I’m in the national news as a menopause expert!
Exciting news! I’m in the national news as a menopause expert!
A few weeks ago I was interviewed by the CBC about my favourite topic, menopause.
And last week CBC published this story, What Doctors Recommend To Treat Symptoms of Menopause Transition quoting a number of menopause experts, yours truly included!
Here are some snippets from the article:
There are more than 30 symptoms of perimenopause identified by the Menopause Foundation of Canada, like hot flashes and heart palpitations. Those symptoms can sometimes continue until the end of life.
But it’s important that women raise these symptoms with their health-care provider, according to Teresa Isabel Dias, a pharmacist and a North American Menopause Society certified menopause practitioner (NCMP) based in Toronto.
That way a doctor can rule out any medical conditions that may have similar symptoms to the menopausal transition, she said.
On hot flashes and night sweats:
Dias suggests going to bed cold by using lighter blankets, wearing pyjamas made out of cotton and keeping a glass of water nearby. Women have also used a cold compress for relief.
But, she says, for some, those methods aren’t enough.
“If you really have a hard time with night sweats, you’re going to have to do something else.”
Hormone therapy — systemic estrogen therapy and estrogen-progesterone therapy for those with a uterus — are the standard treatments, according to Dias and [Dr. Shafeena] Premji.
On weight gain:
A big hindrance to getting active is the fatigue that may come with the change. Women may experience it because of sleep disturbance, stress or because of inflammation caused by the changing estrogen levels.
Dias says she recognizes it can be hard to get a workout in when you’re fatigued, but to try to exercise as much as possible and to eat well.
“All these adjustments help a bit,” she said.
And on hormone therapy:
Experts say it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to menopause hormone therapy as every woman has their own risk profile. Speaking to a health-care professional is essential.
Menopause hormone therapy for most women will generally include estrogen and progesterone, Premji said. Women who have had a hysterectomy will only receive estrogen.
Premji and Dias say the general guidelines on who can take hormone therapy to manage symptoms are: women who are younger than 60 with no medical conditions that preclude them from taking hormones, and women who are less than 10 years post-menopause.
Subscribers to my newsletter, and women who have heard one of my talks, have already heard all this from me. But it’s heartening to see that these concerns are getting a wider hearing in the national media.
You can subscribe to my MenopausED Newsletter here.
You can chat with me about your menopause transition here.