Menopause marks a time of major bodily changes in a woman's life, not unlike puberty -- and, like puberty, menopause carries with it heightened chances of a few health conditions. If you're wondering exactly what to be on the lookout for when menopause comes calling, then here's what you need to know:
Osteoporosis
One of the more famous women's health issues, osteoporosis is a condition where your bones become weak and brittle, allowing them to fracture and break more easily. The reason it becomes much more likely after menopause is because of the lowered amount of estrogen in your system; thus, women are much more likely to develop osteoporosis because of the large drop in estrogen production during and after menopause.
Vitamin K and Vitamin D are your two best bets in preventing osteoporosis, so make sure you ask your doctor to check whether you're deficient in either one. You can also talk to your doctor about hormone supplements and treatment to ensure you have enough estrogen in your system to keep your bones strong and healthy.
Incontinence
Of all the issues that can come with menopause, incontinence (the inability to control your bladder) is probably the most outwardly noticeable, not to mention the most embarrassing. Because you lose elasticity in your vagina and urethra with menopause, you also lose the tight control over your bladder, causing small leakages, often when you sneeze or cough.
Luckily, there are many treatments to help keep this little problem under wraps. Topical estrogen cream can help to tighten your pelvic floor muscles, as can doing kegel exercises, which are meant to strengthen those muscles and keep your pelvic floor in shape. If these treatments aren't enough, you can always talk to your doctor about hormone therapy and whether it's right for you.
Frustration
Not just your run-of-the-mill frustration, though -- sexual frustration. Loss of libido, vaginal dryness or because of lack of elasticity of your pelvic muscles (as mentioned above) can all contribute to a lack of interest in the bedroom.
There are treatments to help all of these things -- vaginal dryness can be combated with lubrication, or vaginal estrogen treatment and lack of elasticity can be fixed the same way incontinence is. The best cure for loss of libido, however, is sex; researchers have found the more you have sex, the more you desire sex. So break out the jasmine perfume, stock your pantry with the sexiest foods you can get, and turn on Marvin Gaye -- your body will thank you.
Contact a medical office for more postmenopausal osteoporosis information.
Share30 November 2017
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