never feel embarrassed or shy about asking for clarification about something your doctor says. When in doubt, repeat back what your doctor has told you and ask if you’ve got it right. You can also ask if he or she recommends any specific reading materials about your condition.

If your doctor asks questions that sound embarrassing or overly personal, remember that the information you provide enables him or her to better establish a diagnosis, or to determine which treatment is most appropriate for you. Never fib in response to questions about alcohol or drug use, sexual history, or other lifestyle matters. Be honest about the extent to which you are taking your prescriptions or following a treatment plan. Withholding the truth can affect the quality of your care and can even lead to a wrong diagnosis.

Finally, the office medical assistants and nurses can be an additional resource of information. Do not hesitate to ask them questions about your concerns as well.

Advance preparation for your doctor’s visit is a vital step toward becoming a partner in your own health care and an advocate for your health and well-being. A good doctor will always encourage your desire to understand as much as possible about your condition and will welcome your active participation in your care.

VitaDocs Medical Reference from MedicineNet

Menopause  Menopause Doctors Appointment 

6 ways to cope with menopausal hot flashes - without hormones.
By Colette Bouchez

As you may have already guessed, as you enter midlife and menopause and begin that natural progression from Reproductive Goddess to, well, simply Goddess, you're going to undergo a virtual constellation of symptoms that, in some instances, can affect you bodywide.

None however, has captured more attention than the veritable "hot flash." As the golden badge of advancing womanhood, it is, in fact, the one symptom that has bonded even the worst of enemies, as shoulder-to-shoulder we stand in the ladies room trying to figure out how to get our entire body under one tiny faucet of ice-cold running water.

Doctors label hot flashes a vasomotor symptom -- a series of biochemical events that unfold when your temperature controlling mechanism goes slightly awry. The result: Your body thinks you're overheated, even when you're not. That, in turn, directs your blood vessels to quickly discharge what it perceives as excess heat, which for you usually means a sensation something akin to standing naked on the edge of a barbecue pit that is filled to the brim with hot burning coals.

The whole "event," as doctors like to call it, is mediated by the peaks and valleys of fluctuating estrogen levels, that little hormonal dance your body does as your last egg gets ready to leave your nest, signaling a close to your reproductive years.

And while the National Institute on Aging estimates that 60% of all women approaching menopause have hot flashes, as any one who has passed through this time of life can tell you, the "real" number has to be closer to 99%. Honestly, I don't know a single gal who has reached age 50 without at least one uncontrollable urge to walk in the rain in her lingerie, as she asks "Is it hot in here?"

But while hot flashes may be our rite of passage, getting through those hot burning days and nights can be more than a little disconcerting. For decades, most women banked on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for help. Unfortunately, the now infamous Women's Health Initiative study of 2002 cast a huge shadow on this form of treatment. So, at least for a while, most of us are left to our own devices to cope.

The good news is there is more than one way to cool a flash. From anecdotal remedies to some brand-new research, it's possible to stop a flush blush in its tracks -- no hormones required.

To help get you started, here are six approaches to try on your own, plus a few your doctor can prescribe. Don't forget walking in the rain in your lingerie, though. It works -- just do it at night when nobody's looking.

Beating a Hot Flash: What Can Help Right Now

1. Watch what you're wearing.

It's not just the heavy sweaters and suit jackets that can make you feel warm. Even loose, comfortable clothes can cause a problem if they are made from certain fabrics. Those to avoid include nylon, spandex, and some close-knit polyesters, all of which can hold in body heat and make it harder for you to cool down. To avoid night sweats, which are really hot flashes that occur in your sleep, skip nylon nighties or PJs, and avoid satin or all polyester sheets. 

Weight gain during the menopausal transition is very common. Here are a few tips to fight it.

By Wendy C. Fries
VitaDocs Answers to Questions

Question:

I can't seem to lose weight, and I am suffering from the big "M" -- menopause. I am active. I walk daily 2-3 miles. I eat sensibly (lots of salad greens and veggies) and not past 7 p.m. I do eat ice cream and desserts, but not every day. My weight seems to center around my middle. Why can't I lose weight? I have been trying for six months.

Answer:

Unfortunately, weight gain during the menopausal transition is very common. In fact, one study found that women gain an average of 12-15 pounds during this phase of life. In addition, there is a shift in body configuration from pear-shaped to apple-shaped. There is also a 5% decrease in metabolic rate per decade. To add to all of this, bloating is a very common menopausal symptom.

What can you do? Make sure that you rule out the possibility of hypothyroidism, which occurs more frequently amongst women as they age. Also, increase your exercise, and add weight training to your regimen. You might want to read Fight Fat After Forty by Pamela Peeke, MD.

Joan Starker, PhD, MSW, a clinical social worker since 1970, has spent much of her career helping individuals cope with normal life transitions such as midlife and menopause. A member of the North American Menopause Society, she is on the advisory board of the Oregon Menopause Network.

VitaDocs Answers to Questions

The opinions expressed herein are the guest's alone and have not been reviewed by a VitaDocs physician. If you have a question about your health, you should consult your personal physician. This event is meant for informational purposes only.

Is Weight Gain Common During Menopause?  Menopause  Womens Health 

Nearing Menopause? Depression a Risk

By Saylnn Boyles
VitaDocs Medical News

April 3, 2006 -- Women approaching menopause are at increased risk for depression, and two new studies offer some of the strongest evidence yet that hormonal changes may be at least partially to blame.

Both studies followed women through the transition to menopause, known as perimenopause. None of the women had a history of depression prior to this time in their lives, but their risk of developing symptoms of depression greatly increased during these years.

The two studies are published in the April issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

The findings argue in favor of aggressive treatment of both menopausal symptoms and depression symptoms occurring during the transition to menopause, researchers say.

"There is a tendency to dismiss symptoms of depression as part and parcel of this transition, but they shouldn't be discounted," say’s Massachusetts General Hospital researcher Lee S. Cohen, MD.

"From a public health point of view, depression is a substantial illness with significant morbidity for patients and their families. This is a real problem, but the good news is that it is a problem that can be managed."

Risk of Depression

Cohen and colleagues followed 460 Boston women between the ages of 36 and 45 for up to six years. All of the women were premenopausal at enrollment, meaning that they still had regular periods or had not undergone other changes indicative of transition to menopause.

None of the 460 women had ever been diagnosed with major depression. But those who entered perimenopause during the study period were almost twice as likely as those who didn't to develop significant symptoms of depression.

The risk was greater in perimenopausal women who also had hot flashes, but it was still greatly elevated in those who did not have this and other common symptoms associated with transitioning to menopause, Cohen says.

Osteoporosis is a disease that weakens bones, increasing the risk of sudden and unexpected fractures. Literally meaning "porous bone," it results in an increased loss of bone mass and strength. The disease often progresses without any symptoms or pain.

Many times, osteoporosis is not discovered until weakened bones cause painful fractures usually in the back or hips. Unfortunately, once you have an osteoporotic fracture, you are at high risk of having another. And these fractures can be debilitating. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent osteoporosis from ever occurring. And treatments can slow the rate of bone loss if you already have osteoporosis.

What Causes Osteoporosis?

Though we do not know the exact cause of osteoporosis, we do know how the disease develops. Your bones are made of living, growing tissue. An outer shell of cortical or dense bone encases trabecular bone, a sponge-like bone. When a bone is weakened by osteoporosis, the "holes" in the "sponge" grow larger and more numerous, weakening the internal structure of the bone.

Until about age 30, a person normally builds more bone than he or she loses. During the aging process, bone breakdown begins to outpace bone buildup, resulting in a gradual loss of bone mass. Once this loss of bone reaches a certain point, a person has osteoporosis.

How Is Osteoporosis Related to Menopause?

There is a direct relationship between the lack of estrogen after menopause and the development of osteoporosis. Early menopause (before age 40) and any prolonged periods in which hormone levels are low and menstrual periods are absent or infrequent can cause loss of bone mass

What Are the Symptoms of Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know that they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a fracture or a vertebra to collapse. Collapsed vertebrae may initially be felt or seen in the form of severe back pain, loss of height or spinal deformities such as stooped posture.

VitaDocs Medical Reference provided in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic