Understanding menopausal syndrome

Majority of the middle aged women seek medical consultations world over for symptoms and signs which are diagnosed by their doctors as menopausal syndrome. Headache chest pain, palpitations, flushing, restlessness, feeling hot over ears, these are the typical symptoms which women feel around menopause and sometimes after. Menopause is the time of cessation of menses in any woman. Actual cessation is a one point episode when the person will not get her menses on the scheduled time. But changes in the hormonal levels begin much before. Some women find this just as a disturbance in their normal working, but some may succumb to these symptoms to the extent that they have to take bed rest and treatment. Apart from these troubles many mental problems like depression and anxiety are also experienced by women at this age. There are many factors responsible for these psychic problems. Reduced physical attraction, feeling neglected due to less dependence by adolescent or teenage children, supposedly less attention given by the husband, physical asthenia due to beginning of osteoporosis are all the things which cause and aggravate anxiety and depression in a woman at this age. Diseases like hypertension and diabetes, heart problems also start this time and contribute to the sickness and anxiety. Women, who have crossed the age of40, should be mentally prepared for menopause. Then the physical symptoms occurring due to hormonal changes would not bother them. A good balanced diet keeps away weakness and early fatigue. Iron and calcium supplements taken are also useful as the body’s requirement of iron and calcium increases around menopause. If children do not need them much now, this should be viewed happily considering that they are growing up and becoming responsible. Regarding the husband, one should know that a man around he age 40 or 50, would be in the prime of his career and needs to give attention to his profession too. Love and attention are expressed by a couple for one another in many small ways, and does not necessarily mean to stick with one another most of the time. Some wrinkling of the face or graying of hair should be accepted as normal changes with increasing age, and should not be the reason for causing depression in a woman. Best way to keep away the, “blues” of menopause for any woman is to take up useful creative hobbies or work to keep one occupied physically and mentally. A woman can help others in the family and society by teaching them what good she has learnt from her life time experiences, for their betterment. Menopause can be a phase of life which can cause much enjoyment or depression, depending on how one accepts it. rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk