Menopause Health Management Archives

It is not a physiological process that “let it go”, but requires targeted and personalized joint physical and mental intervention, which can help more than 90% of menopausal people relieve uncomfortable symptoms while reducing the risk of long-term chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and mood disorders.

I have worked in chronic disease management at a community health service center for 7 years, and I have more than 200 exclusive files on menopausal health management. I have seen too many people make detours in this matter. The one who impressed me the most was Aunt Zhang, a 53-year-old who came here last year. She had endured hot flashes for three years. At the worst point, she had more than a dozen attacks a day. She had to carry a small fan in her bag in winter and could only sleep for two or three hours at night. Her family members said that she seemed to have changed during that time. Her hair would break out at the smallest thing, and she would secretly cry all the time. When asked why she hadn't come earlier, she waved her hand and said, "They say that's what happens when you get older, just wait until menopause." It wasn't until she fell on ice last winter and fractured her femoral neck, and was hospitalized that her bone density was found to be severe osteoporosis, that she was finally willing to sit down and do system management.

In fact, there is no unified standard answer to the direction of menopausal intervention in the industry. Several mainstream schools have their own applicable scenarios. There is no saying that one is more advanced than the other. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), the first recommended by Western medicine, is currently the most abundant evidence-based and fastest-acting solution for relieving vasomotor symptoms. Many people wave their hands when they hear the word "hormone", fearing that they will gain weight and cause cancer. The 48-year-old sister Li who received me a while ago was like this. When MHT was mentioned, she immediately jumped up and said, "My best friend said that taking hormones will cause breast cancer." But read the latest "Menopause" According to the Chinese Guidelines for Management and Menopausal Hormone Therapy, it can be seen that for people who are younger than 60 years old, within 10 years of menopause, and have no contraindications such as estrogen-dependent tumors, active thrombosis, or severe liver and kidney dysfunction, the benefits of standardized use of MHT far outweigh the risks. There is no statistical difference between the duration of use within 5 years and the risk of breast cancer in healthy people. Of course, if you have contraindications or have psychological concerns about hormones, there is no need to force it. The effect of syndrome differentiation and conditioning in the TCM clinic that our center cooperates with is also very recognized by residents. For hot flashes due to kidney yin deficiency, Zhibai Dihuang Pills can be used to treat hot flashes. For mood swings caused by liver stagnation, Xiaoyao Powder plus moxibustion at Sanyinjiao and Taixi points can be used with Xiaoyao Powder and moxibustion at Sanyinjiao and Taixi points. Many people who are unwilling to use Western medicine have reported that conditioning can significantly relieve symptoms in 2-3 months. There are also people who prefer natural therapies. If the symptoms themselves are relatively mild, with only occasional hot flashes and poor sleep, adjusting the diet and exercising regularly is enough. The 50-year-old teacher Lin who was previously in charge did not want to take any medicine. He drank a cup of sugar-free soy milk every day, replaced half of his staple food with oats and quinoa, and walked briskly for 40 minutes after dinner. When he came back for follow-up in three months, the symptoms basically disappeared and his bone density was maintained much better than his peers.

To be honest, after doing management for so many years, I found that what affects the most effect is never which method is chosen, but the stereotyped misunderstanding about menopause. Many people think this is a female-only problem. There is also a file of male patients from last year in the drawer. During that time, Mr. Chen, 52, always felt weak, unmotivated, and had no interest in anything. He thought it was due to high work pressure. After some research, he found out that it was male menopause caused by declining testosterone levels. He adjusted his exercise routine and supplemented a small amount of androgens. Within two months, he returned to his previous state. He himself said with a smile, "I have lived for most of my life, and I don't know that men still have to go through this." Some people always think that menopause is about moodiness and bad temper. I always include a symptom check-in sheet in every file. Many people will write a few random sentences next to it, "I had a fight today because my wife smelled too bad from smoking. I didn't care at all before." "I jumped today." "One hour of square dancing, I slept very soundly at night." In fact, many mood swings are not caused by people becoming "hypocritical", but caused by periodic hormone fluctuations that increase nerve sensitivity. Sometimes, chatting with family members and asking them to give in more is more effective than taking half a sleeping pill.

Oh, by the way, there is another widely circulated rumor that I want to dispel: Many people say that soy products contain estrogen, and eating too much will cause breast nodules. Last year, we followed 120 menopausal women in our community. Those who regularly ate about 100g of soy products every day suffered from hot flashes. The incidence rate is 27% lower than that of people who don’t eat it. Soy products contain phytoestrogens, which are similar in structure to human estrogen but only one thousandth of the activity in the human body. Drinking two cups of soy milk a day will not cause any problems at all, but can help people with mild symptoms relieve discomfort.

The files in my drawer are getting thicker, and each plan looks different. Some people need to check their hormone levels every month, some people only need to follow up their bone density once every six months, and some people have to drag me to complain about their husband's bad habits for half an hour every time they come. In fact, menopause is just like acne in adolescence and morning sickness during pregnancy and childbirth. It is a normal stage of life. You don’t have to bear it and suffer it. There is no standardized management formula. You can do it as you feel comfortable. Being able to get through this stage safely is the best management.