Baby Boomer
Girlfriends Spring Break
Come Join Us for a Weekend of:
Education, Entertainment
and Empowerment
Daytona
Beach April 18-20, 2008!
When we
talk about issues of aging, we often talk about it like
it’s a bad thing. We want to prevent aging. We want to
postpone aging. We talk about the health problems of
aging, the difficulties of menopause and the
frustrations expected in the years to come. But that’s
only one side of getting older. There are also great
things about growing up, even on into menopause
and beyond. The Baby
Boomer Girlfriends’ Getaway
remembers that and celebrates it.
Menopause &
Vaginal Dryness
During menopause, a decrease in estrogen
dehydrates vaginal and uterine tissue.
If you’re not interested in hormone replacement
therapy (HRT), an alternative solution could be vitamin
A or beta carotene.
They both help to maintain the integrity of your
skin and vitamin E can also reduce vaginal dryness
caused by menopause.
Gel caps can be taken orally or even vaginally as
a suppository.
Try a
quality lubricant.
Instead of sticking with the old K-Y Jelly, which
contains methylparaben, consider a more natural
lubricant like Sylk or the new paraben- and
glycerin-free Astroglide. Some women have success with a
dab of natural oil, like sweet almond or grapeseed,
after bathing. A personal lubricant can greatly help
some women during sex, and can be a fun part of
foreplay.
Look
into vitamin E suppositories.
Many women with vaginal dryness have had success using
vitamin E suppositories. Vitamin E applied locally can
help restore thin vaginal tissue. Vitamin E
suppositories are available to members of our Personal
Program by special request from our Nurse–Educators.
You may also find them in certain health food stores or
a compounding pharmacy without a prescription.
Foods high in phytoestrogens include
soy, other legumes, nuts, apples, celery, cherries,
flaxseed and many more.
As always, eating a diet rich and varied in plant
foods helps balance your hormones and its one of the
easiest ways to treat vaginal dryness.
Hot Flashes and
Menopause **new**
Hot
flashes may be getting an unfair rap for disrupting
women's sleep at midlife.
Studies have often reported that
sleep problems increase during the transition into
menopause, reinforcing the idea that hot flashes are to
blame. But even under controlled conditions in sleep
laboratories, the connection between hot flashes and
sleep disruption remains unclear, reports the February
2008 issue of Harvard Women's Health
Watch.
A new study concludes that some
of the sleep problems that women typically attribute to
hot flashes may instead be caused by primary sleep
disorders such as sleep apnea. The findings suggest that
women may not be receiving appropriate treatment for
their sleep difficulties.
To determine the cause of poor
sleep during the menopausal transition, researchers
assessed the sleep of 102 women who reported having
trouble sleeping. The researchers found that 53% had a
primary sleep disorder. Among the entire group, 56% had
measurable hot flashes.
This investigation is the first
to examine menopausal sleep complaints using both
objective and subjective measures. The study was small
and may not be representative of all menopausal women
with sleep complaints. However, the finding that half
the women had primary sleep disorders, not just hot
flashes, bears further investigation, notes the Harvard
Women's Health Watch. Sleep problems are often assumed
to result from hot flashes, but treating hot flashes
isn't likely to resolve a serious underlying
sleep disorder. For more menopause related stories
visit: emaxhealth
Menopause Drug
Manufacturer
Ordered to Pay Millions**new**
Hormone-replacement drugs made by Wyeth and a Pfizer
Inc. unit caused an Arkansas woman's breast cancer and
she deserves at least $2.75 million in damages, jurors
ruled in the companies' first loss in federal
court.
Jurors in Little Rock, Arkansas,
deliberated 12 hours over two days before finding the
combination of Wyeth's Premarin and Pharmacia &
Upjohn's Provera menopause drugs helped cause Donna
Scroggin's cancer. The former factory worker had a
double mastectomy after taking hormone-replacement drugs
for about 10 years.
"This verdict should make the Wyeth
folks ask whether they really want to try the more than
5,000 cases they face over these drugs,'' said Ken
Rothweiler, a Philadelphia-based lawyer representing
women who took hormone-replacement medicines.
The same jury in Little Rock will hear
evidence March 3 on whether Wyeth and Upjohn should pay
punitive damages over their handling of the drugs. Wyeth
has lost four of seven trials over its
hormone-replacement medicines, Premarin and Prempro,
since the cases began going to trial in 2006.
Watch out for
Early Menopause **new**
Menopause normally begins
around age 50, but for some women it can occur much
sooner. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic explain that there
are various causes for this condition. Premature
menopause occurs when ovarian function is lost before
the age of 40, with no more periods and no more
possibility of pregnancy. In premature ovarian failure,
there may be intermittent, unpredictable ovulation for
many years but pregnancy is very unlikely. Around one
per cent of American women experience premature ovarian
failure at an average age of 27.
Treatment-induced menopause
can occur after chemotherapy, radiotherapy and, of
course, after removal of the ovaries. Standard treatment
for early menopause of any kind is hormone therapy until
the age of natural menopause. This raises concerns over
the potential health risks of taking hormones over many
years. Although the Women's Health Initiative did point
to various risks, it appears that these may not apply in
the same way to women with early menopause. Moreover,
each woman's experience of early menopause is different.
That is why those affected need the input of a
specialist who is experienced in hormonal
disorders.
Source
Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource February 2007
Menopause:
What's Your Ovaries Got to Do with it? **new**
The removal
of a woman's ovaries before menopause puts her at
significant risk of developing dementia
or other mental problems later in life, a team of
American scientists found in a long term study.
A study
conducted by Dr. Walter Rocca, neurologist and
epidemiologist at the Mayo Clinic, and colleagues,
stated that women who remove one or both of their
ovaries before menopause
and do not take estrogen are more at risk to have
neurological impairment and even dementia later in life.
To reach
their findings that published in the Aug. 29 online
edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the
American Academy of Neurology, Dr. Rocca, the lead
author of the study, and fellow researchers studied 3000
women.
They divided
the participating women in two equal groups, one of
which was having those women who underwent the removal
of one or both ovaries for non-cancer-related reasons,
like ovarian cysts, endometriosis,
or for the prevention of ovarian cancer, while in the
other group were those women who still had both ovaries
at the beginning of the study.
After
observing the study subjects for 30 years, the
researchers found that those women who had one or both
ovaries removed before menopause were nearly twice at
risk of developing cognitive problems or dementia
compared with those who either keep their ovaries or
premenopausal women who remove both ovaries but took
estrogen until the age of fifty.
They found
impairment or dementia in 150 of 1,489 women who'd had
ovaries removed, compared to 98 of 1,472 women who
hadn't, marking nearly a 50 percent increase in
risk.
"This
study is one of the first to obtain large-scale data
about neurological diseases in women who had their
ovaries removed," Rocca said. "Our findings
will contribute to a better understanding of the
advantages and disadvantages of removing the ovaries in
young women."
Besides
telling potential effects of removing one or both
ovaries before a woman reaches natural menopause, the
latest findings also signify how important the estrogen
is for a woman.
Ovaries
produce estrogen, a steroid, sex hormone that primarily
influences the female reproductive system's development,
maturation, and function. Removal of ovaries can cause a
sudden deficiency of that hormone, which in turn affects
the brain, Rocca said.
"When
you remove the ovaries in a young woman, you cause an
estrogen deficiency. And if you do not compensate that
with estrogen given from outside, that woman will be
exposed to a known natural state of deprivation of
estrogen."
Is that
Hysterectomy Necessary?
Women are still routinely offered
hysterectomy as a primary treatment option despite newer
less invasive and less costly alternatives that provide
equal or better outcomes according to a new report just
released by the not-for-profit National Women's Health
Resource Center (NWHRC) at the 36th Global Congress of
Minimally Invasive Gynecology in Washington, D.C.
"Many women are still being treated
for fibroids and menorrhagia (heavy menstrual bleeding)
with hysterectomy, particularly the most invasive total
abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), even though it comes with
a long and painful recovery," said Elizabeth
Battaglino Cahill, RN, executive vice president of the
NWHRC. "While there are some cases where TAH is
appropriate, women need to understand that there are
less invasive options to hysterectomy that can get them
back to their daily lives quicker and are actually more
cost effective."
To read the full report, click
here: Hysterectomy
Hot Off The Press:
WHATEVER! Hits "TOP 100" AGAIN on Amazon!
More than a year after
its release, Whatever! A Baby Boomer’s Journey Into
Middle Age continues to have a strong showing on
Amazon. Last month
the book climbed back into the Top 100.
The author, Beverly Mahone, says she believes the
book’s continued success is due to an openness to talk
about menopause.
Whatever!
gives the reader a humorous, yet reflective look at
growing older and all of the trials and triumphs that
come with the experience.
With great candor and wit, Mahone also discusses
her own battles with weight gain, hot flashes, divorce and dating
again as a single parent; the complex dynamics of being
an "older worker" in a youth obsessed society
and shifting career gears.
The
book’s popularity has labeled Beverly as a baby boomer expert
on MSNBC-TV’s Boomer Nation and she was also
interviewed by the New York Times.
Renowned
author, poet and professor, Nikki Giovanni has endorsed
Ms. Mahone’s book calling it “…the right story at
the right time.”
Tips
on Handling Menopause & Stress
-
Keep
a journal of your menopausal symptoms and share it
with your healthcare provider.
-
Communicate
with your healthcare provider about menopause, both
your physical and emotional concerns. Do not forget
to communicate to other specialists that you are
becoming menopausal and update these specialists
about any new treatment taken.
-
Educate
yourself about the effects of hormonal changes in
your body.
-
Talk
with your partner and family members openly about
what is happening to you.
-
Develop
a plan to managing the physiological changes you are
experiencing.
-
Be
pro-active when it comes to hot flashes and night
sweats. Dress in layers. Keep the temperature cool
in your room when sleeping.
-
Identify
foods that commonly trigger hot flashes like
alcohol, spicy foods, caffeine, chocolate and foods
high in fat.
-
Avoid
smoking.
-
Take
care of your bladder. Drink lots of water. Avoid
bladder infections, which may occur more frequently
after menopause by urinating as soon as you feel the
need.
-
Exercise
regularly as it will help your mood and sleep. Yoga
can improve your balance, alertness, and keep you
limber while reducing your stress.
-
Take
care and treat chronic ailments: hypertension,
arthritis, etc.
My
Five Boyfriends
In the past few years
since menopause came knocking at my door, I have all of
a sudden become attractive to men who wouldn’t have
given me the time of day 20 years ago.
Now I spend time with them practically every day!
As soon as I wake up,
I need WILL power to get me out of bed.
Then JOHN comes calling.
After a strenuous workout at the gym, CHARLIE
horse shows up and when he’s around he takes a lot of
my time and attention.
When he leaves, ARTHUR-itis comes around.
He’s a party animal.
He likes to move from joint to joint.
Then after a busy day, I lie down and take a
restful nap with my good friend, BEN gay.
Life has suddenly gotten very
interesting at middle age!
Menopause and Race
There
are 34 symptoms of menopause, however, studies have
revealed that the symptoms differ by ethnicity,
socioeconomic status, and lifestyle factors.
Hispanic
and African American women tend to go through menopause
slightly earlier, whereas Asian American women tend to
be slightly older when they reach menopause.
African-American women are more likely to experience hot
flashes or night sweats, vaginal dryness, and
forgetfulness. Hispanic
women were more likely to report urine leakage, vaginal
dryness, heart pounding, and forgetfulness. The main
problem white women say they face is battling
depression.
Researchers also found
that women were more likely to experience symptoms if
they were older, had a lower educational level, had
difficulty paying for basic needs, smoked, got less
exercise than their peers, or had a high body mass
index. (Body mass index is a ratio of weight to height
squared that is useful for determining the degree of
obesity.)
Lifestyle factors also
affects symptoms. Compared with women who’ve never
smoked, women who had smoked in the past were still
likely to report many symptoms, including hot flashes,
urine leakage, stiffness or soreness of the joints,
heart pounding, and forgetfulness. Those who currently
smoke at least a pack a day were more likely to report
difficulty sleeping, hot flashes, urine leakage and
stiffness or soreness of the joints.
If you'd like to interview me or have me
speak to your group, you may, contact me at (301)356-6280 or email me at beverly@talk2bev.com.
For more information, you can also visit my other website at: http://www.thebabyboomerdiva.com
Relief for Night Sweats
Do you wake up in the middle of the night sweating
profusely? Are your bed sheets soaking wet? Does the
temperature in your bedroom feel like you're sleeping in
an inferno? Are you constantly pulling off the covers
and trying to become comfortable while you sleep?
If you've answered yes to any of these questions and
you're in your mid 40s or older, chances are you are
experiencing one of the symptoms of menopause.
Night Sweats affect millions of women
each year. It can be very uncomfortable----not only for
you---but also for your husband who has to contend with
the changing bedroom temperature and your battle with
the bedroom covers.
Product
recommendation
http://www.rickandjune.com/?Click=1119
If you don't feel comfortable sleeping in the raw, I
recommend you try Wicking PJ's offered by www.rickandjune.com.
The company offers soft, light and comfy sleepwear which
makes going to bed a relaxing experience.
Their quality moisture wicking pajamas, nightgowns,
sheets and pillowcases are made with a quick drying,
patented fabric that wicks away the wetness from your
skin so you wake up dry, not drenched. I am happy to
endorse this product.
