by Dr. Rosa Kincaid, MD
Recently, a distressed woman showed up at my office. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. She started by stating how tired she felt, usually feeling like a noon-time nap, yet tossing and turning at night – in a pool of sweat, unable to sleep. This very attractive 42 year old was unhappy about the way her clothes were fitting lately due to a bloating potbelly and sagging breasts. She felt very unattractive, which was really not such a big problem, as she had absolutely no libido.
“Ms. Jones” had already visited her gynecologist who had told her to “just deal with it.” The doctor’s medical advice was to purchase a hand held fan and hold it in front of her face whenever she experienced a hot flash. At this point, Mrs. Jones broke down in tears. She still was not sure of what was going on with her body and felt somewhat self-conscious whipping out that fan in certain social situations.
The fan represented loss of control and loss of youth. In our youth-oriented society, getting older can encourage feelings of diminished self-worth, depression and panic in women. No more mini skirts and stilettos, instead their wardrobe should include orthopedic shoes, oversized sweatshirts and Spanx. Yes, this young-looking woman was entering menopause.
This is the time of life where the production of sex hormones down regulate which can create physical and emotional imbalances that impose significant impact on any one individual. The feeling can be that a woman, “just doesn’t feel like herself.” She may not feel sexy, lovable or energized. She can feel happy in one moment and ready to give a flying kick to the face in the next.
An imbalance of sex hormones can also interfere with ones ability to remember recent information and difficulty on task focusing. Other physical symptoms include: hair loss, bone loss and conversion of muscle mass into fat. Obviously this is not something that a woman is really looking forward to especially when they are told there is nothing that can be done and that they should just “deal with it.”
By the way, this is not just a “woman thing.” Not only do men have to “deal with” women who are going through these changes but they also go through a hormonal change called “andropause.” An imbalance of the male hormone testosterone can cause, fatigue, loss of libido, hair loss, loss of lean muscle mass, atherosclerosis, and depression (probably due to all of those other losses.) Low testosterone levels can occur at any age in men who have been exposed to extremely stressful conditions.
The good news, especially for men is that in many instances the body can be encouraged to produce testosterone without the use of hormone replacement. Therefore, men who have had prostate cancer or have had their prostates removed can have balanced hormones with use of harmless supplements alone.
So living a long life is a wonderful thing. But remember, quality is better than quantity. A balanced life lends to wellness, fulfillment and a God-given sense of purpose. To learn more, contact Kincaid Medical Associates at 314-531-0008 or visit www.drrosakincaid.com.