Joanna Puciata
months resulting from estrogen deficiency and is not associated
with a pathology. The median age of menopause
is 51. Most women experience vasomotor symptoms, but
menopause affects many other areas of the body such as
urogenital, psychogenic, and cardiovascular. Women are
living longer, and are spending up to one-third of their
lives in post-menopause.
In the United States, approximately 1.3 million women
become menopausal each year. It typically begins between
the ages of 51 and 52, similar to Japan. However, about
5% of women experience early menopause between the
ages of 40 and 45.
While most efforts go into menopause related symptom
management, planning for it a decade earlier and focusing
on prevention of exuberated physical and emotional
menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, severe mood
changes, night sweats, trouble sleeping and developing a
healthy emotional resilience, and acceptance of changes
with an optimistic attitude, are essential measures for
improvement of overall wellbeing during midlife and beyond,
during decades to come.
Menopause planning should focus on creating solid life
principles and healthy habits for stronger body and mind,
addressing existing lifestyle related health issues through
lifestyle, dietary and emotional modifications, developing
coping skills and emotional support tools, finding and
maintaining supportive friendships, creating lite goals for
decades to come, and getting educated in fundamental
concerns of meno and postmenopausal stages for early
intervention and preventative measures, including health
screenings and bio identical hormone replacement therapy.
