Menopause and the African woman

Dental health and hygiene become a concern as women get older. Here are some of the effects menopause can have on your oral health:

1. Dry Mouth:
Dry mouth, or xerostomia, affects about 25% of menopausal women. Aging across the board results in a decrease in saliva flow, and lower levels of estrogen likewise cause decreased saliva production.

2. Burning Mouth:
Burning mouth syndrome (BMS), also known as glossodynia or stomatodynia, affects menopausal women seven times more than it affects men. Burning mouth is described as a burning sensation affecting different areas of the oral cavity, including the tongue, palate, lips and areas of denture support.

3. Tooth Crowding and Loss:
Menopause affects the density of bones throughout the body, including the jawbone, thereby reducing the stronghold the jaw has on teeth.

4. Swollen, irritated gums:
When your hormone levels change, your gums can get swollen and irritated. During these hormonal changes, your gums may be more susceptible to bleeding, because your body's immune systems is more sensitive than usual. This can cause inflammation (redness, swelling and sometimes pain) in the gums.

5. Tooth Decay and Gum Disease:
The many hormonal changes that take place during menopause make the teeth and gums more susceptible to plaque. This leads to a much higher risk for tooth decay, gingivitis (gum inflammation) and advanced gum disease.

Intentionality is key to achieving results; consistency is an essential tool for success.

As a community, we have continued to encourage consistent lifestyle changes as we go through this phase of womanhood.

Fruits Tuesday is one way we encourage consistency.

Another leg of the Menopausal Community Support Initiative is to be a source of encouragement to women and our immediate community in general.

As a result, we carried out an outreach where we provided food packs to women in need.

Sharing knowledge is essential for societal growth. It enables learning, innovation, and problem-solving, thereby contributing to a more enlightened and interconnected society.

Menopausal Community Support Initiative is committed to sharing knowledge on ways to make the menopausal woman a more self-aware, confident and cheerful woman.

Captured in pictures is a highlight of our recent engagement session where we shared knowledge about menopause with a cross-section of attentive and inquisitive women.

Community Engagement:

What is your most intense menopausal symptom?

Let's share together.

You Can Track Your Water Intake

Some of these smartphone-based apps on your PlayStore or Apple Store can remind you every few hours to have a drink of water and you just tick them off as you drink.

It can also give you a good idea of how much water you have drank during the day.

MENOPAUSE FATIGUE

• Menopause related fatigue is a potential symptom of menopause. It ranges from very mild to very severe. It is such that the percentage of occurrence increases with age.

• Research shows that 19.7% of women who are not yet in menopause experience this problem, about 45.5% experience it during the menopause transition period, while in the post menopausal period, about 85% of women experience menopause fatigue.

Menopausal Community Support Initiative is a social community of women in the phases of peri-menopause, menopause and post-menopause.

The community, an offspring of a idea incubated off the bounce of personal experiences, is strategically designed to educate, enlighten and provide support for women in the difficult waters of menopause.

Our activities are carefully drafted and religiously followed. Our lecture sessions are very detailed. Our support for each other is sacrosanct. All of these cumulate into the good reports we get which encourages us to keep going.

Hence, we encourage, if you experience something, say something.

Menopausal symptoms are real. Hence, consistent and intentional life style changes are very important.

Here at Menopausal Community, we've identified some which have proven to be very effective; one of which is our water therapy for every Monday.

It's another Monday, take water, water more water, and even more water.

It is common to experience lapses in memory and concentration during the early and middle stages of menopause. This menopausal memory & concentration loss can be alarming.

Around 60% of women in menopause or perimenopause report feeling like they’re in a “brain fog".

However, memory travelling helps to reactivate your memory senses.

HOT FLUSHES

Hot flushes is a very common feature of menopause and it is a sensation of intense heat that starts slowly and build up usually starting from the lower part of the body and rises up, then stays for a short while, resolves and then happen again and again. This sensation is very disturbing and can be a common cause of poor sleep when it happens at night leading to insomnia.

Also, it usually comes during stressful and tensed up situation. And, it is also as a result of the reduction in estrogen levels through out the menopause transition level.

To ameliorate the effect of hot flushes, one can:

1. Improve the environment cool and well ventilated.

2. Diet modification especially those with the tendencies of increasing body temperature like spicy food, smoking, high fat diet, alcohol, high sugar diet, etc.

3. Good consumption of soya bean based food.

How do I Calm my Anxiety?

Here are a few tips for taking action when anxiety strikes.

• Avoid caffeine. Caffeine is well-known as an anxiety inducer.

• Avoid alcohol.

• Write it out.

• Talk to someone.

• Use positive affirmations.

• Walk it off.

• Drink water.

THE EFFECT OF MENOPAUSE ON THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

All major changes experienced by the menopausal woman is as a result of the dwindling effect of estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen in particular is responsible for keeping the activities that goes on in a woman, like the general appearance, the mood, the feminine look, etc.

The very noticeable effect is on the ovaries, the organ that produces estrogen. At menopause, the ovaries reduce significantly. Also, the uterus reduces in size at menopause.

For the reproductive system, from the early period, there is a reduction in the epithelium which makes the va**na a bit more reddish because the underlying blood vessels are now too close to the surface as a result of atrophy of the epithelium.

Moving on, the va**na becomes thinner or flat. Also, secretion reduces thereby making the va**na dry. In some cases, itching is also experienced as a result of atrophic vaginitis. This atrophic vaginitis can also affect the urinary system thereby increasing the urinary pH of the woman and increased urinary frequency.

The changes also affect the pelvic muscles so that the tone of the pelvic musculature becomes very lax and no longer firm like it used to be. The result of this is that, the suspending effect of the pelvic muscles in the pelvic organ is lost.

We continue to encourage adequate hydration. In line with that, our in-house Monday activity (Water Therapy) is strategic, as we begin the new week with intake of fresh water which goes a long way to help ease menopausal symptoms.

THE DANGER ASSOCIATED WITH THE ABUSE OF VITAMINS SUPPLEMENT.

Dr. AMOS, AAG,
Consultant, Menopausal Community Support Initiative

This is to draw the attention of the members of the community and the general public to the danger inherent in the abuse of vitamin supplements. I will give a case scenario to elucidate my submission.

Mr. EA, a 50y/o man with recurrent numbness of his feet for 5 months had no medical or surgical history of significance. He's not a known diabetic or hypertensive and he's not known to have peptic ulcer disease. However, he routinely takes vitamin Bco and blood tonics. This, he does for over 1 year before the onset of symptoms. He neither smokes ci******es nor takes alcoholic beverages.

Routine investigations were ordered to corroborate his claims not to have some of the chronic diseases itemized previously and the results of the investigations were found to be essentially normal.

Mr. EA was told that his symptom was a result of the vitamin supplements and blood tonics he abused. He contested the opinion of the physician. Nevertheless, he gave a shot to the doctor's recommendation to stop taking the vitamin supplements and the blood tonic he was on. Within 4 weeks, the numbness subsided spontaneously.

While Vitamin supplements are routinely prescribed to manage medical conditions such as anemia and peripheral neuropathy, the abuse of these vitamin supplements can cause peripheral neuropathy as it was in the case of Mr. EA above.

Peripheral neuropathy is the disturbance in the sensation of some parts of the body such as the feet or palms in response to stimuli. It is characterized by numbness, peppery sensation, and pin and needle sensation of the affected body parts. There are several causes of peripheral neuropathy. Some common causes are diabetes mellitus, systemic arterial hypertension, chronic alcoholism, smoking, vascular disease, Vitamin B6 toxicity, and Vitamin B12 deficiency.

Any individual who has the habit of using vitamin supplements, especially on self-prescription is at risk of Vitamin B6 toxicity which is implicated in peripheral neuropathy as was in the case of Mr EA.

Please, stay away from vitamin supplements unless it is requisite to use them.

Spread the message.

The smiles tell the story of a community of exciting and beautiful women bonded together in one cause.

CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTATION IN WOMEN AT MENOPAUSE: WHO BENEFITS FROM THIS?

Dr. AMOS, AAG,
Consultant, Menopausal Community Support Initiative

Menopause is a state in a woman that is characterized by cessation of menstruation due to loss of ovarian follicular and hormonal function. There are various forms of menopause viz natural menopause, surgical or iatrogenic menopause, and premature menopause.

Natural menopause is the commonest that every woman will experience when they undergo a transition from their reproductive phase of life to a nonreproductive phase. It is preceded by a period of progressive loss of ovarian follicular and hormonal function characterized by menstrual irregularity with other associations. This period that precedes natural menopause is called peri-menopause or climacteric. It lasts for a period of 1 or more years before the complete cessation of menstruation. Natural menopause is diagnosed when there is failure of menstruation for at least one year in a woman and this occurs between 45 and 55 years of life.

Surgical menopause is the cessation of menstruation in a woman whose normally functional ovaries are removed surgically. Normally functional ovaries can be removed in cases of severe endometriosis, in certain cancers, such as endometrial or cervical cancer, or the cure for uterine fibroids (hysterectomy). Iatrogenic menopause occurs following chemotherapy or radiotherapy for certain cancers.

Premature menopause occurs before 40 years of age. Certain conditions are responsible for premature menopause such as Turner's syndrome, family history of premature menopause, iatrogenic or surgical interventions, enzyme disorders (enzymopathies) such as occurs in Galactosemia and deficiency of some enzymes that play roles in reproductive hormone synthesis; tuberculosis, mumps, varicella zoster infection and even malaria.

Menopause is associated with a low level of estrogen, a very important hormone in reproduction. Four major oestrogen exist namely, estrone, estradiol, estriol, and estetrol. However, estradiol is the only form of estrogen that is responsible for the maintenance of the menstrual or reproductive cycle of a woman in her reproductive phase of life besides other hormones. It plays a very crucial role in bone metabolism or mineralization, maintenance of the level of calcium in bones, enhancing the activity of bone-forming cells (osteoblasts), and inhibition of the activity of bone-destroying cells (osteoclasts). Estradiol, in a nutshell, helps to maintain the bone mineral density of a woman during her reproductive years.

At menopause, the level of estradiol drops significantly such that its effect on bone mineralization is lost. The effect is felt after over 10 years of menopause and usually at 20 years post-menopause. At this stage, there is a progressive loss of bone mineral density with an increased predisposition to fracture.

Studies have shown that calcium supplementation in post-menopausal women has no significant role until they are at least 20 years post-menopausal or when there is a history of fracture before menopause in which case calcium supplementation can be started in the early years of menopause.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that calcium supplementation is not necessary in the early years of menopause except if there is a history of fracture before menopause in which case it is advisable to start calcium supplementation in the early years of menopause.

You can save your money for when you are at least 10 years post menopause to start calcium supplementation which is actually when it is needed.

GO NATURAL - NO SIDE EFFECTS

Here at Menopausal Community Support Initiative, we encourage herbal remedies that we have tested and found to be effective.

Hence, if you love drinking tea, see below a list of leaves which you can convert to tea and you will reap a great deal of benefits from them. You will also be saving money buying tea bags that doesn't add as much nutrients as these natural herbs.

Try them and give us a feedback on your observation.

1. MANGO LEAVES:
Pluck 3 to 4pcs (leaves) drop them in a cup of hot water or boil for 2 mins and drink. It is an excellent tea as it helps strengthen the nervous system.

2.. GUAVA LEAVES:
It is full of power and strength, it supplies real time energy also full of antioxidants.

3. AVOCADO LEAVES:
Just as Avocado is one of the healthiest foods on earth, the tea brewed from its leaves is also a super healthy drink.

4. MORINGA LEAVES:
Pluck the leaves, make green tea from it. The tea helps take care of your system.

MYTH VS FACT

Myth:
You shouldn't eat fruits before sleeping. Some people contend that eating fruits before sleeping increases your blood sugar level. As your body does not have time to stabilise the blood sugar levels before you sleep, this can lead to weight gain.

Fact:
Your body does not shift from burning calories to storing them as fat when you fall asleep. You still burn calories to maintain your bodily functions. There is also no evidence to show that consuming fruits at certain times of the day varies weight gain.

There is substantial evidence, however, to show that eating 2 servings of fruit and a lot of vegetables throughout the day correlates to lower fat percentages and a decreased likelihood of weight gain. Substituting other foods for fruit and vegetables is one of the best things you can do if you want to lose weight. It is an efficient way to meet all your nutritional needs, all while having a balanced calorie intake.

AVOCADO FRUIT

Consuming Avocados has several health advantages. They are extremely healthy, containing over 20 different vitamins and minerals. They are high in fiber and healthy fats and low in carbohydrates. If you want to eat more healthy fats, Avocados are a good choice.

Two Health Benefits of Eating Avocado:

• Healthy Heart:
Studies report that avocado is cardio-protective because it reduces the risk of heart diseases. It reduces the levels of bad cholesterol and improves the levels of good cholesterol in the blood.

• Aids in Weight Loss:
Avocados are high in fiber content, which makes you feel fuller for longer after consuming it. This keeps you from consuming more calories and helps with balancing body weight.

l feel some pains in my knees while moving upstairs.

Expert Response: Try and be taking our Ginger and Turmeric solution. Alternatively, boil back of Pineapple and Gloves together and drink morning and evening. You can add Turmeric.