2024-01-23 18:00:00
Misconceptions and truths about menopause In just 10 years, patients in their 20s and 30s have doubled. Hormone treatment is required when symptoms such as facial flushing and sudden mood changes are severe.
Seonhwa Jeong, director of the Second Bom Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic and an academic member of the Korean Society of Obesity and Aesthetics (KOAT), explains menopause to a female patient. Provided by Second Bom Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic
Menopause commonly occurs in women around the age of 50. However, recently, there has been an increase in the number of women in their early to mid 40s whose menstruation stops and menopause occurs. Jeong Seon-hwa, director of the Second Bom Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic and an academic member of the Korean Society for Obesity and Aesthetics (KOAT), said, “As women’s social activities become more active, stress has increased, and due to the influence of smoking, etc., ‘early menopause’ before the age of 40 or ‘early menopause’ before the age of 45 is occurring.” “It is increasing,” he said.
According to statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, in 2010, only 466 people in their 20s experienced menopause, but in 2020, the number increased 2.2 times to 1,014. Menopause in those in their 30s also increased by about 80% from 1,246 to 2,265 during the same period.
Menopause is when the secretion of the female hormone estrogen from the ovaries, which controls reproduction, decreases, menstruation stops, and reproductive function is lost. As female hormones decrease, symptoms such as facial redness, night sweats, sudden mood changes, memory loss, and skin aging may occur, and it can also lead to osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Director Jeong explained the misunderstandings and truths about menopause.
Q Can menopause symptoms be improved with lifestyle therapy?
Not like that. There are surprisingly many people who believe that they can manage menopause symptoms through diet and exercise. Sometimes symptoms improve with diet and exercise alone, but when menopausal symptoms are severe and quality of life deteriorates, it is better to receive hormone treatment.
If not treated, menopausal symptoms may continue into one’s 70s. Director Jeong said, “Many women seek pomegranate juice or supplements due to fear of treatment, but this is not an appropriate method,” adding, “As a result, they may end up overdosing on female hormone analogues, which can be dangerous. “It is a method whose safety has not been sufficiently verified,” he said.
Q Is the later the menopause better?
Not like that. Because of menopause symptoms, it is easy to think that the later menopause is, the better. But this varies from person to person. In general, research has shown that women with short menstrual periods are more likely to suffer from depression after menopause than women with long menstrual periods. If early menopause or premature menopause occurs, it can lead to complications such as osteoporosis, so appropriate hormone treatment is necessary.
However, delayed menopause is not necessarily a good thing. If there is a benign tumor in the uterus, such as uterine fibroids or adenomyosis, excessive bleeding may occur as menopause is delayed, which may lead to anemia. In addition, research results show that women who have late menopause are 2.2 times more likely to develop breast cancer, and 3.6 and 3.2 times more likely to develop endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer, respectively, than women who do not undergo menopause. Director Jeong said, “In the end, it is natural and good to reach menopause at the right time.”
Q Is dyspareunia before and after menopause inevitable?
Not like that. ‘Atrophic vaginitis’, commonly known as ‘vaginal dryness’, is a common chronic disease in postmenopausal women. It occurs when estrogen concentration decreases rapidly, and may be accompanied by atrophy of the mucous membrane, decrease in vaginal moisture, burning sensation, itching, etc., and may also lead to dyspareunia. Vaginal dryness is so common that half of postmenopausal women experience it. However, atrophic vaginitis is a disease that can be improved. Since it is caused by a decrease in estrogen, it often improves with supplementation. Appropriate hormonal treatment is recommended.
Q Can’t smokers get hormone treatment?
Not like that. Smokers over 35 years of age should not take oral contraceptives. For this reason, many people believe that smokers should not receive menopausal hormone treatment, but this is not true. A 2013 case-control study found that smoking itself was not a contraindication to hormone therapy. However, because smoking can reduce the effectiveness of oral hormone therapy, an ointment or patch is recommended when using hormone therapy. Of course, quitting smoking is good for your health.
Q Is it impossible to lose weight after menopause?
Not like that. Estrogen is known as a hormone that promotes fat burning. It is easy to think that dieting after menopause will be difficult because estrogen secretion decreases after menopause. However, several studies have shown that there is no significant difference in the fat burning ability of menopausal and premenopausal women. To lose weight, you must ultimately reduce energy intake and exercise more. However, since sarcopenia can become more noticeable after menopause, it is necessary to do strength training to compensate for weakened bone density and build more muscles to burn fat.
Guide to living a wise menopause life ① Regularly engage in moderate-intensity strength and aerobic exercise.
② Avoid instant foods or simple sugars and eat a balanced diet.
③ Avoid drinking and smoking.
④ Receive regular comprehensive health checkups and check for any diseases.
⑤ When quality of life declines due to menopause, receive hormone treatment.
⑥ Have a positive attitude that menopause is a phenomenon that all women face.
Jinhan Lee, medical reporter and doctor [email protected]
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