Central Carolina HEALTH - Winter 2011 - (Page 10)

of Your Life A woman’s guide to combating common symptoms of perimenopause explains Margery Gass, M.D., executive director of the North American Menopause Society. “They might be early or late or get closer together.” Fluctuating hormone levels can alter the frequency, duration and intensity of your period. HELP! Hormone replacement therapy can regulate bleeding if the problem becomes severe or significantly interferes with your life. But it comes with serious risks, including a higher incidence of breast cancer. Talk with your doctor about what’s right for you. and hot flashes and spotting, oh my! If you think your years of menstruation and PMS were unpredictable, wait until you hit perimenopause—the wild ride a woman’s body takes toward menopause. The symptoms of perimenopause are related to your body’s fluctuating estrogen levels. Henry Hess, M.D., Ph.D., author of The Perfect Menopause, explains that as a result, women will find their experience unique. “Every woman is an individual,” he explains. “And her experience will be highly variable. Some women have no symptoms, most have some cycle variation, and some have symptoms that have a very negative impact on their quality of life.” Here are a few of the most common perils you’ll encounter, and what you can do about them: The Ride oodiness HELP! Stress-reduction techniques, exercise, alternative medicine such as herbal remedies and acupuncture, and hormone manipulation may alleviate symptoms. In severe cases, Gass says, a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be effective as well. PROBLEM: Hot flashes and night sweats WHAT TO EXPECT: Erratic estrogen levels can affect your body’s thermostat, the hypothalamus. As the blood vessels in your skin dilate to cool you off, you’re left feeling hot and flushed. Nighttime hot flashes, or night sweats, can interfere with your ability to sleep. “I always said that if I asked my perimenopausal patients to sign up for the ‘3 a.m. Club,’ lots of them would come,” Hess says. PROBLEM: Moodiness WHAT TO EXPECT: “During perimenopause, your hormones are going up and down like a roller coaster,” Hess says. Those shifts can result in mood swings similar to those many women experience with premenstrual syndrome. PROBLEM: Irregular periods WHAT TO EXPECT: In the years before a woman reaches the menopause milestone—12 months without a period—her cycle can be anything but predictable. “Perimenopause is often indicated to women by a change in their cycle pattern,”

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Central Carolina HEALTH - Winter 2011

Central Carolina Health - Winter 2011
Contents
Health Beat
In Bloom Again
Baby Steps
The Ride of Your Life
Heart Smart
Clowning Around

Central Carolina HEALTH - Winter 2011