If you are going through menopause, or will be undergoing the change soon, it is important that you find out all you can about menopause health risks, so that you can do everything possible to prevent or minimize them. Paying special attention to your health during this phase of life is very important, since studies have shown that the changing estrogen levels in the body can lead to breast cancer. Here are some other ways in which your health can be affected during this phase of life.
Menopause is a time in a woman’s life when estrogen production is decreased dramatically, to the point where a woman is not able to have children any longer. During this time, your hormones will be unbalanced, which means that you will experience changes in your body temperature, or you may have trouble sleeping, even though you may feel fatigued. Some women may experience severe mood swings due to the changes in hormone levels, as well as headaches and backaches.
One of the most serious health risks associated with menopause is osteoporosis. For those unfamiliar with this condition, it is a medical disorder wherein your bones are no longer as strong and as healthy as they should be. They become brittle and fragile. This can significantly increase your chances of fracturing or breaking a bone. The decreased levels of estrogen produced by your body are the major contributor to this condition in women.
Bones need to be cared for to grow strong. A proper diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals is necessary to prevent the onset of this disease. A great number of women do not get enough calcium on a regular basis. Premenopausal women should ensure that they get three servings of dairy products on a daily basis. This works out to be 1000 milligrams of elemental calcium. Postmenopausal women require even more – up to five servings or 1500 milligrams daily.
Urinary incontinence is another issue that frequently arises during menopause. Urine does not remain in the bladder as it should but instead it leaks out, usually unexpectedly. There are different types of urinary incontinence but the type experienced most often by women of menopausal age is stress incontinence, which occurs because of a lack of estrogen in the body. The urethral sphincter and/or pelvic muscles become weaker and are not able to help the bladder and urethra to hold in urine as they once did. Stress incontinence is most likely to occur when a woman laughs, coughs, sneezes, exercises or does anything that can cause extra pressure to be exerted on the abdominal area.
There are other health problems associated with menopause and perimenopause, which is why it is very important for you to talk to your doctor about all the physical changes that you are experiencing. Breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and polyps or growths on the uterus which may or may not be cancerous can all occur during this phase of life, so if you notice that your fatigue is becoming extreme, or you are having problems urinating, you should work with your physician to come up with a health regimen that will work for you, or find out about surgical procedures that will help to relieve your symptoms and improve your health.
Do you think you might be starting menopause? If so, you need to know what the signs are and what your options are for menopause symptom relief. Click here to get the menopause help and advice you need.