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Show Sunday, October Doctors 'Break f he Silence' A woman's overall health experiences change at midlife. As estrogen levels decline during menopause, many organs in the body including the vagina, uterus, bladder and bones are affected, often causing symptoms to develop. Approximately 75 percent of all menopausal women experience hot flashes, night sweats and other vasomotor symptoms. Vaginal dryness is one of the most common problems experienced by up to 25 percent of postmenopausal wam- - Menopause topic of health seminar Editor's note: Mary Beard will speak in Salt Lake at the Hilton at 7p.m. on Oct. 22 at a free public women 's health seminar entitled ' 'Breaking the 'Silence. " For in formation; call 321-349- 9. ; By Mary K. Beard, M.D. Author and physician Menopause is no longer considered the end of a productive life. Today, tyoijien are looking at their midlife as a time for new opportunities. The more than 40 million women in the U.S. in the menopausal age range are living longer, with almost half of their adult life ahead of them. Therefore, good nutrition, including a diet adequate in calcium, and exercise play an important role for staying healthy. For relief of menopausal symptoms and prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis, physicians of- ten recommend estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). ERT is available in different forms, including pills, injections and the most recently developed treatment option, an estrogen skin patch. Creams may be used locally to en. treat vaginal dryness. In addition, more than 20 milWomen now feel comfortable lion American women suffer from talking about menopause and are postmenopausal osteoporosis, or anxious to learn more about their the thinning of bone tissue. health at midlife. Doctors are the As part of the aging process, best source of accurate informametabolism slows down, causing tion about the effects and treatthe body to burn fewer calories. As ments of menopause, and how to a result, some women may also lead a healthy and productive life experience a slight weight gain. through the menopausal years. Thinning bones make skeleton weak Charles H. Chesnut, M.D. Research center director By nies the menopalse can result in significant loss of bone content and - PostmenoSEATTLE, WA. pausal osteoporosis is a public health problem with serious impact on our society. It is the most common bone, disorder in the world, afflicting more than 20 million American women. Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a disorder characterized by a thinning of bone tissue, causing the body skeleton to become weak, brittle and susceptible to fractures. Up to 20 percent of women who suffer hip fractures will die within one year as a result of complications. Most women only start to think about osteoporosis when they begin to lose height, develop the "dowager's hump" or have friends and family who have fallen and broken a hip. But the time to notice and take action begins several decades earlier. There is much that women can do to protect themselves from developing osteoporosis. Women must become aware of the main risk factors. For example, the estrogen deficiency that accompa Symptoms Women retreat to deal caused her with menopause, 'aging' to think she small-frame- d; rassment. Where were they in life? At a tightly as the sleeping bags they time to say, "Oh men, oh pause," a lugged to the weekend retreat said Maureen Gentry, 50, of IrBy RUTH JACOBOWITZ for women leaving pajama party of vine, Calif. the childbearing years. "Managing Your Menopause" Gentry exploited her humor, When it ended, ths women at the laughter she winking I One night, when was approxi-matelhugged like sktery forming a C'fthe evening ended, 50 years old, I awoke from cle in the main room of the rustic she revealed a truer picture of hera sound sleep at 3 a.m. cabin. Swaying and singing, their self: She had made a round trip to I was sweating and felt n faces lighted by a flickering votive Price's cabin the weekend before and disoriented. I could candle, they clung to the moment. "just to make sure I knew where I not fall back to sleep. The song ended, leaving a siwas going. ... Now I am trying to I didn't think of menopause at lence filled with yearning. be less controlled, more independSome were married: wives and all, let alone consider it as the ent." cause. mothers who feared they drew too She did not leave her family I had undergone a hysterectomy much of their from carwith detailed instructions for her and had my uterus removed when I ing for others. Some were angle: absence. She is working on trustwas in my early 40s. grandmothers who feared alone-nes- s ing herself and others. With the removal of my uterus, I after shedding abusive husost the usual telltale sign of menobands or being cast aside by men Trust, relationships, respect for who chose to age with younger themselves soon formed the core pause: cessation of my periods. After several weeks of sufferwomen. of discussions. Almost all the women were oldThe physical symptoms of mening, and unable to cope, I went to a new doctor. He prescribed several er than 50. Menopause, they said, opause got scant attention. made them aware of their age, sleeping pills and tranquilizer remPrice sent the women to bed to think about why they resist pausing edies, thinking my symptoms were made them feel old.. "all in my head." They did not "We are red-hmamas," Price taking stock of where they are work. The hot flashes, the night said as they gathered on a Friday and what they have accomplished. sweats, palpitations, sleeplessness evening. "We are pausing to feel "Tell yourself, 'I deserve to .and depression continued to disour age. We are honoring our pause, I will pause,'" Price said. turb my personal life and career. womanhood, celebrating our "Happiness is feeling good about yourself." Finally, I sought the advice of age." About 2 a.m., Lynne Lawrence, Price, 56, a Laguna Beach. Calmy associate and friend, Dr. Wulf Utian. if., psychologist, has focused on 48, of Orange, Calif., couldn't get After conducting several tests. women's life transitions. She be- back to sleep. Dr. Utian assured me that I was not lieves in caring for the body as well For the first time in seven years, I but the as her that lithe was had turned over her beeper to she lean, mind, crazy, pushing experiencing the signs of menopause frame to excel and endure. an employee and taken 24 hours The retreat at her lake off. Taking time and letting go are Menopause? It never occurred to me or the first physician I concabin grew out of weekly support two different things. sulted that I could be menopausal. She carried her journal to the group meetings that Price conI was educated, surrounded by ducts. patio where some of the women The retreat was about banishing and working in the medical comslept outdoors. Moonlight dodged 1 couldn't fears about aging, learning to fly the pine needles and spilled across Since it munity. figure out, I realized other women may into the future. "You came 100 her journal pages: miles to learn more about yourbe suffering needlessly too. "I've resisted pausing because I While working with Dr. Utian, self," she said, and read a poem: feel driven to keep up the pace I've we began to discuss how we could "Come fly with me beyond the set for myself," Lawrence wrote. inform women about how they can stars, beyond our fears, where an- "... I deserve to pause because take an active approach to their gels are." I've worked very hard I've suchealth care. But angels don't have hot ceeded in the eyes of the rest of the Those bottles of unused tranflashes, mood swings and night world why haven't I succeeded in my own eyes?" quilizers in my medicine cabinet sweats. made me vow, because of my exJane Fonda's workout tape spun Angels don't get depressed at in the boom box the next morning. perience, to help educate other gray hair and wrinkles. Co-auth- y panic-stricke- self-wor-th . 24-ho- ur apy. Herald File Art women about managing midlife. This happened 10 years ago , iThe meno-papser- ih -- se oste- -- and the maturation and cyclic function of sex organs (such as regulation of menstruation and vaginal tone). Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) can be delivered via pills, injection many routes and via the most recently developed technology, the transdermal skin patch. Estraderm, (estradiol transdermal system), is a transdermal esskin patch containing ovarian the tradiol, primary 17-be- ta hor-.mon- con- sisted of stereotying the "crazy woman" (Edith Bunker). Only today, in the 1990s, have Facts: Menopause, osteoporosis and estrogen developing postmenopausal osteoporosis. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, women at highest risk include those who are Asian or Caucasian, thin and small framed, have an early menopause, are physically inactive, smoke or have an excessive jjefircease.e all intake of alcohol or caffeine, of ."i;Seyenty-fivpercent menopausal women experience have a low intake of calcium or have family members who sufhp! flashes, night sweats and othfered frequent bone fractures. er I'a&frfotor symptoms. Fifteen to 20 percent will Estrogen replacement therabegin experiencing hot flashes py (ERT) is the single most effective agent for the prevention and night sweats during the time of irregular peof postmenopausal osteoporosis. riods before the menopause. Up to 20 percent of women Hot flashes elevate skin temwho suffer from hip fractures perature and increase pluse rate will die from associated compli10 to 15 percent. The flash usualcations within one year, making six but lasts three to minutes, ly osteoporosis the 12th leading can last up to an hour. cause of death in women. due to Painful intercourse The yearly direct cost of is one of the oporosis-related fractures is up vaginal dryness most common problems experito $10 billion, with the majority enced by up to 25 percent of of costs associated with hip fractures and resulting complicapostmenopausal women. tions. . - POSTMENOPAUSAL ' OSTEOPOROSIS ESTROGEN Postmenopausal osteoporosis Estrogen, a hormone that oriis the most common skeletal disginates in the ovaries, functions order in the world, afflicting to develop and maintain secondmore than 20 million American ary female sex characteristics women. (such as hreast shape and size), A dozen women carried their fears up the mountain, rolled up as ot probably strength, especially during the first seven years after menstruation stops. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, women at highest risk include those who are Asian or Caucasian; are thin and have an early menoare pause; physically inactive; smoke or have an excessive intake of alcolol or caffeine; have a low intake of calcium; and have family members Who suffered frequent bone fractures. Women can protect themselves from developing osteoporosis. Good habits that begin early in life can do much to help minimize the risk of its development. For example, physicians often recommend that women maintain a diet rich in calcium and encourage them to exercise regularly. However, studies have shown that calcium and exerise are not enough. The only proven preventive or postmenopausal osteoporosis is estrogen replacement ther- One of every two women over the age of 50 is at risk of Initially, the women balked at the angel concept, nervous laughter and jokes covering their embar- By JANE GLENN HAAS Orange County Register was crazy when menopause in the media MENOPAUSE .More than 40 million women in theU.S,! are in the menopausal age grange. Each day, an additional 3, 500 women become menopausal. average age at the U.S. is 51.4 years. Menopause marks the time in a voi5anT-- s life when menstrual Page F7 THE HERALD, Provo, Utah, 11, 1992 e. When considering any estrogen therapy, it is important to balance the risks against the proven benefits. As with any medication, estrogen replacement therapy may not be advisable for all women. When considering any estrogen therapy, it is important to balance the risks against the proven benefits. For example, pregnant women should not use estrogen theLayy. Also, estrogen therapy has been associated with an increased risk of uterine cancer. And women should tell their doctor if they have had cancer of the breast or ut erus, unusual vaginal bleeding, abnormal blood clotting or any cardiovascular disease. The most common side effect of the patch is skin irritation. CHERRY fflLL BARN BOUTIQUE we .as a society begun to realize a menopause for what it truly is natural part of the aging cycle that can be controlled and man- 10 It's been a tradition now, for ten years. So hitch up your wagon and drive on over to the Cherry Hill Boutique. There will be bushels of handmade treasures, barrels of homemade goodies and bales of fun! So come for the harvest Thursday, October 15 Admission $1.00 HAY!!! aged. What did it take for me to feel as in control during menopause as I did during any other time of my life? It took a full knowledge about menopause as it pertained to me, a rededication to my healthy diet and exercise lifestyle and, most impor- 2:00 - 7:00 Info Friday, October 16 12:00 - 7:00 tantly, an estrogen skin patch which prevented my menopausal symptoms from ever recurring. Takinc control is wht is really control of your mind important and control of your body. What happened to me should not happen to any woman, anywhere! & Directions Marsha Powers (801) 756-382- 3 Cheryl Burke Saturday, October 17 (801) 571-550- 4 10:00 - 6:30 Cherry Hill Farm is 1 mile south of 12th. South on Geneva Road, Orem Ten Years of Friends and Fun at the Cherry Hill Barn Boutique Sale Starts Monday October 12th and ends Saturday October 17th Halloween TTT A C Trwl 1 3 Heart I Shadow Box 11 11 $1499 " 0 1 Sug. Price $26.25 199 Brush Basin 1 G SBSL) PLiin I'MS TiFFETI so- 477 P OMR Si QUILTERS LARSE THOTMKS .149 I REG. 2.99 LULK 50H 100PK STUFFIKB el inixiTniuunai 69 FLEECE Shipment 1" Sou.my met... 185 I L VELVETS 60" 1 Week Only fl", 5T) Us Km FUMEL MM Q44 U YD. nans Matt OLFA PBODUCTS WS.OO SINGED 1022 1S FREE ARM PATTERNS Min. PurchiM Button Holes Appliques : Blades Cutters MeCllll Buttirick Simplicity 3 OFF BED PILLOWS Qu9ee0n 22 siitchas SIIBEI 9022 UUI IFF Fitelrm Built In Buttnmisr San Tricot UDiiln 159" r-- v. OKI 0 on uu SPY , iiinkv Ghosts 209" irk LJ W2- - IN Sug. Price $37.50 0. Low Melt Glue Pot $499 UPHOLSTERY YD. Sug. Price Sug Price $6.59 rtC (mm urnmi TOT $449 $399 $5.49 Sug Price InPiiniedTood All All All Silk Delta Stencils Halloween Flowers & Greenery Bells $15-4- 0. Selected Dried Flowers 25off 30off 25off 25off Come to our fall open house, Sat, 17th from 10am to 4pm No Need To Register All quantities limited to stock on hand Restrictions may apply |