While making the journey from premenopause to menopause, I was one of the ‘lucky ones’ to experience dozens of seemingly unrelated symptoms. As I went from specialist to specialist, none of them connected the dots, leaving me scared and frustrated. Eventually, after much research, I discovered that most of these symptoms were actually hormone related. Here are some simple tips to help you find relief from specific symptoms.
One: sore breasts: bras are your friend
Even if you feel silly at first, wearing a comfortable bra that supports the weight of your breasts 24 hours a day will make you feel much more comfortable. Wearing a bra that is stretched out or one that is the wrong size can also contribute to your pain. Get ready for a supportive bra during the day, and maybe a sports bra at night.
Two: dry eyes – keep fans off
The wind can irritate the eyes. Even while you’re sleeping, a fan blowing on you can dry out your eyes, so you wake up with sticky eyelids.
Three: Back and Neck Pain – Get a Smaller Pocket
This is no joke. You may be dragging five to 10 pounds over your shoulder. If you are starting to experience shoulder/neck pain, try switching to a mini-pocket for a few weeks to see if it makes a difference. What does not fit can be carried with both hands. You’re dragging too much stuff anyway!
Four: Migraines – Eliminate Migraine Triggers
Migraines are often caused by external triggers that, once reduced or eliminated, can bring you immense relief. This list contains common migraine triggers. However, some of these items may not bother you, but others that are not on the list can give you a big headache. For example, I’ve gotten a migraine after sitting next to someone wearing a strong perfume or even eating vinegar salad dressing! When looking for these triggers, you need to think back to the last few hours before a headache started to figure out what might have triggered it. If you find a constant source, you can remove it. For example, the lanolin in hand cream can give me a migraine.
- be too tired
- Missed meals/allowing your blood sugar level to fluctuate
- Bright lights and/or loud noise
- MSG
- food
- Chocolate
- Red wine and other alcohols
- Foods with nitrates (bacon, cold cuts)
- moldy cheeses
Five: Skin Care – Petroleum Jelly
Use plain old Vaseline as a moisturizer for hands and elbows. I am very sensitive to chemicals, and after trying skin cream after skin cream, I found that Vaseline worked wonders on my elbows and hands. People think they have to spend a lot of money (on many ingredients…many of which do more harm than good), but the simple solutions mentioned above can really help.
Six: Vaginal Irritation – Fragrance Free
Scented sanitary pads, soap, laundry detergent, fabric softener, and even dryer sheets can irritate the vagina. Most products have a fragrance-free version. You can find unscented versions of Purex laundry detergent, Downy fabric softener, and All dryer sheets.
Weight gain (four tips)
Seven: Throw out the salt
It makes you retain water, causing swelling, increases high blood pressure, and contributes to excessive calcium loss, which increases the risk of osteoporosis. Unfortunately, salt is prevalent in so many processed foods. Adding it is like pouring gasoline on a fire. Learn how to use spices, instead, to flavor your food.
Eight: recognize the big lies
It’s a lie that all your problems will be solved if you were just skinny. Everybody has problems. Eating on top of them only distracts you with another problem… so now you have two problems. I used to diet and lose weight, only to find that as soon as I lost weight, I still had problems. And then, he would start eating again. Being slim and sane with food is giving you a level playing field with which to approach your life.
It’s a lie that if you can’t avoid bingeing on a certain food today, you can tomorrow. Okay, maybe not tomorrow. But chances are that over time, you’ll most likely find yourself out of control again.
Nine: Artificial sweeteners make you fat!
First of all, look at a pack of Sweet & Low. Do you notice something? The second ingredient is dextrose, which is just another name for sugar. Artificial sweeteners seem to be the mainstay of many female dieters. However, not only can it greatly increase cravings, it can also cause bloating. And this is apart from the other terrible health hazards of sweeteners like aspartame (NutraSweet), which is found in many diet products (especially soft drinks and chewing gum).
If you have uncontrollable cravings, try giving up artificial sweeteners for two weeks. I must warn you that withdrawal can be very uncomfortable. Women don’t realize how addictive these substances are. While you may feel like you can’t survive without the sweet taste of “something,” you’ll definitely find that foods like carrots and fruit will taste infinitely sweeter once your palate is clean. If you need any sweetener, try the herb Stevia instead. However, as with all non-FDA approved products, educate yourself. There is controversy even surrounding this natural sweetener.
Ten: No more alcohol
Alcohol is nothing more than refined flour and sugar. It is fermented from fruits or grains, or distilled from fruits or grains. It’s terrible for perimenopausal skin, not to mention what it does to your liver, etc. During perimenopause, you need to find ways to become more, not less, balanced and focused, and alcohol will definitely be weird.