WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP, DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY BENELUX. JULY 2009

MENOPAUSE AND YOU

Psalm 139:14

Christian women should be enlightened about things that are relevant to their bodies. This will enable them to understand what is going on, prepare themselves, know what to pray about and take necessary precautions so that their lives will be enjoyable. The progression into menopause is such a change that is unavoidable; therefore time spent to get a basic understanding of the changes that take place is a relevant investment.

Two definitions are important before we proceed:

  1. Menopause: This is defined as cessation of menstruation as a result of the normal decline in ovarian function. For most women, it occurs between ages 45 and 55. In rare cases, menopause can occur as early as the thirties or as late as the sixties. Menopause is premature if it occurs before 40. It is a stage in which a woman is incapable of childbearing. A woman is said to be at menopause one year after her last period.
  2. Perimenopause: The time between when a woman begins to experience the signs and symptoms of menopause and menopause itself is called premenopause or perimenopause. This occurs between ages 40 and 51 and may last between 6 months and 10 years. Some women may not experience perimenopause at all. During perimenopause, female hormone levels fluctuate and decline. This contributes to the physical, mental and emotional imbalance, which causes perimenopausal symptoms.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE

In a woman, there are two hormones released from the ovary: estrogen and progesterone. At perimenopause, estrogen levels decrease significantly and eventually to the point that the lining of the uterus no longer builds up; thus menstruation ceases.

After menopause, estrogen levels up to 40 to 60% of its perimenopausal levels and progesterone falls close to zero. Once the hormones have leveled up, the symptoms experienced during perimenopause will disappear, although some women may still continue to experience some of them such as hot flashes, anxieties, bouts of depression, etc, for a few years after they become menopausal.

What are the signs and symptoms of menopause?

  1. Hot flashes, flushes, night sweat and cold flashes. Hot flashes a sudden, temporary onset of body warmth, flushing and sweating. These hot flashes are intermittent and the intensity varies from woman to woman.
  2. Irregular periods that can be heavy, light, shorter, or longer cycles.
  3. Difficulty in sleeping – either in getting to sleep or in staying asleep.
  4. Mood changes, anxiety, depression, irritability.
  5. Heart palpitations (rapid heartbeat).
  6. Dry, itchy, crawly skin (a sensation like ants crawling under your skin).
  7. Hair loss or thinning (could be on the head or on the whole body), increase in facial hair. Note that there is often a loss of pubic hair during menopause. Many women are more comfortable simply shaving their pubic areas instead of having patches of hair.
  8. Loss or decrease in sexual desire (libido).
  9. Vaginal dryness. Low levels of estrogen cause thinning of the vaginal lining as well as less vaginal secretion, resulting vaginal dryness and itching.
  10. Incontinence especially upon sneezing and laughing. This reflects a general loss of smooth muscle tone.
  11. Fatigue.
  12. Difficulty in concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion and disturbing memory lapses (forgetfulness).
  13. Increased muscular tension.
  14. Breast tenderness – breast swelling, soreness and pain.
  15. Headaches and migraines.
  16. Gastro-intestinal distress, indigestion, flatulence and nausea. Acid reflux and heartburn are very common complaints during perimenopause.
  17. Sudden bout of bloat. Bloating and water retention are common during perimenopause.
  18. Increase in any existing conditions (health problems).
  19. Increase in allergies.
  20. Weight gain often around the waist and thighs, resulting in disappearing waistline and changes in body shape.
  21. Dizziness, lightheadedness, episode of loss of balance.
  22. Changes in body odour. This is not very common.
  23. Electric shock sensation under the skin and in the head. This is sometimes a precursor of hot flushes.
  24. Tingling in the extremities (parts of the body like hands and feet). This can also be a symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency, diabetes or from an alteration in the flexibility of blood vessels in the extremities.
  25. Gum problems, increase bleeding.
  26. Burning tongue.
  27. Osteoporosis (this occurs mostly to postmenopausal women).
  28. Brittle fingernails, which peel and break easily.

Note: You do not have to experience all these symptoms; some of them are however more common than others. Moreover, other health conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, depression, etc, can cause them as well. It is advisable to seek medical advice if you have any doubts. Moreover, these symptoms are general to women. Being a child of God, you should understand that they can be well managed and brought under divine control by the grace of God.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO PERIMENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS

As Christian women, we should understand that God treats us specially. He who promises to save us at childbirth based on our obedience will take care of us during menopause based on the same condition. Of course, personal responsibility in diet, etc, will be required to have a balanced system. Below are a few tips on what you can do to reduce perimenopausal symptoms:

  1. Pray about it. Meditate on God’s word and never allow yourself to be given over to depression or anxiety (Psalm 50:15; Philippians 4:6; James 5:13a). Right combination of herbs (plant extracts), exercise, nutritional support and natural hormones may help you to manage your symptoms.
  2. You may need some medical intervention and drugs.
  3. Doctors may prescribe the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to relieve women of their symptoms. This is available in form of pills, skin patches and creams. Women taking the pill form of the conventional HRT in cyclic way usually return to a monthly bleeding like light menstrual periods. The hormones used in the conventional HRT are synthetic and their risks could outweigh their benefits. However, there is now available biologically based HRT, which proves to be safer. This is called human identical hormones for hormone replacement therapy.
  4. For vaginal itching, either prescribed or over-the-counter products can help.
  5. Diets rich in plant hormones (phytoestrogen) have been shown to reduce menopausal symptoms. Soy products such as revival soya protein (tofu), tempeh, soyamilk and miso contain a large amount of these plant hormones. Other foods specifically indicated for hot flashes are flaxseed, high lignan flaxseed oil, fennel, celery, parsley and legumes. The first two are rich in lignan, which can function to normalise estrogen levels.

SCRIPTURAL COUNSEL FOR POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN Titus 2:3-5

Entering into menopause is an indication that you are ageing. This is not supposed to be a time to relax, but a time to make yourself available to God and His work. There is also a lifestyle expected of older women in God’s household. Below are some of the things you can do to make this stage of your life exciting and fulfilling.

  1. Be a good example to younger women (Titus 2:3).
  2. Teach younger women things that will help them in their lives and families (Titus 2:3-5).
  3. Avoid idleness (I Timothy 5:5,6,9,13,14). As you grow older, you may have more time at your disposal, being freed from nursing and childcare. You could take up a suitable job (paid or unpaid) and intensify your effort in spiritual service or activities.
  4. Be another Anna (Luke 2:36-38; I Timothy 5:5). Devote more time to prayer and intercession. This is a rewarding task and you will be joyful to see the results of your prayer.

If Jesus tarries, everyone of us will enter menopause. As believers, every stage of our lives should be fruitful no matter the challenges. Depend on God for grace and He will surely support you. There is nothing to fear for those who put their trust in the Lord. Like MountZion, they shall never be moved.