awaken at night and can’t get back to sleep, but the evidence on this link is unclear.
If you have trouble sleeping, here are a few things that may help: Cut back on caffeine, especially before bedtime, and get some exercise every day. Try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, imagining a peaceful, sleepy scene, or progressive muscle relaxation. You can probably find relaxation tapes and books at your local bookstore.
Vaginal dryness
Studies also show that after menopause many women experience vaginal dryness and pain or discomfort with sexual intercourse. Researchers have linked the changes in vaginal cells they observe under a microscope with lower estrogen in women who experience this complaint.
With less estrogen, the tissue in and around the vagina becomes thinner, which could also cause discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse. In a study of more than 1,000 postmenopausal women, half reported problematic vaginal dryness, a third reported itching, and 40 percent of sexually active women reported painful intercourse.
Vaginal dryness becomes more of a problem over time. A study of nearly 5,000 Swedish women revealed that the highest rate of symptoms of vaginal dryness was 22 percent among women several years after menopause, compared with only 11 percent among premenopausal women.
Over-the-counter vaginal lubricants such as Astroglide or K-Y jelly can help with vaginal dryness. If they don’t do the trick, talk to your doctor about whether vaginal estrogen may be right for you.
Brittle bones
Estrogen helps maintain healthy bones, so it makes sense that the slowdown in estrogen production that occurs in menopause can be unwelcome news for your bones. According to the National Institute on Aging, women lose more bone than they replace during menopause. In time, this could result in weakened, brittle bones that are characteristic of osteoporosis. Your doctor can tell you if you should have a bone density test to gauge your risk of osteoporosis and can give you some tips on how to prevent or treat it.
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Is it menopause or aging?
Science is still trying to grapple with which symptoms are the result of menopause and which are signs of aging. For example, women may notice that they gain weight in their bellies around the time of menopause, but men also suffer from middle-aged spread. Is it hormones or is it simply that people’s metabolisms slow as they age or that many people don’t move around as much in middle age as they did in their 20s or 30s, while eating the same amount of food — or more?
Some women sail through menopause without a blip, while for others the physical symptoms — whether attributable to menopause itself or aging — can be pretty unpleasant at times. Getting plenty of exercise and eating a balanced diet can help you stay healthy and ease you into your later years. It may even lessen the severity of some menopausal symptoms. But if you feel overwhelmed and in need of some relief, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.