Category Archives: Experts Talk

How to Kick the Insomnia Habit: A Menopause Expert’s Advice

Sleep difficulty is one of the hallmarks of menopause.  Some midlife women find they have trouble falling asleep, while others can’t seem to stay asleep. Which ever camp you’re in (I’m in the latter), you’re probably all too familiar with the problems caused by sleepless nights: lethargy, forgetfulness, and depression are just a few that you might consider bothersome or uncomfortable at worst.  But did you know that constant sleep deprivation can have more profound consequences on your health?   The Cardia Sleep Study, for example, showed a correlation between sleep deprivation and higher blood pressure levels, especially among pre-menopausal women.  So what can you do about it?  I asked Rebecca Hulem, aka The Menopause Expert, about the causes and cures (if there are any) for hormone-related insomnia:

Wendy: Why do mid-life women have so many sleep problems?

Rebecca: Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep are two complaints I frequently hear from women who are transitioning through menopause. Many women, who are in the peri-menopause transition which usually starts around the age of 45, usually face this issue the most. The most common reason for this is the lack of a hormone called progesterone. Progesterone is produced by the ovary during ovulation and during peri-menopause, ovulation declines significantly thus reducing the production of progesterone. Progesterone’s key role in a woman’s body is to: regulate menstrual periods, regulate moods and allow a feeling of drowsiness at night which allows us to sleep easily. … [Read more]

Recommended Reading: What You Can Do To Age Well

Jonny Bowden, a board-certified nutritionist and author of several books on nutrition and health, has nicknamed the four dangerous processes that age our bodies “the four horsemen of aging.”  He explains in his newest book, The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Do to Prevent Disease, Feel Great, and Have Optimum Health and Longevity that together, they are probably responsible for the bulk of what happens to our bodies when they break down.  He writes: “Anything that’s happening in your body that you wish were not happening, from the beginnings of disease to the breakdown of systems to the loss of functionality, is being driven by the engine of these four processes.” So here they are with a brief explanation and advice from Bowden for mitigating their harm: … [Read more]

Lab Tests That Can Tell You What’s Going On With Your Hormones

Thanks to Oprah, Suzanne Sommers, Dr. Christiane Northrup and many physician-authors before them (like Dr. John Lee), mid-life women now are far more knowledgeable about hormone therapy options that can help alleviate the most life-disrupting symptoms of menopause. What they (and their doctors) might not know so much about are the many kinds of tests that can be used to determine the best combination and doses of HRT products and supplements for optimal hormone balancing. To shed some light on this,  I contacted Genova Diagnostics, and asked its Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Patrick Hanaway, to describe the different tests that a woman, complaining of menopausal symptoms, should request from their physician. (All lab tests require an ordering physician and cannot be obtained directly by consumers.) … [Read more]

A Dermatologist’s Advice on Preventing, Banishing Wrinkles

Is there anything that can prevent wrinkles???  The answer to this is YES! But first, understanding what causes them is important.  There are 3 kinds.

• Wrinkles caused by overactive facial muscles (think frown lines).
• Wrinkles caused by loss of volume  – mostly fat pads in our faces, and our bones (think what happens when you pull your skin up at the ears).
• And lastly, wrinkles caused by damage to the structure of our skin itself primarily the collagen and elastic fibers (think the thinning of the skin). These type of wrinkles are mostly due to sun damage but some to intrinsic aging and hormone changes. … [Read more]

RX for Belly Fat: Strengthen & Tone with Exercise

Can diet and exercise really eliminate belly fat? Recent research has shown that eating fewer calories, no matter what program you sign up for, will contribute to weight loss and thus, a smaller paunch.  But what about exercise?  Will just burning calories help eliminate the “muffin top” that a lot of middle-aged women (and men!) carry around?  Or do we need to target ab muscles with 100 crunches every day to do the trick?

… [Read more]

Hair Loss in Menopause: Why We’re Having More Bad Hair Days

As if weight gain and belly fat aren’t insulting enough, a loss of estrogen in Menopause can also cause our hair to fall out!  And what’s left often turns thin and brittle, “like hay,” as one friend put it.  Why is this happening? And is there anything we can do about it?

I asked Dr. Diane Berson, a dermatologist in New York City, who explained that there’s a perfect storm of conditions that are conspiring to ruin (my word not hers) our hair as we begin the second half of our lives. … [Read more]

Is There A Natural Medicine that Works for Menopausal Symptoms? A Leading CAM Expert Offers Advice

Last month, while attending the Scripps Conference on Natural Supplements, I met Dr. Tieraona Low Dog,  whose presentation on Botanicals and Women’s Health drew a packed house of medical professionals eager to learn more about complementary and alternative medicine. And who better to learn it from than Dr. Low Dog, who was a highly respected herbalist before receiving her medical degree.  Naturally, I was  interested in what she would recommend for women who want to go through menopause “naturally.” That is – without the use of hormones. I think you’ll be surprised at her response as I was during our one hour conversation: … [Read more]

Urinary Incontinence: Is There a Connection with Menopause?

 If TV commercials are an accurate reflection of our lives, then you’d have to conclude that bladder problems are a big concern for women and men.  Since the ads I’ve seen show people who appear to be 50-ish in age, they suggest that incontinence isn’t just a problem of the elderly.  It’s one of the few health conditions still considered too private to discuss openly,  so I wondered just how prevalent it is for women in mid-life and if there’s a connection with Menopause.  For expert information and advice, I contacted Dr. L. Elaine Waetjen, an OB-GYN with a specialty in Urogynecology, as well as a researcher and associate professor at the University of California, Davis. I asked her at what age do women typically notice bladder problems?

Dr. Waetjen: Bladder problems can happen at any point in our lives, but for many women, they seem to begin occurring in mid-life and symptoms, including incontinence, may increase due to the direct effects of aging. For example, as women get older, the bladder capacity can decrease due to changes in the wall of the bladder, making it less elastic.  Older women are more likely to lose strength and/or coordination of their pelvic floor muscles, which can also affect how the bladder functions to store and empty urine. The rise in incontinence may also be related to other factors associated with aging. For example, women tend to gain weight as they get older and weight gain is associated with incontinence. … [Read more]

A Physician’s View of Complementary & Alternative Medicine Therapies for Menopause

There’s an interesting study underway of 3300 women who are being followed as they progress through their menopause transition.  The multi ethnic Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) began in 1996 and is expected to be completed next month when participants have their final annual follow-up visit.  One aspect of the study involves how women cope with mid-life changes.  To date, almost half of the women in the study, aged 42-52 used some kind of complementary or alternative medical (CAM) treatment in the previous year.

Clearly, there is growing use of CAM treatments to ease menopausal symptoms, particularly for hot flashes and insomnia. But there’s still a lot of confusion about what really works. … [Read more]

Taking Good Care of Yourself in Mid-Life: Advice from Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, In-Coming President of the North American Menopause Society

No one knows better than Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton just how complex medical problems can be for women in mid-life, even for those who live an exemplary, healthful lifestyle.  In addition to seeing patients in private practice, she is Director of Mid Life Health and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Virginia. Dr. Pinkerton is also the incoming President of the North American Menopause Society, an organization whose mission is “promoting health and quality of life of women through an understanding of menopause.”In a recent conversation, I asked Dr. Pinkerton about the medical problems women in mid-life should be most concerned about and what, if anything, women can do to prevent them from occurring. Here is a transcript of our conversation: Dr. Pinkerton: Physicians usually focus on three main medical problems during this time; heart disease, breast cancer and osteoporosis/bone health.  However, midlife is a key time for women to take stock and improve their care of themselves. Perimenopausal and menopausal women are often involved in careers or care-taking for teenagers, aging parents or both.For overall health, women should work to limit the weight gain that happens with aging and hormonal changes due to menopause.  Specifically, not smoking, avoiding excess alcohol, regular aerobic exercise and strength training and improving response to stress will all help prevent major diseases. Regular checkups and discussions with providers regarding individual risks and need for preventive testings such as mammograms, bone densities, colonoscopy, lipid panels, pap tests remain important.

I also recommend taking 1000-1500 mg of calcium either through diet or supplements, and 1000 IU of Vitamin D. Additional supplements may be indicated for specific women. If you have a strong family history of heart disease, breast cancer, osteoporosis or other health issues, there may be more specific recommendations for diagnostic testing, or lifestyle changes or medications to decrease your risks.

It is never too late to work to get excess weight off, lose central abdominal obesity, build more muscle mass, and live a healthier, less stressful lifestyle. And stay active! We need to keep our bodies “humming” to maintain the pitch of our busy lives. … [Read more]