6 Life-Changing Menopause Symptoms: What You Need to Know Before 50

[Reported by Cai Jingqian]After entering the age of 50, although the diet has been about the same and the amount of exercise has not changed, the waist has gradually disappeared! As women age, especially after women enter menopause, physical changes become more obvious due to drastic hormonal changes. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) interviewed many experts and proposed 6 “changes that I wish my doctor would tell me about before I turn 50.” , as long as you can take countermeasures and don’t feel confused or afraid, you can still spend the second half of your life well.

What changes will occur to the body during menopause?Doctors remind you of 6 changes in your body and countermeasures

1. The belly may gradually gain weight and become a belly belly

Kathryn Rexrode, a professor at Harvard Medical School, explained that when you are young, estrogen causes fat to tend to be stored in the breasts, buttocks, thighs, etc. in preparation for pregnancy. After entering menopause, when estrogen slowly decreases, fat distribution will tend to be stored in the stomach. According to statistics, people aged 50 to 60 gain an average of 1.5 pounds (approximately 0.68kg) per year. Belly fat not only makes it difficult to fasten your pants, but research has also found that abdominal fat (visceral adipose tissue) is harmful to health.

Countermeasures: Kathryn Rexrode reminds that if you want to lose weight, abdominal exercises alone will have limited effect. You should change your overall lifestyle habits, such as drinking less, not eating after 6pm, or exercising for an hour a day, increasing the amount of exercise as much as possible, and making various small changes to help lose weight.

American nutritionist Cynthia Sass pointed out that in addition to aerobic exercise such as walking, running, and swimming, which can burn calories and fat, high-intensity interval exercise (HIIT) is a more effective way of exercise that can gain weight in less than 30 minutes. Very effective.

2. Increased risk of heart disease

“Many women don’t realize that heart disease is something they should worry about!” Martha Gulati, a cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, reminds that many women think breast cancer is the disease they should be concerned about, but women die from it. The risk of heart disease is actually 10 times higher than that of breast cancer, and the risk of heart disease (such as high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia) will increase significantly after menopause. Even women who have generally had low blood pressure in the past may have a sudden increase in blood pressure after menopause. High, increases the risk of heart attack and deserves more attention.

Countermeasures: Martha Gulati suggested that people should eat more vegetables and avoid saturated fats to maintain good health. In addition, it is also recommended to seek medical treatment and calculate the probability of cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years to help control their own health.

Taiwan’s National Health Administration has Chronic Disease Risk Assessment Platform“After launching this service, you only need to input your age, good cholesterol, waist circumference and other relevant information to know the proportion of coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and adverse cardiovascular events in the next 10 years. You may wish to get tested as soon as possible. , and discuss it with your physician.

3. Changes in sleep patterns

Menopausal women may wake up from their sleep covered in sweat due to hot flashes. Even if there are no obvious symptoms of hot flashes, hormonal changes can increase core body temperature and affect sleep quality. Kristin Daley, a sleep expert at the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine, explains that women after the age of 50 may wake up frequently, become shallow sleepers, and have restless sleep. Even experiencing jet lag when traveling may be more difficult than before. Recovery, “Our biological clocks and sleep rhythms may be more easily disrupted. If you could sleep with the window open before, you may not be able to now because you have become more sensitive to light.”

Countermeasures: It is recommended to exercise more during the day, bask in the sun, maintain sleep patterns, and keep the bedroom as dark as possible while sleeping. Japanese sleep specialist Akiho Nakayama suggested that you can create a “dark bedroom” by turning off the lights, wearing eye masks, installing blackout roller blinds, and using indirect lighting instead of turning on the lights before going to bed, so that you can sleep without being affected by light all night. Sleep well, and if necessary, you can even use paper or tape to cover the lights from the power supply of your home appliances.

4. Bones become more fragile

The average person will begin to lose bone slowly after about the age of 50, but women lose more bone. Professor Kathryn Rexrode pointed out that the decrease in estrogen has a direct impact on bone density. Women lose as much as 100% of their bone during menopause on average. 20%, making women more susceptible to the threat of osteoporosis.

Countermeasures: Kathryn Rexrode recommends strengthening bones through muscle strength training, walking more, climbing mountains, climbing stairs, playing tennis, and dancing. In addition, pay attention to the intake of calcium and vitamin D. It is recommended to consume at least 1200mg of calcium and 600IU of vitamin D every day. .

5. Sex no longer feels comfortable

Karyn Eilber, a urogynecologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said that after menopause, the decrease in estrogen can cause the vaginal wall to become thinner and dryer, leading to sensitivity and pain. 17-45% of menopausal women find that sexual intercourse makes them feel painful.

Countermeasures: It is recommended that people who have this problem can not only use lubricants and moisturizing lotions, but also seek help from doctors, who can improve it through hormonal therapy.

6. The side effects of alcohol get even worse!

Kathryn Rexrode reminded that as you age, your body’s metabolism of alcohol will slow down, and the side effects of a glass of red wine or an after-dinner cocktail will become stronger. If you are taking medications, some of them may even interact with alcohol.

Countermeasures: It is recommended to drink as little alcohol as possible after menopause. If you want to enjoy the taste of drinking, you can switch to non-alcoholic cocktails, non-alcoholic beer and other drinks.

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