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!ove and support of a husband, chil–
dren and friends are vital ingre–
dients to help a woman through
this changing time of life.
What to Expect
Most women can expect meno–
pause to begin in the late 40s. The
average age is 47. Research has
shown heredity is a st rong factor–
a daughter can anticípate beginning
menopause at about the same age
her mother did.
At the onset of menopause the
menstrual cycle may change slight–
ly. Monthly periods will perhaps
not be as regular as before. The
number of days of menstrual flow
may change, over a period of years
decreasing in days till finally the
process stops entirely.
As menstruation slows down, the
woman's body will usually produce
fewer hormones.
This, along with other adjust–
ments, stresses and strains of the
middle years, may produce in-
simply may not be able to maintain
that pace.
This does not mean the borne
should be filled with statements like:
"Vacuum the house, Suzie, Mom–
my's.very t ired. She's in that time of
life, you know." Yes, Mother may
well appreciate a little extra help
around the house, but she doesn't
need those sideswiping comments.
If
tbere are still children at home,
they should certainly do their fai r
share of keeping the house clean and
other normal housebold duties.
(Fact is, they ought to have been
doing that al! along.)
And it wouldn't be the worst
idea in the world if the husband
picked up sorne of the duties of the
home and together they would do
the dishes once in a whi le. He can
vacuum the upstairs or prepare an
occasional mea!.
And if the family had not been
able to afford it before, but can
now, hire domestic help to clean
tbe borne once or twice a month.
Most of al l, you can
Perhaps more than at any other time
in the marriage, a woman during
menopause requires love, attention,
appreciation and understanding.
be sure menopause is a
passing phase of life. It
will end, but it may last
a few years. There may
be sorne discomfort. A
few women will have
more severe than nor–
mal symptoms. But it
creased nervousness and feelings of
depression (often for no apparent
reason). There may also be weight
gain without additional food intake
and at times an inabili ty to sleep as
well as usual.
Sometimes there will be a tin–
gling feeling in the hands and feet.
And there may be occasional itch–
ing and a feeling of heat in certain
portions of the body- most people
call these "hot fl ashes."
These conditions should be no
cause for alarm. They are brought
about by irregular contraction and
expansion of many blood vessels in
the body. These ir regularities, too,
will pass
in
time.
Most women will experience a
noticeable decrease in .energy. The
energy leve! may drop by as much
as one third at this time of life.
Sorne women who have maintained
a hectic schedule, whirred through
the housework and were always
ready to go at a moment's notice,
February 1985
will come to an end .
The best years of one's life can
be just around the comer.
What toDo
Once again, education or knowl–
edge is most important. Read books
and articles on the subject of meno–
pause. Understand the var iety of
possible symptoms. Your family
doctor can often be helpful in giv–
ing advice and , wben necessary,
recommendat ions on what todo.
Then face that wonderful chang–
ing time of üfe positively. Dr. Mar–
ion Hilliard in her book
A Woman
Doctor Looks at Love and Lije
describes her reaction to women
patients who come to her office wi th
the whispered statement, " Doctor, 1
think I'm
in
the change."
Dr. Hilliard whoops with de–
light, "The change! Well, you' re in
for an interesting time. I can prom–
ise you that the best years of your
life are ahead of you."
I'm sure most of her patients are
momentarily shocked beyond be–
lief. Somehow, many think meno–
pause is an illness to be treated by
drugs and even hospitalization.
While that might be recommended
in the few cases of extreme difficul–
ty, it is not what a majority of
women need.
Another important consideration
in successfully enjoying the chang–
ing years is nutrition and diet. (Not
that this should not be an impor–
tant consideration throughout one's
life.) Because of all the chemical
and emotional cbanges being made,
a woman
must
eat a balanced diet
and maintain proper nutrition.
Wisdom and balance in this area
are essential. Most doctors know
that chancy and excessive hormonal
drugs are not the answer.
Yet many women automatically
assume estrogen replacement is the
thing to do. More often, it is
not
the thing to do. Why chance chem–
ical side effects that could shorten
your life to escape a few years of
discomfort?
There really is no aid , natural or
chemical, to combat growing older.
We al! will go through the aging
process marking the various stages
of life as they come. -
When we were younger we could
disregard (but shouldn't have) the
laws of good health and not suffer
immediate repercussions. But dur–
ing these middle and later years of
life our bad habits take noticeable
toll.
As we grow older and often less
active, our metabolic rates begin to
c hange. We can gain weight on the
same diet that formerly left us
trimmer. Muscles begin to lose
their tone and body alignment is
affected. Many suffer resultant
back pain_
A common complaint of many
women in the menopausal years is
the loss of calcium and a condition
of bone loss cal led osteoporosis_ At
this stage in life regular exercise is
vital. Coupled with proper calcium
intake, the only known way to stim–
ulate bone growth is exercise.
Here's where husbands can again
be of help. Begin an exercise plan
by taking long walks together three
or four times a week. Start with a
half mile and work up to four or
five miles. Almost everyone can
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