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, Dr. Rupen Baxi,
and
Karen Giblin field questions from our members.
Submit your question.
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Dear Red Hot Mamas,
My question may sound vane, excuse the pun, but it's about spider veins. The older I get, the more they are appearing. Is this related to menopause? What is the cause and can you tell me what I can do about them?
Thank you.
Cynthia
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Dear Cynthia,
Good question. They are not related to menopause. However, those red squiggly veins accumulate as we age. In fact, the older we get, the more they increase. They also can be genetic. So some women even may have them when they are in their teens. Also, if you have a job which requires you to stand a lot, this is also a reason why you might be developing more spider veins . They typically don't hurt, nor do they swell. Their treatment is considered cosmetic. Spider veins are caused by dysfunctional valves in the veins which causes the blood to back up and the veins begin looking dark blue or black. They are quite common. In fact, over 50% of women have them. So, let's talk about what you can do to get rid of them if they truly bother you. The most common and effective treatment for spider veins is called 'Sclerotherapy'. With this procedure, a dermatologist or plastic surgeon injects a caustic solution or salt water directly into the spider vein with a small needle. This causes the vein to close off and disappear. One treatment usually works, however, a second or third treatment may be required. Another option, is laser treatment. Laser treatments burn the blood vessel closed while leaving the skin unharmed. Laser treatments may require four to six sessions for optimal effect. The cost is somewhat higher than sclerotherapy because the amount of extra sessions to achieve results.
Thank you for writing to us and recommend that you discuss this with your healthcare provider.
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FROM THE EDITOR...KAREN GIBLIN
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"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other"
Happy 2017! Many of us have vowed to do a host of things as we begin the new year.
Here are some of the promises many of us have made:
Lose weight and get fit
Eat healthier and diet
Drink less
Get out of debt and save money
Spend more time with our loved ones
Be less stressed
Volunteer more
Learn something new on your own
Travel to new places
 Now, let's look at some statistics about resolutions. In the US, approximately 41% of us make New Year's resolutions. 42% of Americans never make resolutions. Of those who do make resolutions, only 9.2% feel they were ever successful in achieving their resolution. And, 42.4% of people never succeed and fall on their resolutions each year. The source of this information is from Statistic Brain Research Institute.
New Years's resolutions are notoriously difficult to follow. One culprit for this is that many of us are so ambitious when we begin developing our resolutions, that we set unrealistic goals which causes our resolutions to backfire on us. This results in our abandoning the resolutions and we are left feeling like failures.
So, I pose this question, are our resolutions merely hollow intentions?
Personally, I'm giving my resolutions a new spin. I will only make one or two resolutions at a time. There will not be a list of ten. Rather than viewing them as intimidating resolutions, I will view it as forming new habits. Next year, I will be more realistic when developing my resolution list. And, I will look into ways of achieving them in a fun, meaningful and practical way which might help make success easier to achieve. And, lastly, I will give myself some slack.
So, as I'm toasting 2018 in, I will not be too eager to change everything I don't like about myself. I will not over commit myself or become overzealous in setting unrealistic goals. I will set a resolution or two that is most important to me. And, I will try to regularly remind myself of the benefits of the resolutions I have made and will work on them daily.
I'd love to hear from you in how you have been successful in keeping your resolutions or what obstacles have hindered your success.
Good luck and Happy New Year!
Karen Giblin
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RHM WELCOMES OUR NEWEST MEDICAL EXPERT DR. RUPEN BAXI
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Dr. Baxi received his fellowship training in minimally invasive GYN surgery at Mohawk Valley Health System, an American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) fellowship program. He completed an internship in General surgery at the Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati followed by residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine and Health System where he was awarded the Special Resident in Minimally Invasive Surgery Award, sponsored by the AAGL. He also the recipient of the prestigious Arnold P. Gold Foundation "Teaching and Humanism in Medicine" Award.
Dr. Baxi has also served as a member of the surgical case review committee while at the Mohawk Valley Health System.
In addition to proficiency in minimally invasive GYN surgical techniques, Dr. Baxi has been published multiple times in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, and has presented scientific findings from multiple research studies at major national meetings. As an invited speaker, Dr. Baxi has also given several talks on such topics as Bloodless medicine and surgical techniques and Pelvic Organ Prolapse.
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ADD RELATIONSHIPS TO YOUR RESOLUTIONS
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Contributed by Dr. Barb DePree
Red Hot Mamas Medical Expert
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Here we are in a fresh new month, full of promise and possibilities. There's something about this unblemished new year. I've always loved this moment when one year ends and the next begins.
Resolutions, however? Not so good.
Far be it from me to diminish the value of losing weight (#1 on the
list of New Year's resolutions
for 2015) or of "staying fit and healthy" (#5), but I would suggest that, in addition to these worthy goals, you get a lot of bang for the buck when you work on your sex life. According to relationship consultant Dr. Sheryl Kingsberg, a good sexual relationship adds
significant value
to a relationship (15-20 percent), whereas a poor one actually drains a relationship significantly and negatively (50-70 percent).
So instead of resolutions focused on self-improvement, let's explore resolutions that focus on relationship-improvement (which, by the way, can be made at any time-a new month, a new week, a new day).
Turns out, there's a bit of art and science to resolution-making-a few principles that increase our odds of success. In the spirit of helping us all out to a solid start, let's explore ways to make our resolutions stick. (Success is always affirming.)
Since only 8 percent of the people who make resolutions actually achieve them, how can we beat those dismal odds?
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Make it fun.
The good thing about improving our intimate relationship is that it doesn't have to be a grinding exercise in self-discipline. In fact, it shouldn't be. You want to tickle the most primitive pleasure centers in your brain-the part that eons of evolution fine-tuned so that sex is pleasurable and intimacy is deeply satisfying. So, for this resolution at least, a light touch and playful intent is better than acts of will and grim resolve.
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Make it specific.
Grandiose is good but measurable is better. Dr. Paul Marciano, author of
Carrots and Sticks Don't Work
, advocates SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, and Time-bound. What this might look like vis-à-vis our sex life is: This month I will improve my pelvic health by using
vaginal moisturizer
daily and a few reps of
kegels
four times a day. Or: I will notice at least one thing I like about my partner every day, and I will express appreciation for it. Or: I will suggest one new position for us to try each month. Or: We will reserve two evenings a month for a romantic date.
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Be realistic.
I had a friend who would periodically go on an extremely rigorous regimen of weight loss and exercise. She'd cut out all sugar and strictly limit caloric intake; she'd walk four miles every day, and she'd do this for month. She'd lose weight and look great. But
inevitably, the sheer difficulty of her regimen was its undoing. She couldn't keep it up. So, she'd crash and burn with the same intensity, putting all the weight back on and then some. It was painful to watch.
Even with something that's supposed to be light-hearted, like improving your sex life, you should realistically assess what is likely to work for both you and your partner. Maybe planning a romantic evening at home would work better than a night out. If your partner isn't entirely on board, maybe you'll work on your own sexual health and subtly introduce changes
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Write it down.
Or better yet, get your partner's suggestions and buy-in, so both of you are involved. Resolutions are more likely to be successful when you've made a verbal or written commitment.
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Persevere.
Of course your resolve will wax and wane. Of course you'll forget about your date night or run out of nice things to notice about your partner. We are all inextricably pulled back toward the dog path. We are all tempted by that niggling voice that whispers,
you've already missed two months. Just give up.
Don't give in. Get up and start again. That's the very essence of discipline-keeping on.
Next December 31, when you reflect on the year just passed, I hope you can derive some quiet pleasure in having moved the intimacy needle a bit and generally banked some points in your sexual wellbeing account.
Dr. Barb DePree gynecologist, NAMS certified menopausal provider and founder of the website middlesexmd.com
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NEW FINDINGS SHOW HYSTERECTOMY CAN IMPROVE OPTIONS FOR MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS
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Contributed by Dr. Rupen Baxi
Red Hot Mamas Medical Expert
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 Menopause symptoms can be incredibly disruptive, which is why many women fear hysterectomy surgery. It's important to understand how symptoms can be relieved and what ends up being a better choice for a woman's overall health and wellbeing.
A recent comprehensive study published in the
British Journal of Cancer
found that estrogen-only therapy, used to relieve menopause symptoms, has proven to be safe after hysterectomy. Combination therapy containing estrogen + progesterone is the one shown to have a higher risk for breast cancer than previously estimated.
The study showed women using combination HRT had a 2.7 times greater risk than non-users. It's a risk significantly higher than previously reported. This type of therapy can be prescribed to women who have not had a hysterectomy as estrogen can negatively affect the uterus and requires progesterone to balance out the effects. Estrogen therapy alone can increase the risk of uterine cancer, but when a women has undergone hysterectomy, estrogen-only HRT can be safely prescribed as it has shown no overall increase in breast cancer risk compared with women who had never used HRT.
These new findings are important to understand so women can make an informed decision about their GYN health. Once a woman is past childbearing, if she is struggling with symptoms like heavy bleeding or pelvic pain caused by a GYN condition like large fibroids, hysterectomy should be considered. It can mean living a healthier, pain free life.
For a fast post-operative recovery, hysterectomy should be performed with minimally invasive approach. The
DualPortGYN
technique used at CIGC for hysterectomy surgery, as well as for other GYN procedures, uses only two 5 mm midline incisions. The approach is safe and minimally invasive, so women recover faster, with less pain, and are usually back to work within 1 week.
Women suffering from GYN conditions like fibroids or adenomyosis, who choose to undergo minimally invasive hysterectomy to relieve symptoms, find a safer form of HRT when they reach menopause. Hormone therapy can alleviate symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and vaginal atrophy.
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DEALING WITH DRY SKIN DURING THE WINTER
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Contributed by Karen Giblin
Red Hot Mamas Medical Expert
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At menopause, in particular, our skin tends to secrete less oil due to the effects of diminishing estrogen levels. As a result, our skin becomes drier and is more prone to wrinkles. There are some steps we can take to prevent our skin becoming drier.
Here are several things you might consider doing:
- Hot water can make dry skin worse so it is recommended that you decrease the water temperature you use while showering as well as decrease the length of time you expose your skin to the hot water.
- Avoid harsh soaps containing detergents and fragrances, which are made from chemicals that can irritate your skin. Dove brand soaps are relatively gentle and do not commonly cause as much irritation as other soaps.
- Daily moisturizing can also help prevent your skin from becoming dry. There are many moisturizing products available so you should test a few products and pick the one you like best. You should moisturize one to two times daily and one of the best times is immediately when you get out of the shower.
- Using a humidifier during the winter months can also help your skin stay moisturized. The dry heat in your home makes for a low-humidity environment, which can dry out your skin.
- Be sure to drink plenty of water as well.
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