Interested in sponsoring an issue of
The Menopause Minute®?
Or, if you have a desire to write, we'd love to print your article!
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Our experts Dr. Mary Jane Minkin,
Dr. Mache Seibel,
Nurse Barb,
Dr. Michael Goodman,
Dr. Verna Brooks-McKenzie, Dr. Murray Freedman,
Francis Barbieri, Jr. DDS, Liz Allen, Dr. MeLanie Modjoros,, Dr. Natalya Danilyants, Dr. Paul Mackoul, Dr. Barb DePree, Pam Rand RD, LDN, CDOE, RYT, and
Karen Giblin field questions from our members.
Submit your question.
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Dear Red Hot Mamas,
I hope my question doesn't sound foolish, but I've noticed more wrinkles since menopause. Can you please give me some information about how I can reduce and prevent new wrinkles from cropping up?
Thanks so much,
Cynthia
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Dear Cynthia,
Here are a few ways to reduce the signs of aging:
- Wear sunscreen every day, even when it's cloudy outside.
- Don't smoke. Studies have shown that heavy smokers are more likely to have deep wrinkles than non-smokers.
- Use a facial cleanser instead of soap and water. Products which contain retinoid (prescription creams) helps diminish fine lines and helps build collagen. Antioxidant creams and lotions containing vitamin C also helps reduce fine lines by combating cell damage. Alpha-hydroxy acids lift the top layer of dead skin on your face which can help minimize the appearance of fine lines.
- Eat several servings of vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables to lower your odds of wrinkling. And also have more of these: olive oil, fish and nuts.
So there's plenty you can do to keep your skin looking good. You should also make an appointment with your dermatologist to discuss all treatments that will help keep your skin smooth and firm.
Good luck to you and thank you for writing to Red Hot Mamas.
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FROM THE EDITOR...KAREN GIBLIN
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September is National Menopause Awareness Month
"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all"
- Anonymous
Dear Red Hot Mamas,
Did you know that?
- In the US, 6,000 women reach menopause every day
- By the year, 2020, it is estimated there will be 46 million women who are over the age of 55
- The average woman has more than one-third of her life ahead of her after menopause
I've always told women to "
take charge of menopause, before it takes charge of them". Many women are challenged by menopausal symptoms. You probably have heard all the stories about hot flashes, night sweats, unpredictable mood swings, weight gain, sleep disturbances, just to name a few. The truth is we are all unique. Some of us will experience symptoms, but others will sail through menopause with minimum or no symptoms at all.
What is important is to
focus on what you can control. Shift your attention to problem solving. And, how do you problem solve, or as I say "take charge of menopause", it's by changing your thinking away from "I can't do it" to committing yourself to learning to best manage the symptoms of menopause.
An example of f
ocusing on what you can control might mean identifying which symptom bothers you the most and
what can you do about it.
One example,for instance, is sleeping an issue for you? It's important to determine what's causing your sleep problems. Is it stress? Is it due to hot flashes/night sweats due to menopause? Has sleep always been a problem for you even before you reached menopause? The key is to determine what is causing you to lose your snoozing time. Dwindling hormones at menopause may only be part of the blame.
Eight helpful strategies to help you take charge of your sleep problems and gain better sleep:
- Stick to a schedule: Be consistent each day with the time you go to bed.
- Exercise and stay active: 30 minutes of exercise each day. Make sure you do not exercise too close to bedtime as it will keep you awake.
- Limit caffeine and alcohol: Remember caffeine is found in coffee, tea, energy drinks, soda, and chocolate. So make it a point not to have any of these things after lunchtime.
- Avoid eating a late large meal: Eating too much causes digestion problems which might wake you up.
- Don't drink too much before bedtime: Too much fluid will cause you to have to go to the bathroom during the night.
- Relax before bedtime: Take a warm bath, read a good book, listen to soothing music and your bedroom should only be used for sleep and sex.
- Make your bedroom comfortable: Keep it cool, dark and clean.
- Don't try to sleep: If you find yourself jumping around like a Mexican jumping bean, get out of bed, go to another room read or listen to soothing music.
In closing, September is National Menopause Awareness month. Pay attention to the changes that occur to you physically and emotionally at menopause. Keep a log of changes and symptoms. Identify the symptoms that affect you the most. Look for solutions to alleviate your menopause symptoms, but at all times be careful and challenge the accuracy of these solutions. And, always develop a healthy partnership with your healthcare provider and candidly discuss all your concerns, symptoms and ways to best manage your health. Menopause changes are only a small part of your overall health. Seek out education and support through Red Hot Mamas programs held within hospitals in the US; log onto our website
www.redhotmamas.org for up-to-date information; subscribe to our free e newsletter "The Menopause Minute" and join other women on Red Hot Mamas menopause community forum located on
www.inspire.com.
And lastly, reward yourself for your accomplishments in "
taking charge of menopause before it takes charge to you".
Have a Happy Menopause Awareness Month!
Good Health to You All,
Karen Giblin
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GETTING YOUR GROVE BACK AFTER A 'DRY SPELL'
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Contributed by Dr. Barb DePree
Red Hot Mamas Medical Expert
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There are many reasons that women may go months, or even years, without engaging in any kind of sexual activity. She may be
without a partner. Or she may be in a relationship where the sizzle has fizzled-her husband or partner is more like a roommate than a lover.
As a side note, I think there's an epidemic of peri-menopausal and menopausal women who have given up on sex as their bodies change and their priorities shift. Sadly, losing intimacy in a marriage can lead to or exacerbate the
distance between two people. I suspect that a number of late-in-life divorces happen because of that loss.
As a friend recently said, "In many relationships, sex is the glue that binds a relationship together."
I often remind my patients about the use-it-or-lose-it fact of life: If you're sexually inactive, your body can have some unpleasant surprises for you when you try to be sexual again. Doctors call that
losing vaginal patency. (Patent means "open" in the medical world.)
This can happen especially quickly after surgical menopause as your hormone levels decrease, making the tissues of your vagina thinner and more fragile, with less circulation to those tissues. And if your vagina isn't having any stimulation, those changes will happen more rapidly.
Don't give up!
Most women can get their "groove" back with the right regimen of vaginal treatments along with patience and persistence.
Last year, I saw a patient (I'll call her Sue) who had a hysterectomy in her late 20s, then was widowed at a young age and not in any sexual relationships for nearly 20 years. At age 59, a spark was kindled and she fell in love again. I asked Sue if she'd be willing to have us share her story, and am very grateful that she not only agreed, but provided correspondence from her husband as well as herself.
When Sue first came to see me, the situation in her nether region was pretty grim. I could barely insert a Q-tip® into her vagina. Her vaginal moisture was non-existent and while she thought she had entirely lost her sex drive, the new romance had revived it. Yet she knew that if her relationship moved to marriage, she would want to revive her interest in-and ability to have-sex.
Each situation is different. For Sue, I began by prescribing Osphena, and I encouraging her to use
vaginal dilators to stretch her vaginal walls, making them spacious enough to do their job.
If you're in a situation where you haven't been "using it" for a long time, I'd encourage you to seek out a gynecologist who has the expertise to help you bring your sexuality back to life for a relationship with a partner or for the health benefits of
self-stimulation.
You can read more about Sue's story in my next
blog post, but I'll give you a sneak preview: It took several months of "work," with more than a few ups and downs, but Sue and her new husband are now enjoying a pleasurable and intimate marriage bed.
The lesson is this: With the right help, combined with persistence and patience, you can make a come-back and enjoy the benefits of a healthy sex life again.
Dr. Barb DePree gynecologist, NAMS certified menopausal provider and founder of the website middlesexmd.com
, a website for promoting women's sexual health.
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THE DENIAL OF MENOPAUSE DOESN'T HELP!
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Contributed by Haralee Weintraub
Guest Contributor
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Since I run a
company designed (pun intended) to help women with night sweats often caused by menopause I am very intimate with this subject matter.
Someone asks what I do for a living and if they seem interested, they get the full
explanation. I have been known to talk way too much about menopause and it's side effects to strangers at parties that I can see their eyes roll up into their heads or see them desperately try to extricate themselves from my presence. I don't take offense.
What always intrigues me is when I meet a woman fanning herself in the 40-55 year old age range, and she tells me she has no need for my
sleepwear. I am an ambassador for
my company so I really try to be diplomatic. I might start out with:
"
I notice you are fanning yourself and it really is not hot in here."
"You mentioned to me you suffer from insomnia."
"You said you are getting very forgetful."
"Sounds like you have signs of being peri-menopausal."
Sometimes I am met with an ongoing conversation. Other times I am told that they "are not menopausal"! The tone is usually,
"get away from me before I strangle you"!
Why? Why not entertain that this is a part of life and you are within the age group when it occurs and accept it?
When I question about the symptoms they experience I have been told it is due to stress, or fatigue, or their thyroid.
Maybe it is and maybe it is denial.
I have learned some women would rather have a disease than just be menopausal! I am trying to not be judgmental on this but menopause symptoms can be the same as some really scary diseases and menopause is the easier condition in comparison.
Denial is a very strong emotion. I think it is a partner to stubbornness. Some subscribe to the philosophy :
If I don't admit it, it isn't real. If I say I am not menopausal, then I am not menopausal!
It is tempting to go through life thinking we are the same age. We may feel like we are in our 20's or 30's but our bodies know the truth. Menopause happens!
Are you having some symptoms that could be peri-menopausal?
Were you on board right way or did menopause blind sight you?
Haralee Weintraub spent 25 years working for Fortune 500 and 100 companies in sales, marketing, training and management. In 2002, with her invasive breast cancer diagnosis, she looked closely at her career path. Haralee was familiar with wicking clothing from the gym, the tennis courts, the slopes and the trails. She could not find the same performance materials found in outdoor clothing for sleepwear. The same sweat equation whether from physical exercise or night sweats was the same; Sweat = Hot = Cold = Miserable. With an old sewing machine and bike short fabric she made her first prototype nightgown. It was heavy but it worked. She found more sleep friendly fabric and made another sample and brought it to her breast cancer support group. They went wild with enthusiasm. Two years after her initiation into the world of breast cancer, she started Haralee.com Sleepwear with her goal to make cool garments for hot women. As CEO, Haralee is involved in every aspect of the company, designing the styles, picking fabric colors, as well as the promoting and marketing of the line. She is devoted to help eradicate breast cancer and donates a portion of every sale to breast cancer research. http://www.haralee.com/
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Contributed by Francis Barbieri Jr. DDS
Red Hot Mamas Medical Expert
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 Picking a toothbrush sounds easy, right? But if you've ever walked down the toothbrush aisle of your local drug store, you know how easy it is to get confused by all the choices. Some toothbrushes promise fresh breath, deep cleaning and even teeth whitening. Others are specially designed for orthodontics or dentures. While these special features are enticing, it's best to ask your dentist if they're right for you or if you need them at all. There are, however, some toothbrush basics that you need to know -- these tips should make your search for a toothbrush a whole lot easier!
What to Look for in a Toothbrush
The right toothbrush can help turn bad oral hygiene habits into good oral hygiene habits. Without daily brushing and flossing, your teeth and gums may become especially vulnerable to tooth decay, dental plaque, dental tartar, even gum disease. Don't let that happen -- use these guidelines to help you pick a toothbrush; the more you like your toothbrush, the more likely you are to brush.
Remember: the softer the better. It might seem like a toothbrush with stiff bristles is the right choice -- after all, many of your household brushes probably have rigid bristles, making cleaning faster and easier. But the opposite is true when it comes to picking a toothbrush. And the reason why is simple: softer bristles are easier on your gums. When you brush, you want to clean your teeth, not make your gums bleed. A toothbrush with stiff bristles is more likely to cause bleeding gums. However, don't pick a toothbrush that's labeled "soft" unless your dentist recommends it; choose a "medium" one instead.
Go nylon, not natural. There's a whole slew of natural dental products available that are environmentally friendly. You may have even heard about something called a "Natural Toothbrush" with bristles made from the root of an Araak tree. Other types of natural toothbrushes have brown bristles that are reportedly softer than nylon bristles. While you may be curious to try a natural toothbrush, keep in mind that there has been little research done in the U.S. on their effectiveness (or harmfulness). Natural toothbrushes may also cost more and wear out faster than standard toothbrushes. Until there's more information about natural toothbrushes, it's probably best to stick to an ADA-recommended toothbrush with medium-soft, nylon bristles.
Get a heads up. When it comes to a toothbrush head, you might think that bigger is better. That's not always the case. If you have a small mouth, a toothbrush with a big head might make it difficult to angle your toothbrush to brush hard-to-reach areas. Go for something that complements the size of your mouth.
Choose a handle with care. The handles of toothbrushes are usually colorful, sometimes translucent or even glittery. But don't be fooled into thinking that "bright and shiny" is all you need. What you should really look for is a toothbrush handle that feels comfortable in your hand and is easy to maneuver. Also look for a non-slip surface, especially if you have arthritis.
Don't forget: After daily use, your toothbrush can lose its effectiveness and even become a breeding ground for germs, fungus and bacteria. Who wants that? To get the most out of your toothbrush, replace it frequently -- at least every 1-3 months. And if you recently had a cold or infection, you may have transferred germs to your toothbrush so be sure to use a new toothbrush.
Dr. Francis Barbieri, Jr. has provided comprehensive and cosmetic dentistry to central New Jersey residents for over 25 years. He works closely with each patient to design an individualized care plan that achieves their dental goals, and fosters comfort and confidence along the way. He is at the forefront of restorative cosmetic dentistry, using the most advanced and minimally invasive techniques. Dr. Barbieri believes that patient education is the cornerstone of high-quality dental care, working with patients on an individual basis and developing educational materials to provide information about treatment options, the latest technologies, and most importantly, how to prevent treatment.
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