Prendre soin de votre santé pendant la ménopause

The menopause usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, but sometimes it can happen earlier - and everyone is different. About 80%¹ des femmes souffrent de bouffées de chaleur et de sueurs nocturnes, qui durent en moyenne sept ans. Statistiquement, la manière la plus efficace de bannir les bouffées de chaleur est thérapie de remplacement hormonal (TRH). Cela augmente votre risque de cancer du sein, but the risk is small if you just take HRT for a few years and it drops when you stop it.

D'autres problèmes courants associés à la ménopause incluent la sécheresse vaginale, les changements d'humeur, la perte de libido et les problèmes de vessie. Encore une fois, vous n'avez pas à souffrir en silence - il existe lots of solutions out there.

Changements de mode de vie

There are plenty of non-drug alternatives to help with hot flushes. Lifestyle changes, such as avoiding caffeine, keeping your bedclothes light and wearing breathable clothes - ideally in layers, so you can whip off a layer when needed - may be enough.

Increasing the soya in your diet may well protect against hot flushes, because of the phyto-oestrogen it contains, which has a similar chemical structure to oestrogen². While it's thought to be the oestrogen in HRT that contributes to the increased risk of breast cancer, the same doesn't seem to be true of phyto-oestrogens in soya. Some studies have suggested that even among breast cancer survivors, eating soya isn't associated with an increased risk of recurrence or progression³.

Prevent weight gain

Research suggests that the menopause can lead to significant changes in a woman's metabolism, which has been linked with weight gain³. However, lifestyle factors can also contribute to weight changes.

At around the age of the menopause, you may become less physically active. The menopause can also reduce the firmness of your muscles, making it feel as if you've put on more weight. As you get older, your metabolism slows down, which means you burn fewer calories. And some women are more prone to gaining weight around their midriffs after the menopause.

Il peut être difficile de faire de l'exercice si vous souffrez de bouffées de chaleur, mais c'est plus important que jamais après la ménopause. Cela aide à maintenir le poids, tonifier vos muscles, améliorer l'équilibre et se protéger contre ostéoporose.

Swimming is great for keeping you cool but it's not weight-bearing exercise, which is important for keeping bones strong. But don't worry - you don't have to sweat in body-hugging lycra to get fit. Try alternating swimming with any other aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, tennis, keep fit classes, or dancing. Find an exercise buddy to reduce the chance of giving up when life is too busy, or join a rambling club to meet new friends and take in our glorious countryside too.

Keep your bones strong

Bone health is key after the menopause. You can't feel it, but your bones become less strong from your 40s or even sooner, and this process speeds up after the menopause⁵. This puts you at higher risk of breaking a bone due to osteoporosis. Regular exercise, avoiding smoking and excess alcohol, taking a daily 10 microgram vitamin D supplement and increasing the calcium in your diet will help. Sources of calcium include dairy products, tinned fish with bones and green leafy vegetables.

Il est important de se rappeler qu'il existe d'autres facteurs de risque pour vos os, notamment traverser la ménopause avant l'âge de 45 ans, prendre régulièrement les comprimés de stéroïdes, having polyarthrite rhumatoïde ou maladie intestinale (cœliaque ou maladie de Crohn). Being very immobile, having osteoporosis in the family and being very underweight can also be risk factors.

HRT protects against osteoporosis. If you reach menopause below 45, speak to your GP - you should take HRT until you're at least 50 to protect your bones.

Look after your skin

Après la ménopause, des niveaux plus bas de l'hormone féminine œstrogène signifie que vous produisez moins de collagène, ce qui vous rend plus sujet aux rides⁶. Protect your skin from the sun more carefully than ever and opt for a hydrating moisturiser. Avoid long hot baths, be liberal with body moisturisers and pay special attention to hands, too.

Thinning hair is a fact of life for some women as they get older, and it can run in families. It's worth making sure you have enough protein and iron in your diet, as being short of either of these can affect your hair quality.

Further lecture

1. Bansal et al, Menopausal hot flashes: A concise review.

2. Efficacy of phytoestrogens for menopausal symptoms: a meta-analysis and systematic review.

3. Institut Américain pour la Recherche sur le Cancer, Soy: Intake does not increase risk for breast cancer survivors.

4. Diet may counteract menopause metabolism change, ZOE study shows.

5. Endocrine Society, Menopause and bone loss.

6. Stevenson et al, Effect of oestrogens on skin aging and the potential role of SERMs.