Menopause

While many women can go through menopause with very little discomfort, some will have a very rough time for what seems like forever. While there is nothing you can do to prevent menopause, there are ways to cope with the discomfort and make your life more bearable, if not pleasant.

Since insomnia is a concern for some, here are a few tips that work for many women at home. Never use your bedroom for anything other than to go to bed because in essence you are retraining your body to associate bed with sleep. Do not use it for reading, watching television or anything but sleep. You may also want to trade in your flannel pajamas for a lightweight pair of cotton pajamas or something else that's loose fitting. Keeping a fan next to your headboard will help with night sweats.

In addition, if you are not working and feel tired during the day from lack of sleep the previous night, then take a nap. While it's important to keep your body in a pattern, there is no harm in napping if you feel you need more rest. This is especially important if you work and need to work in the morning. Avoid anything with caffeine before retiring for the night.

Keeping the temperature cooler in your home will help with the hot flashes as well as keeping plenty of cold water available. If you feel that you are having mood swings or are suffering from depression, do not hesitate to seek medical advice. Many women feel strongly about not wanting medication, but a short-term dose of mild antidepressants may be needed just to get you through a rough period.

If you work outside of your home, you may have some concerns on the job as well. This is an instance where antidepressants or other supplemental therapy may be a good choice if depression is an issue. If there is one thing more you don't need to deal with, it is problems on the job. If you have friends at work, talk to them and explain what you are going through so they don't take offense if you are not in a "good mood" every day.

Again, try to wear loose fitting, cotton clothing at work while still maintaining their dress code, if one exists. One concern of menopause that isn't spoken of often is that our eyes dry out very easily now. If you wear contact lenses to work, you may wish to wear them occasionally rather than every day. Try putting more omega-3 fatty acids in your daily diet by eating more fatty fish, walnuts, flaxseed or canola oil. Bring some healthy snacks with you to work to keep up your energy.

You may wish to bring a sort of "emergency kit" with you to work. A bottle of fresh juice or water, moist towelettes in case of hot flashes as well as a change of clothing. Most important to realize and let your coworkers know is that this is not a permanent thing. Things will eventually get back to normal. In the meantime, however, you can make sure you are as comfortable as possible.

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