Perimenopause
Book - 2024
"Women approaching menopause start experiencing natural shifts in their bodies as early as the 30s. Perimenopause For Dummies explains what's going on, giving you all the information you need to reduce symptoms and navigate this life transition. You'll learn about changes in your weight, muscles, bladder, bones, and hormones. And you'll discover how to combat sleep loss, hot flashes, low libido and other pesky problems that herald the end of your fertility. Celebrate the new chapter in your life with this Dummies guide"--
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- Subjects
- Genres
- Self-help publications
Informational works - Published
-
Hoboken, NJ :
John Wiley & Sons, Inc
[2024]
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Item Description
- Includes index.
- Physical Description
- xiii, 298 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
- ISBN
- 9781394186884
- Introduction
- About This Book
- Foolish Assumptions
- Icons Used in This Book
- Beyond the Book
- Where to Go from Here
- Part 1. The Facts of Life at Perimenopause
- Chapter 1. Welcome to Perimenopause
- Understanding What Perimenopause Is
- Common Perimenopausal Symptoms
- Knowing if It's Perimenopause or Something Else
- Evaluating the causes of your symptoms
- Talking about your symptoms
- The Physical Changes in Perimenopause
- Calling in the Professionals
- Chapter 2. Getting Acquainted with Your Midlife Body
- Identifying Physical Changes of the Midlife Body
- Gaining weight and redistributing body fat
- Disappearing muscles
- Changing heart health, blood pressure, and cholesterol
- Battling Bone Loss
- The bladder that betrays you
- Dry skin and hair distribution changes
- Changes in the vagina and vulva
- Understanding Hormonal Changes in Perimenopause
- The Disappearing, Reappearing, and Surprising Period
- Dealing with Hormonal Instability
- Estrogen
- Progesterone
- Hot Flashes Coming and Going (and Coming)
- Weathering Mental and Emotional Changes
- Telling sadness from depression
- Handling perimenopausal anxiety
- Keeping Things Sexy Despite a Low Libido
- Getting Your Brain out of the Fog
- Chapter 3. Special Circumstances That Can Impact Perimenopause
- Recognizing How Diverse Health Journeys Can Affect Perimenopause
- Medical conditions
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Premature ovarian failure (POF)
- History of endometrial ablation
- High risk of breast and/or ovarian cancer
- Procedures
- Hysterectomy
- Ovary removal
- Chemotherapy or radiation therapy
- Chapter 4. Examining Genetic and Environmental Influences
- Your Individual History: Sleuthing Out Clues
- Looking at your menstrual and reproductive history
- Thinking about the menstrual cycles of your younger years
- Reflecting on your pregnancies
- Factoring in PMS
- Understanding endometriosis and fibroids
- Asking Your Loved Ones About Their Menopausal Transition
- Reviewing Your Personal Habits and Medical History
- Smoking
- Medications
- Medical conditions
- Alcohol intake
- Extreme weight fluctuation
- Surgeries
- Exercise habits
- Part 2. Hormone Fluctuations and their Impact in Perimenopause
- Chapter 5. Bleeding Is Such a Bother: Too Little, Too Much, Too Random
- Dealing with Menstrual Irregularity
- Evaluating Bleeding Patterns
- Skipped periods
- More frequent periods
- Heavier periods
- Lighter periods
- Longer periods
- Surprise periods
- No periods
- Bleeding patterns that require immediate attention
- Identifying the Causes of Perimenopausal Bleeding Patterns
- Anatomical changes
- Irregular ovulation
- Hormonal
- A combination of factors
- Correcting Various Bleeding Patterns
- Anatomical treatments
- Hormonal treatments
- Chapter 6. Hormonal Changes: Understanding the Swings of Perimenopause
- Understanding How Hormones Work During Your Reproductive Years
- Going through the average monthly cycle
- Changes to your menstrual cycle while you age
- Fluctuating Hormones and Missed Periods: The Possibility of Pregnancy
- Considering the Benefits of Birth Control
- Other forms of hormonal birth control
- Long-term reversible contraception
- Treating Perimenopause Symptoms with Hormones
- Focusing on progesterone
- Hormone therapies
- Menopausal hormone therapy
- Alternatives to Hormone Therapy
- Supplements
- Prescription medications
- Chapter 7. Holding onto Your Libido and Keeping It Comfortable "Down There"
- What Is Libido Anyway, and How Does It Work?
- How do I know if my libido is low?
- Talking to your doctor about sex
- Looking at the Factors That Can Mess with Your Libido
- Dropping estrogen levels
- Vaginal or genital pain syndromes
- General medical conditions
- Psychological and social factors
- Medications
- Bringing Your Sexy Back: Ways to Restart or Ramp Up the Libido
- Supplements
- Prescription medications
- Testosterone
- Specific Vaginal Pain Conditions
- Vulvodynia
- Vaginismus
- Part 3. Prioritizing Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Chapter 8. Brain Changes: What to Expect and what to Do When the Fog Rolls In
- What's Taken Over Your Brain?
- Nearly impossible multitasking
- Regulating body temperature
- Snoozing soundly - or not
- Dealing with forgetfulness
- Navigating mood shifts
- Improving Cognitive Function in Perimenopause and Beyond
- Chapter 9. Mental Health Changes: You're Not Imagining It
- Not Just in Your Head: Your Emotions Really Are "All Over the Place"
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Irritability
- Anger
- Addressing the Ups and Downs of Your Emotions
- Seeking counseling
- Self-calming with yoga and relaxation
- Checking out anger management
- Boosting endorphins by exercising
- Making time for mindfulness
- Prioritizing sleep
- Seeking out supplements
- Using medication to stabilize your moods
- Chapter 10. Looking After You: Practicing Self-Care
- Practicing Resilience
- Keeping a Positive Attitude
- Maintaining Healthy Boundaries
- Practicing Self-Awareness
- Keeping Inventory of Yourself
- Taking Care of You
- Cultivating calm amidst the storm
- Letting love in
- Opening your heart through meditation
- Taking Care of Yourself in the Workplace
- Flexible work arrangements: Finding balance amidst change
- Temperature control: Creating comfortable work environments
- Establishing open communication channels
- Chapter 11. The Elusive Full Night of Sleep
- Understanding Sleep during Perimenopause
- Identifying How Hormones Affect Sleep
- Hot flashes
- Insomnia
- Restless leg syndrome
- Sleep apnea
- Searching for the Holy Grail: More (and Better) Sleep
- Improving sleep hygiene
- Using supplements as sleep aids
- Improving sleep by using hormones
- Finding a nap app to send you to dreamland
- Using prescription sleep medications
- Trying over-the-counter sleep aids
- Seeking the help of a sleep specialist
- Part 4. Maintaining a Healthy Body
- Chapter 12. Managing a Bladder That Won't Behave
- Understanding the Normal Function of the Urinary Tract
- Midlife Bladder: Why Is This Happening Now?
- Evaluating Incontinence
- Stress incontinence
- Urge incontinence
- Mixed incontinence
- Overflow incontinence
- Seeking Treatment (and Relief!)
- Strengthening those pelvic muscles
- Surgery and procedures for stress incontinence
- Medications for overactive bladders
- Nerve stimulation
- Behavioral techniques for relieving your bladder symptoms
- Chapter 13. Maintaining a Healthy Diet Before Menopause
- Staying Healthy for Life
- Eating for the Change
- Keep your goals in mind
- Identifying social and emotional eating
- Getting the Right Mix of Nutrients
- Carbohydrates
- Proteins
- Fats
- Keeping Your Bones Strong
- Calcium
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin K, potassium, and magnesium
- Managing Weight
- Avoiding the insidious weight creep
- Following basic eating rules
- Chapter 14. Getting into an Exercise Plan Before Menopause
- Benefiting from Exercise
- Mental health
- Brain function
- Energy and sleep
- Making Exercise a Regular Habit
- Setting Midlife Exercise Goals
- Looking after your body and mind
- Incorporating weight and strength training
- Stretching those muscles
- Keeping Yourself on Balance
- Looking at Workout Intensity
- Sets and reps
- Using heart rate to choose an exercise option
- Getting Pumped with Strength Training Exercises
- Forearm plank
- Modified pushup
- Basic squat
- Chest fly
- Shoulder overhead press
- Triceps kickback
- Dumbbell pullovers
- Side leg lifts
- Single leg hamstring bridge
- Bird dog
- Chapter 15. Understanding and Preventing Bone Loss
- Bone Building, Growth, and Remodeling
- Regulating Bones with Hormones
- Personal Factors That Put Bones at Risk
- Your age
- Family history
- Your ethnicity
- Medications That Affect Bone Density
- Steroids
- Hormone-blocking drugs
- Diuretics
- Behaviors That Can Damage Your Bones
- Low activity level
- Smoking
- Vaping
- Alcohol use
- Music to Your Bones: Calcium and Vitamin D
- Upping your calcium intake
- With a little help from Vitamin D
- Chapter 16. Monitoring Your Health with Tests and Screenings
- Considering Vaccinations and Immunity
- Looking for Common Conditions
- Type 2 diabetes
- Depression
- Checking Your Organ Function
- Blood pressure
- Lipid panel
- Watching Out for Cancers
- Colorectal cancer
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Additional Screening Tests
- Part 5. The Part of Tens
- Chapter 17. Ten Perimenopause Myths Exposed
- You Can't Use Hormones When in Perimenopause
- Expect a Lower Sex Drive (and Less Satisfaction)
- Irregular Vaginal Bleeding Is a Danger Sign
- You Can't Have Menopausal Symptoms in Perimenopause
- Everyone Leaks Urine While They Age
- If You Maintain a Healthy Diet and Exercise, You Won't Gain Weight
- You Just Have to Wait it Out
- You Don't Need to See a Doctor Unless You Have a Big Problem
- You Need Blood Tests to Check Your Hormones
- Perimenopause Doesn't Happen Until You're Too Old to Have a Baby
- Chapter 18. Ten Things to Ignore During Perimenopause
- Women Who Say, "That Didn't Happen to Me!"
- Friends and Family Who Know What You Need to Do
- Advertisers Who Promise Miraculous Weight Loss
- Online Forums That Tell You to Ignore Your Doctor's Advice (and Follow Theirs)
- Ads That Make You Feel Bad about Your Age or Body
- Anyone Who Expects You to Sacrifice Yourself for Them
- Healthcare Professionals Who Don't Know Perimenopause
- Anyone Who Thinks You Have to Fit a Mold
- Anyone Who Says Depression or Anxiety Are Normal in Perimenopause
- Any Thoughts That Keep You from Seeking Professional Help
- Chapter 19. Ten Things You Really Need During Perimenopause
- Reliable, Accurate Information
- Outlets for Pleasure and Relaxation
- A Regular Good Night's Sleep
- A Good Listener
- A Trustworthy Healthcare Provider
- A Healthy Eating Plan
- A Plan to Maintain Strong Bones
- A List (and a Schedule) of Recommended Health Screenings
- A Sunproof Skincare Routine
- A (Realistic) Plan to Keep Your Body Moving
- Chapter 20. Ten Perimenopause Stories from My Practice
- When Polyps Are the Problem
- Relieving Hot Flashes and Depressive Symptoms
- When Supplements Wreak Havoc
- Hot Flashes Don't Always Require Hormone Therapy
- Estrogen Patches to the Rescue
- Discontinuing Hormones in Favor of Other Solutions
- Evaluating a Patient for Perimenopause
- Considering Testosterone
- Detecting Precancerous Cells
- Treatment Options with a Family Breast Cancer History
- Part 6. Appendixes
- Appendix A. Glossary
- Appendix B. Perimenopause Resources
- Index