Hot flash - September is National Menopause Month!

Hot flash - September is National Menopause Month!

Photo illustration by Lisa Billings / Chesterfield Observer Hot flashes are one of the worst symptoms that come with "the change."

I give up - is this annual recognition for menopause awareness or a celebration of menopause? If it's awareness, young women aren't worried about chin hairs, and the rest of us don't really need reminders. And if it's intended to be a celebration, what are we celebrating?

Some women sail through perimenopause. The rest of us hate them while we may have had as many as 10 years of symptoms. Perimenopause is the name for those endless years of sputtering ovaries that dispense hormones in a haphazard fashion leaving women wondering whether they will ever be able to sleep through the night again.

One Web site listed 21 symptoms women may experience during perimenopause. Are there 21 symptoms for any other condition? Women may find that their joints ache and their hair thins. They may suffer from night sweats and mood swings or have difficulty concentrating. Memory problems may have women worrying they are losing their ability to function as adults. No wonder young women don't want to know anything about this.

"I'm always tired," said one woman* who has had trouble sleeping for the past two years. She has tried all of the standard remedies like warm milk and hot baths. She hesitates to resort to medication.

Pam not only has trouble sleeping, she also has trouble with night sweats - or hot flashes with perspiration at night. She spends many hours under the fan in the family room, sprawled out on the tile floor soaking up as much of the coolness as she can.

When asked about the most common complaint women going through perimenopause have, a nurse in a doctor's office laughed and said, "Putting up with their husbands." She added that hot flashes and frequent changes of mood seem to bother women more often than other symptoms. And if the women don't really understand why their bodies have turned against them, their husbands have an even harder time getting it.

"I'm hot. I'm cranky. I'm suffering from a lack of sleep, memory and libido," said Sarah, "and my husband keeps asking me what's wrong."

A diminished libido is a common problem, contributing to the woman's feeling that she is leaving her youth - and sex - behind. One woman's doctor told her to "try harder."

While women are wondering where their libidos have gone, they know where the fat pads under their eyes are: they have landed at the waistline and multiplied. A few got stuck in the area now known as jowls that used to be a great jaw line.

Dr. Charles Miller, an ObGyn, said hot flashes are the most common complaint he hears, but there are medications that will help. HRT (hormone replacement therapy) is one option for some women if it is started soon after menopause and continued up to five years. HRT has been linked with serious health problems, but Miller said the old data is being looked at in a different way. Other medications may help with hot flashes or certain other symptoms.

Dr. Kevin Harvey, family practitioner, said, "There is no one story. There is such a myriad presentation."

Most women do nothing unless the symptoms are debilitating. Some women find help in herbal remedies, but Miller cautioned there is "lots of lead" in those pills. He also raised the question of dose regulation. How can a woman be sure she is getting what the label indicates? Exercise or relaxation techniques including yoga help many women.

Physical symptoms other than irregular menses may include vaginal dryness, urinary problems and headaches. Find a doctor you feel comfortable with, and check with him or her if you are experiencing any of these symptoms as they could also be indications of something else. Increases in cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis are seen in women around the age of 51, the average age for menopause. This may also be due to aging. Weight gain, a factor in cardiovascular disease, is often seen in women about this age, too.

Sometimes it just helps to know you're not alone. The Internet has many support options for women. The subjects on the message boards indicate some of the problems women experience: "Going out of my mind," "Freaking out," "Scared and cranky," "Lost libido" and "Am I losing my mind?"

*Women talked more freely about this personal subject knowing their statements would be anonymous.