Dr Harry On Managing Menopause
Part 2 of our menopause series
- Written by Dr. Harrison Weisinger MBBS, Ph.D.
Last week in Part 1 of the series, I gave you my first 3 tips for managing menopause symptoms. Today I am giving you my final tips, and I hope that they help you and provide you with some relief.
Dr. Harry’s Final Tips for managing menopause
#4 Look after your bones!
One of the most common and serious ‘complications’ of chronic oestrogen deficiency is osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is the condition of significantly reduced bone density - and is diagnosed either using a special type of x-ray, called a DEXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) or retrospectively, following a minimal trauma fracture. It is estimated that about 7% of women in their 50s have the condition, and the proportion rises steeply with age such that around 30% of women in their 80s have osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis predisposes to fractures of the long bones in the body as well as the bones of the spine (these are called crush fractures) - which, in turn, threaten mobility, quality of life and lifespan. Importantly, there is a strong relationship between a woman’s bone density before menopause and their risk of osteoporosis after menopause (higher bone density earlier in life is protective). For this reason, it is vital for all women to look after their bone health, regardless of their age.
In terms of the management of osteoporosis, there is a range of medical treatment options available. All of these are prescription drugs and include MHT (see above), bisphosphonates and denosumab, among others. Lifestyle factors are critical in either increasing bone density or slowing the progression of osteoporosis.
These include:
- Smoking cessation
- Reduction in alcohol consumption
- Weight-bearing exercise
- Strength and resistance training
- Eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables
Of special importance is Vitamin D. Vitamin D facilitates the absorption of calcium from the diet, thereby preventing cannibalisation of the bones (if dietary calcium, or its absorption, is inadequate the body is forced to get its calcium from bone stores). Vitamin D deficiency is common, and it has been recommended that all people in the UK consider supplementation in the winter months. We have developed a minty oral spray - Vitamin D Shine - because of this problem.
#5 Sleep hygiene
Menopause leads to sleep disturbance in a considerable proportion of women undergoing menopause. But that’s not to say there’s nothing that can be done to optimise sleep. As I’ve written previously, the fundamentals of a good night’s sleep are often ignored. My suggestions, in brief, include:
#1 Make sure you’re actually in bed long enough. You can’t get 8 hours of sleep if you stop reading at 11 pm and your alarm goes off at 6:30 am!
#2 Set up your bedroom to be cool, dark, and quiet.
#3 Avoid fluid consumption in the evening - especially alcohol and avoid caffeine after 3 pm (some are more sensitive and possibly shouldn’t have coffee afternoon).
#4 Try tracking your sleep. While sleep trackers such as the Sleep Cycle app, Oura Ring and Withings Sleep aren’t perfect, they definitely give you a feel for how well you sleep. I use several and it’s amazing how much more I pay attention to my sleep patterns since I began this practice.
#5 Sleep hygiene
Menopause leads to sleep disturbance in a considerable proportion of women undergoing menopause. But that’s not to say there’s nothing that can be done to optimise sleep. As I’ve written previously, the fundamentals of a good night’s sleep are often ignored. My suggestions, in brief, include:
#1 Make sure you’re actually in bed long enough. You can’t get 8 hours of sleep if you stop reading at 11 pm and your alarm goes off at 6:30 am!
#2 Set up your bedroom to be cool, dark, and quiet.
#3 Avoid fluid consumption in the evening - especially alcohol and avoid caffeine after 3 pm (some are more sensitive and possibly shouldn’t have coffee afternoon).
#4 Try tracking your sleep. While sleep trackers such as the Sleep Cycle app, Oura Ring and Withings Sleep aren’t perfect, they definitely give you a feel for how well you sleep. I use several and it’s amazing how much more I pay attention to my sleep patterns since I began this practice.
#6 Complementary therapies
As you’d expect there is no shortage of alternative therapies that have been tried as remedies for the symptoms of menopause. Here is the list that I would recommend (as there is at least some evidence for their efficacy, and they’re pretty safe).
#1 Vitamin E - can decrease the number of hot flushes being experienced.
#2 Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - CBT is best facilitated by a trained psychologist, though online CBT providers and apps are becoming more common.
#3 Meditation - meditation doesn’t change the symptoms but acts to reduce an individual’s suffering. There are lots of apps and online meditations available (e.g. on YouTube). My favourite is still Sam Harris’s ‘Waking Up Course’.
#4 Yoga - yoga is basically good for everything! If you’re not doing it, wait to see how much better you feel after a few sessions. Two of our amazing team members at Truth are Yoga instructors and you won’t meet anyone more down to Earth and resilient as they are!
#5 Hypnotherapy - Admittedly, I’ve never tried this, and never studied it, but there is evidence it can help some women to cope better with their symptoms. Worth a try if you’re struggling.
Missed part 1 of Dr Harry's tips on managing menopause? Click here
Have any other medical topics you would love discussed?
Please email us - talk@truthorigins.co.uk
- Truth team 🌱
Dr. Harrison Weisinger (MBBS, Ph.D.)
Dr. Harry is the Medical Director for Truth Origins, and a practicing medical doctor in Australia. Throughout his working career as medical doctor, university professor, and scientist, Dr. Harry has committed his life to improving human health. Each month he reads the various journals and studies being conducted across the world’s leading universities and research hospitals to bring you the latest research surrounding the truth about plant-based medicine.
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