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Health Issues Related to Mid-Life

Andropause | Arthritis | Breast Health/Cancer | Early Menopause | Heart Health | Hormone Therapy | Incontinence | Insomnia | Mood Disorders/Depression | Osteoporosis | Perimenopause/Menopause | Sexuality

also off-site: Menopartners: The Guy's Guide to Surviving Menopause


Andropause (a.k.a. the Male Menopause):

Fact, or just an excuse to buy a little red sports car? Well, the male climacteric is indeed a fact. The male midlife experience generally covers the years between thirty-five and sixty-five. Complaints parallel those of midlife women—sleep disturbance, physical and emotional changes, lower sex drive, lack of physical energy and mental sharpness. Gail Sheehy coined the phrase "manopause" in her book Understanding Men's Passages. "Men don't stop being fertile, but there is a pause in their vitality and virility." (Sheehy, G. quoted in "Mind over Manliness," by Sharon Doyle Driedger, Maclean's (June 8, 1988):21. Take the quiz at the Canadian Andropause Society to find out if your male partner/friend is in the midst of a male menopause!



Arthritis:

Have you progressed from caring whether the government legalizes the smoking of joints to just wanting the ones in your body to stop aching? Do you have painful, stiff or swollen joints? You may have one of the more than 100 forms of arthritis or rheumatic disorders. The term arthritis actually means inflammation. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are two of the most common forms of arthritis that may plague us as we age. To find out more follow the links:



Breast Health/Cancer:

Women often ignore taking care of breast health until we have an unsettling experience with unusual pain, detect a lump or have a friend find out she has breast cancer. A woman's lifetime risk of breast cancer is one in nine. Our own breast health is our responsibility from puberty on. We must be diligent in our efforts to ensure overall health and wellbeing, including the health of our breasts. Check out these links for information about Breast Self Examination (BSE), mammograms, reducing your risk of cancer, early detection, and treatment options.



Early Menopause:

Premature (or early) menopause is arbitrarily set at 40 years of age, meaning that menopause is considered within the normal range after the age of 40, but premature if it occurs before age 40. Early menopause can occur naturally, or be due to premature ovarian failure, surgery such as hysterectomy or oophorectomy, cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation, autoimmune disorders, etc:



Heart Health:

An apple a day keeps the doctor away—would it also keep a heart surgeon away? Enjoy healthy foods, know your cholesterol and blood pressure numbers, give yourself permission to relax—these priorities will give you a good start on the road to a healthy heart. Start out slowly, making life-enhancing choices gradually. Get a little more physical activity into your daily schedule and cut down on your stress levels. Check out these websites for help and encouragement to make positive changes:



Hormone Therapy:

Hormone therapy (HT) is also known as hormone replacement therapy or HRT. It is a hormone treatment prescribed by a doctor. HT is given to some women to counter the lower levels of oestrogen and progesterone that happen naturally at the beginning of menopause.



Incontinence:

One of the many glamours of declining estrogen levels is that the muscles that hold urine in the bladder get weaker and thinner. This is one of the causes of involuntary loss of urine. It is estimated that 30 to 40% of women over forty are affected yet only about 12% seek treatment for this treatable condition. Ladies, we don't have to put up with leaking when we laugh, sneeze or put the key in the door. Check out these links:



Insomnia:

If you lay awake at night wondering about insomnia—what the cause is, who is affected, and what treatments there are—you'll want to click on the links below. Fatigue related to insomnia can affect the quality of your life, your relationships and your job. Regular exercise, diet, and routines can help you sleep better and wake up refreshed.



Mood Disorders/Depression:

"Am I losing my mind?" is a question commonly asked by women as they progress into menopause—mood disorders are twice as prevalent in women as in men. None of us like it when we're happy one moment, and secluded in our room sobbing that no one loves or understands us the next . And we don't want to expose our loved ones to this every day. Check out the links below and the books listed on our book list page—they can help confirm to each of us that we're just like thousands of other women going through this same phase and that there is something we can do to get off the "mood swing" roller coaster.



Osteoporosis:

There are a number of things you can do to keep 'dem bones' from becoming brittle and fragile leading to fractures and shrinking with age. Osteoporosis is a silent condition that is not usually noticed until a break occurs, so the earlier you increase your intake of dairy products, increase physical activity, reduce alcohol consumption and quit smoking, the better. One of the major risk factors is a family history of osteoporotic fracture which in combination with other risk factors could mean you should be assessed for osteoporosis. Check out the following for further information:



Perimenopause:

Perimenopause, also known as the climacteric, is a transition—a period of a womans' life when physical and psychological changes (symptoms) indicate the approach of the end of her reproductive capacity. It begins with a variation in menstrual cycle length around the age of 47.5 years of age and ends with the final menstrual period, lasting approximately four years for most women, although some 10% of women stop menstruating abruptly. About 80 % of women will have relatively mild, infrequent or hardly noticeable symptoms. Some women will experience symptoms that turn their world upside down.



Sexuality:

"Many people assume that getting older will affect their sex lives—for the worse. When women reach menopause, estrogen levels drop, leading to vaginal dryness and thinning of the vaginal wall that can make sex uncomfortable. Older women are also at higher risk for a range of illnesses that can impact sexual performance and interest, from arthritis and rheumatism to high blood pressure and heart disease. However, there is no good reason why we can’t remain sexual beings throughout our entire lives, as long as we remain healthy."* For more information, see:




phases of the moon