Wellness Tips: Gynecologist Dr. Rena Takahashi – Positively Embracing Your Body from Menopause to Post-Menopause
Approximately 65% of women report experiencing menopausal symptoms starting in their 40s. Data also shows that over 80% of these women feel "stress to the extent that it interferes with their daily lives."
Although it is a natural physiological phenomenon that affects everyone, the ideal is to be able to live comfortably every day.
In this article, we interviewed Rena Takahashi, a former professional boxer, obstetrician and gynecologist, and director of Sanno Women's & Kids Clinic Omori, about the changes in women's bodies during menopause and post-menopause, and how to deal with them.
Instead of pushing through menopausal symptoms because they are not an illness, let's explore ways to maintain a comfortable mind and body together.
【Table of Contents】
・ Menopause: Timing and Symptoms Vary from Person to Person
・Preventive Measures with Your Gynecologist
・Menopause is a Preparation Period for Your Second Life
Menopause: Timing and Symptoms Vary from Person to Person
——We've been seeing the terms "pre-menopause" and "menopause" more frequently. Care for menopause is becoming a social issue from the perspective of women's empowerment. What exactly is the state of menopause?
By definition, menopause refers to the five years before and after the final menstrual period. Medically, menopause is determined when menstruation has stopped for one full year, so the timing of menopause varies from person to person. Therefore, it's actually only after menopause that one truly knows when their menopausal period was.
The mechanism of menopausal symptoms is due to the decline in ovarian function and a decrease in female hormone secretion after the age of 35. This leads to poor blood circulation, resulting in well-known menopausal symptoms such as cold hands and feet, hot flashes where the face and upper body feel hot, and headaches caused by stiff shoulders and neck. In the intimate area, symptoms include vaginal dryness causing itching and discomfort, and painful intercourse.
——While there are individual differences, what other menopausal symptoms are there?
The most common is hot flashes, but many people also experience joint pain and stiffness. Additionally, significant fluctuations in mood, such as increased irritability or, conversely, a tendency to feel down, are also major symptoms.
These symptoms can also be influenced by external factors, such as stress arising from issues like caring for elderly parents or childcare concerns, and their intensity will also vary.
Preventive Measures with Your Gynecologist
——Even when experiencing discomfort from menopausal symptoms, some people don't know how to cope and suffer in silence without being able to discuss it with anyone.
Since illnesses with symptoms similar to menopausal symptoms can occur, I urge you not to endure discomfort and to seek medical attention at a hospital. Fatigue and cold sensitivity can sometimes be due to adrenal fatigue syndrome or hypothyroidism.
Even if you consult a gynecologist, we first conduct a blood test to check for any internal medical conditions. Then, if menstruation has been absent for a year, we perform a hormone test to determine if it's menopausal symptoms. If there's sudden bleeding after more than six months of amenorrhea, we investigate if it's irregular bleeding due to endometrial cancer or other conditions, performing necessary tests.
——It's a bit reassuring to know that it's not a serious illness. If diagnosed with menopausal symptoms, what kind of treatment is usually performed?
If you are experiencing some kind of discomfort, and internal medical tests show no problems, other illnesses besides menopausal disorder have been ruled out, and you have menopausal symptoms, you can receive hormone replacement therapy (HRT) under health insurance.
However, some patients feel relieved by an acknowledgment of menopausal symptoms, while others do not want to acknowledge it, and some have a high psychological barrier to visiting a hospital. In such cases, we might observe the situation with herbal medicines or supplements.
If you have stiff shoulders or neck, I might recommend exercise or warming them. If you're concerned about cold sensitivity, I might suggest taking baths or reviewing your diet, recommending self-care as a symptomatic treatment. In any case, if these measures alleviate the symptoms to some extent, I believe that's a good thing.
Just wallowing in discomfort won't lead to a solution, so it's important to get examined early to rule out the possibility of illness and deal with it in a way that suits you.
——Recently, more people are sharing information with others who have the same concerns on the internet and social media.
Talking about your worries with friends can be a good change of pace. However, one thing to be careful about is that if they are not experts, they might exchange incorrect information. For example, when investigating the cause for a patient who consulted about irregular bleeding, we found that a foreign supplement recommended by a friend contained female hormone preparations.
Also, as the appropriate coping strategies differ from person to person, it is safest to seek professional medical attention if you feel unwell.
——Some people hesitate to consult a doctor because menopausal symptoms are not an illness.
Indeed, many people believe that if they don't have severe symptoms, they won't receive treatment at a gynecologist. But in reality, you can receive hormone replacement therapy even if female hormone secretion hasn't stopped.
To lower the barrier to consultation, I think it's a good idea to start by finding a regular gynecologist with whom you can have casual conversations like, "I don't have any particular symptoms, but given my age, could this be menopause?"
Ideally, you would have a doctor who has been monitoring your body's condition since your 20s. From your 20s, I recommend regular cervical cancer screenings, as well as ultrasound examinations to check for uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts. For those who do not wish to become pregnant at present, it's possible to alleviate period pain with birth control pills or hormone therapy, or to maintain healthy ovaries by suppressing ovulation, which can prevent ovarian cancer and endometriosis.
——The idea of visiting a gynecologist for preventive purposes is not very widespread, is it?
Having an approachable gynecologist you can visit regularly allows for early, age-appropriate care. For example, the HPV vaccine for cervical cancer prevention also prevents sexually transmitted infections like condyloma, and low-dose birth control pills and hormone therapy can prevent ovarian and endometrial cancers.
Hormone replacement therapy promotes the function of female hormones, strengthening bones and blood vessels, and helping to prevent arteriosclerosis. It also aids in water retention, contributing to healthy skin.
I encourage women to utilize gynecological services to enhance their quality of life and enjoy a healthy and fulfilling life.
Menopause is a Preparation Period for Your Second Life
——Since the symptoms vary from person to person and there's a lot we don't know, we tend to have a negative image of menopause and post-menopause, but if we can consult with a trusted doctor, our anxieties will surely lessen.
It's not that various functions suddenly stop working the moment you enter menopause; rather, things change gradually. That's why this menopausal period is when your mind and body fluctuate, and symptoms are most likely to appear. But once you get through it, the symptoms subside and stabilize.
Women start menstruating in their teens, endure pain with each period, and deal with uncontrollable discomforts like PMS and menopause for over 30 years. If you think of menopause as a time when you are no longer swayed by hormones, and are freed from such difficulties, then menopause and post-menopause are by no means negative.
I want women to visit a gynecologist with the mindset of properly addressing the discomforts and physical changes that can occur due to the decline in female hormones, as they prepare for the start of their second life.
——Many users of "KNOW YOUR ORIGIN" incorporate daily self-care. Do you have any recommended care for the fluctuating period of menopause?
More than focusing specifically on the uterus and ovaries, I think the basic things necessary to maintain a healthy body—"sleep," "exercise," and "diet"—are still the most important.
Regarding intimate areas, for those who have infrequent sexual intercourse and experience a decline in female hormones during menopause, the vagina may narrow, or the mucous membranes may thin, causing pain. For those experiencing such discomfort, I recommend gently massaging the perineum and labia minora with a gel or similar product after bathing, about three times a week.
Female hormones are necessary for retaining moisture, so the vagina of women in their 20s and 30s, when secretion is high, is plump. However, it dries and thins with age. Sometimes, the labia minora can stick together, making urination difficult. Moisturizing is essential to keep the mucous membranes healthy.
——So, there are such benefits to a well-lubricated vaginal area! I understand the importance of correctly dealing with the discomforts that occur during menopause and post-menopause.
If you feel even a little bit like "this might be menopause?", I want you to rely on a gynecologist. However, if that hurdle is too high, any medical institution, be it an internal medicine clinic or a psychosomatic medicine clinic, is a good starting point, so please visit one.
Also, try not to view menopause negatively. If you feel unwilling to accept it, it creates resistance to seeking medical attention.
As I mentioned earlier, menopause and post-menopause are not bad things; they are merely one of the physiological phenomena that occur in women. Society as a whole needs to adopt this awareness and create an environment and system where women can shine without physical or mental anxieties.
※Data based on Kao Femcare Lab survey, December 2023
Profile
Rena Takahashi
Obstetrician and gynecologist, Doctor of Medicine. Director of Sanno Women's & Kids Clinic. As an obstetrician and gynecologist YouTuber, she actively shares information about illnesses and sexual questions on YouTube, Instagram, X, and TikTok. She is also a former professional boxer.
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/renatkhsh/
Official X: https://twitter.com/swkcrena
Official YouTube Channel: https://t.co/JjNnGWbt8z
