Features of mature age

  • 2010-04-08
  • By TBT staff

RIGA - We do not think about health and do not even notice it while we still have it. However, already by the age of 40 many women complain about feeling unwell. Regular malaise is exhausting and drains our energy. We start to realize that our high ambitions grow dim, that our business, wealth and position in society become meaningless, and taking care of our appearance seems like a foolish thing to do. And the doctors respond to our complaints: “Well what did you expect? Age, menopause...”

So is this state an inevitable concomitant of aging? The answer is – no, no and a thousand times no, we cannot agree with this approach to the question.
Even if you cannot get rid of this state, it is possible to ease it considerably.
First of all, let’s agree that menopause and climacteric is not the same thing. The difference is that in the first case it is a natural period in a woman’s life, and in the second case - a complex of unhealthy symptoms, which is called the “climacteric syndrome”.

Menopause can come without being noticed, after a long transition period, sometimes even up to ten years. Significant changes are happening in a woman’s body during this time, including changes in levels of female hormones (progesterone and estrogen). Menopause usually comes between the age of forty-seven to fifty-two, and, as a rule, is not accompanied by pain.

Climacteric syndrome can occur much earlier, sometimes even at the age of 35. It is common that early climacteric comes because of gynecological or heart diseases. Frequent changes of mood can be observed in a woman during such syndrome; she keeps going hot and cold, the heart beats faster, cold sweat, insomnia, the menstrual cycle is disturbed and so on. But even in this case you should not lose courage - it is not as bad as it may seem. All of these ailments can be overcome and you can live a full life.

When you need a doctor

During climacteric, many women experience hot flashes, which lead to a sharp increase of body temperature, which, in turn, increases the activity of sweat glands. The fact is that after the age of 40 the level of estrogens decreases and the level of hormones responsible for the regulation of the adrenal glands increases. As a result, the disorder in the working process in this established system causes a malfunction in the gland of the brain, which is responsible for maintaining the body temperature. In this case you should consult a gynecologist-endocrinologist, as well as have a blood test to check the hormones; only then the doctor is able to select the necessary course of hormone replacement therapy.
The treatment can take a long time, that’s why apart from that try to put into practice some tips to ease the condition.

To get better sleep

Make sure you ventilate the room before you go to bed.
Your blanket should not be too warm, and the temperature in the bedroom should not be higher than 18 degrees.
At night you may use antiperspirants that you usually use in the daytime, these deodorants are also able to partially reduce the excessive sweating and make your sleep more comfortable.

You can drink a glass of room temperature water before going to sleep, as it lowers the internal temperature and prevents dehydration during intense sweating. If you are afraid of morning swelling, the glass of water can be replaced by taking a cool shower or sponging. But you should avoid taking a hot bath before bedtime: much like physical exercises in the evening, it heats the body additionally.

You can expect undesirable effects also after having a spicy, hot or very heavy meal before sleep, and it is recommended to avoid drinking alcoholic beverages or coffee, because it can cause increased heartbeat and high blood pressure. These symptoms may lead not only to increased body temperature, but also to restless sleep.

How not to gain weight by the age of 50

As mentioned above, women at the age of 50 suffer major hormonal changes that promote weight gain in about 60% of women of this age. The metabolism slows down and calories gained from food are burned slower. This process is natural, but can lead to some problems, because at this age fat gathers in the belly, which increases the risk of development of the metabolic syndrome and related diseases. Of course you should pay attention to what you eat, but you should not starve during  menopause, putting yourself on a strict diet. You should be careful with diets in general because it can lead to endocrine disruption and loss of bone mass.

For good bones

Until the age of 30 the bone density in a woman’s body increases, but after the age of 40 a process of destruction begins and bones become fragile and brittle. Again, the same female hormone estrogen plays an important role in maintaining bone mass and the decrease of its content in the body during menopause significantly increases the risk of development of osteoporosis.

More susceptible to this disease are blond and red-haired ladies. Typically, those are women with a delicate constitution, small stature and thin bones. Big dark-haired ladies are affected to a lesser extent.
It is also important to point out that the development of the disease can be facilitated by a sedentary lifestyle and an unhealthy diet with lots of dry and cold food in it, lack of calcium and the use of medicaments that have a pernicious effect on the liver.

If you have sore gums and teeth, suffer from endometriosis, have spine or gastrointestinal tract diseases, if you had an operation to remove both ovaries, then during the stage of menopause you are surely in the risk group for osteoporosis.
To prevent the disease, you should have an active lifestyle even during menopause and after it finishes, revise your diet, give up bad habits such as smoking, because nicotine has a negative effect on the calcium level, and you should also cleanse your body from time to time.

DIET RECOMMENDED DURING MENOPAUSE

As we just found out, by regulating your nutrition you can influence the changes in the body during menopause and climacteric. So:
- The best way to cut calories is to avoid products which are rich with cholesterol (sausages, fatty meats, cheese). It is not recommended to eat more than three eggs a week. Make sure to include fish, seafood and meat in your ration. These products are sources of protein and they protect against osteoporosis.
- To reduce the feverish feeling and frequency of its occurrence you should avoid those products that cause the body to heat up - all the spices with burning taste, hot and alcoholic beverages, salt, coffee, chocolate.
- Do not eat big amounts of food at once, especially meat. Such excesses increase the body temperature.
- To strengthen the body, as well as to normalize and regulate hormone level you should eat sprouted and whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and sunflower seeds. You should avoid refined food and sugar.
- Use more soy products if you can. They reduce the intensity of blood flow.
- Drink chilled herbal teas with lemon balm, raspberry, mint, birch leaves. They reduce the intensity of hot flashes. It is very healthy to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices, especially carrot juice.
- Drink good yogurt and dairy drinks regularly. This will significantly slow down bone loss and it will strengthen your bones.

To make it easier to endure menopause, a woman should make positive changes in her habitual way of life: have proper nutrition, have light loads, which are pleasant and not burdensome for her, and often walk in the fresh air (at least for thirty minutes twice a day).