Gynecologist – about menopause: do not suffer, some problems are solved very easily

Is it something that I used the term “fall” to refer to our lovely women?

Since we are part of nature, that comparison makes perfect sense. As we know, we are born, we grow, we mature, we age, various diseases occur and eventually we die, it is inevitable. But we can also improve our lives in the second half, depending on how we live.

In fact, autumn can be very beautiful and warm. Very often, at least in my practice, women come to the doctor and are ashamed to talk about it, they accept these changes as a tribute, as well as in the Lithuanian Catholic, as a cross to carry. But can we really help women or can they help themselves?

Again, I won’t say anything new, and you, Valerius, know that about 10 percent of a person’s health depends on the doctor and medicine. The remaining 90 percent. It depends on the person himself, how he lives, how he tries to help himself stay healthy. Women are healthier than men anyway, they live longer. If we talk about the second period of a woman’s life, which is often associated with menopause, it is a very long period of a woman’s life. From the end of menstruation, a woman lives another 20-30 years and can live a full and good life. Doctors try to do that and emphasize that there is no need to suffer. If there are any health concerns, whether related to aging or hormonal deficiency, we are definitely committed to helping.

What are the most common mistakes? As I understand it, one of them is not seeking help at all.

Maybe I wouldn’t say that there is a bug here. Everyone chooses their own path. We know that human health is based on 3 pillars: nutrition, lifestyle, that is, physical activity, movement and the third column is stress management. It depends a lot on how you agree, on how you go to that second stage of your life, the fall of life.

Does a woman suffer? It really isn’t. Your doctor can help. There are certain specific stages in a woman’s life and we, as physicians, can really help. It is important for a woman to come and not be afraid to say, not to hide. That saying “oh, there is nothing here for me” actually hides certain problems that a woman does not dare to name and tell not only to her doctor, but also to her loved ones, her friends. And talking to a doctor is sometimes so easy to help that even a woman does not expect it. And without major health risks.

What symptoms should not be ignored?

First, heat waves occur, which occur regardless of the situation and cause great discomfort. Night sweats occur that wake the woman up, disturb sleep and have a ripple effect: night sweats, then sleep disturbances, chronic fatigue, daytime heat waves, and this can continue for several years.

It is by no means a disease, it is the physiology of women. The most interesting thing is that these things bother about 2/3 of all women. About 25-30 percent. women don’t experience those things. It would be very interesting to analyze how those women who do not experience these symptoms live. So I want to assure you that not everyone will feel the symptoms, some go through menopause very easily and others with great difficulty. That is why the help of a doctor is very important.

After 4-5 menopause, women notice certain urinary disorders, certain unpleasant sensations in the external genitalia, such as dryness, burning. It can cause discomfort during sexual intercourse. Women starting treatment would vastly improve their lives in one month.

You mentioned something that is still taboo for many of us: the same sexual relationship. Postmenopausal sex: can it be completely normal and of high quality?

It can be adjusted and help that sex life during menopause is also completely comfortable. That is just what you need to tell a specialist. There are treatments that do not really cause any particular discomfort, they do not cause fears of oncological diseases and the like.

But the quality of life is improving, and in terms of the overall aging process, fullness is greater.

Definitely. That is what I want to emphasize. Ovarian function is weakening and depends on many things. Ovarian function is highly dependent on stress levels in our brain structures. A person is constantly competing for certain hormones and if a woman lives under great stress, has a lot of ambition, expectations, wants to please everyone, a woman’s body has to choose: to produce sex hormones or stress.

The body clearly chooses stress hormones because it has to do with survival. When we talk about the fall of a woman, the inevitable aging process, it is important to remember that female sex hormones, estrogen, are the main hormone of women and if a woman has enough of them, she lives longer than men and feel happier. Estrogens affect the blood vessels and accumulate less bad cholesterol, which maintains healthier blood circulation. Brain activity largely depends on them, they help form new connections.

But again, estrogen therapy is not completely safe and it is not the only solution.

Yes, menopause is not a disease, but we can help a woman when in early menopause she is bothered by heat waves, night sweats, all the discomfort. If we prescribe a treatment for those components that are lacking in a woman, she feels an improvement in a month. And the woman no longer wants to return to the condition she requested. In the case of herbal preparations such as soy supplements, the efficacy is very limited, roughly equivalent to that of placebo. Very rare, which says that soy supplements have helped a lot. If for some indication a woman cannot take hormones, then I realize that she is taking what she can.

If estrogen is such a wonderful hormone, how much can it be delivered? Until the end of life?

As far as is known, if a woman develops so-called early menopausal symptoms, we recommend starting menopausal hormone therapy as soon as possible. Use as much as necessary. What is not recommended is to start hormone therapy in women who are already menopausal or older than 60 years, so the risks outweigh the benefits. If a woman begins taking hormones around age 50, there are more benefits than risks, and if she begins to age, she is at greater risk to her health.

What most prevents women from receiving effective treatment is the fear of breast cancer. The women are right; in fact, hormone therapy for menopause carries the same level of risk as being overweight. That is, a woman comes in and says that she can no longer live because of the symptoms. I offer treatment, but she doesn’t want it because she read that it causes cancer. And the woman is plump. It doesn’t make you think that being overweight poses exactly the same risk. It has been observed that obese women feel significantly more hot flashes than those who are thinner. If you start to take care of yourself, watch what you eat, start moving, give up, or drastically cut back on your alcohol use, it can help. But there really is a whole complex. However, taking the tablet is much easier.

If you don’t want to have early menopause symptoms, you need to take care of yourself now.

Yes, you should start worrying as soon as you are conscious, from the age of 20-30.

Active life, fullness of life, sexual life, overweight, sleep control, stress avoidance. But when I say that to patients, they don’t understand it because they want a fast and effective way: light pills. And, by default, a wish for our viewers.

Trust the doctors, but above all, trust yourself. The more information you have and the more effort you put into a healthy life, the healthier you will be and possibly avoid the pill.