You may still have a few menopausal symptoms but your health is now your focus.
Once you’ve had no periods for one year, you’re officially postmenopausal. Looking after your health now with lifestyle becomes even more important to prevent disease, and it’s also crucial to keeping functionally fit.
When periods cease, the body’s natural oestrogen levels drop significantly. While most of us know oestrogen has played a vital role in our bodies for reproduction, it’s important to understand the hormone has also supported the body in many other ways. Losing this support means we are now at risk of developing heart disease and osteoporosis for example, that we were protected against when we had higher levels of oestrogen.
The systemic effects of low oestrogen can result in symptoms such as aching joints, vaginal dryness, prolapse, incontinence, vulval or urinary tract infections, and sexually transmitted infections and other pelvic health conditions.
If you’re approaching age fifty-five, you may have had a few blood tests with cholesterol creeping up, or rising blood pressure; your doctor may have started you on some medication. Now more than ever, changing your lifestyle has suddenly become important, and you want to focus on your diet and exercise.
Out of sight, your bones are thinning, muscles are losing their tone, your heart is becoming more predisposed to disease, your blood vessels may be becoming less elastic and have plaque lining them, your skin is losing some of its plumpness, and your kidney function and brain health will be changing.
As scary as that sounds, it’s important to know about, because you can delay or prevent these things from impacting your help with the right lifestyle. It really is simple to stay well, and Lynda is here to help you start your changed journey and stay on track.
If you’ve been on HRT, an important conversation to have with your GP is what should happen next. Do you still need to take HRT? Can you reduce it? What about symptom management and health maintenance without oestrogen? Lynda will help you prepare for this conversation with your GP so you’ll know what to expect, and what questions to ask.
The women we see at Lady Talk have a range of goals for this phase of their lives. Some want to travel, others want to be able to look after and play with their grandchildren. Some are excited about a career change or a new study path.
Whatever your goals, they will be much easier to achieve and enjoy if you have your health and vitality. The next 30 years in postmenopause can be very enjoyable; it just takes a little forethought and planning to manage our lifestyle now, for us to keep on keeping on. Book a call with Lynda to find out more.
