The Menopause Book Book

Foreword Bernadine Healy iii

Why We Wrote This Book ix

Why We Revised This Book xi

Part I The Basics 1

Chapter 1 What's Happening? 3

Mirror images: the beginning and end of menstruation

When does the menopause transition begin?

The stages of menopause

The different kinds of menopause (natural, induced, early)

Menopause in the animal world

How long does it take? Can it be temporary?

Hormones and your reproductive life

Are you out of eggs?

What's normal and what's not

Do menopause tests work?

Can menopause be reversed?

The pill and perimenopause

Late pregnancies

Estrogen in your body after menopause

An ending and a beginning

Chapter 2 The Hormone Question 24

All about estrogen

A primer: pills, creams, patches, shots, bioidenticals

A history of hormone therapy and how it came to be part of every doctor's arsenal

The importance of the Women's Health Initiative

The dilemma of contradicting studies

How to understand news about medical research

Why you might still want to try hormones and what you need to know to make your decision

When is the best time to start hormones?

Hormone therapy and cancer: What are the risks?

Does estrogen cause weight gain or make you look younger?

The truth about bioidenticals

Alternative treatments that might help and some that don't

Plus: Case studies of five women who made the decision

Part II What You're Feeling Now 57

Chapter 3 Hot Flashes 59

How and why you get them

Anatomy of a flash

Why some women are frequent flashers and others never break a sweat

How to feel better with and without drugs

Hot flash fashions

Do fat women flash more than skinny ones?

What ifit's not menopause?

How long will a hot flash last?

How hot is a hot flash?

Why do you shiver afterwards?

The "emergency" kit every working menopausal woman should keep in her desk drawer

Tracking triggers

Does exercise help or hurt?

Can antidepressants work?

Relief without an Rx

Chapter 4 Sleep 75

Why insomnia often strikes now

The role of estrogen

Snoring: a sign of trouble?

Common sleep disorders

How to finally get the rest you need

Setting the mood for sleep

Why a glass of wine before bed won't do the trick

Foods that can keep you up and ones that make you sleepy

Is it depression?

Sex before bed (or not)

Why you're beating a path to the bathroom

Keeping a sleep diary

Physical problems that rob you of sleep

Hot and cold couples

The role of exercise

Sleeping pills and natural remedies

Chapter 5 Sex 97

The rise and fall of libido

How to improve your sex life

Body changes that can make sex more painful

Getting expert help

Sex toys and where to buy them

Hormone therapy and libido

Why orgasm can be elusive

New thinking on women and sexual dysfunction

What you need to know about testosterone

Could Viagra be the answer?

Better-than-ever orgasms

The thrill is gone, and that's fine with me

How to fix lubrication problems

The connection between allergies and vaginal dryness

Vaginal estrogen cream and your partner

Alternative treatments

Yeast infections and how to fight them

Starting to date again

Why contraception and safe sex still matter

The right way to Kegel

Bleeding during sex

The depression-sex connection

Hysterectomy and sex drive

Chemo and libido

Sex after radiation

What's in the medicine chest?

What if it's his problem, not yours?

What you need to know about sexually transmitted diseases

Chapter 6 Bleeding 138

Irregular bleeding and how you know when you need to go to the doctor

What does heavy bleeding really mean?

Causes of irregular bleeding

Could it be cancer?

Fibroids and how to treat them

What you can expect at the doctor's office

How to talk to your doctor about bleeding problems

What you should know about the newest procedures and medications

Should you worry about anemia?

Is the pill the answer?

Nonhormonal treatments that may work

Sex and bleeding

The pros and cons of hysterectomies

Should you try and keep your ovaries?

Why your uterus may be falling and what to do about it

Postmenopausal bleeding: a primer

Chapter 7 Aches and Pains 163

A top-to-bottom compendium

Menstrual migraines and morning headaches: What they mean and new treatments for both

Burning mouth syndrome

What your gums reveal about your hormone levels

Thyroid problems: too much and too little

Can low thyroid make you fat?

To treat or not to treat: the debate over thyroid therapy

Torn rotator cuff

Frozen shoulder

Breast tenderness

Morning stiffness

Joints 101

Beating arthritis

Talking to your doctor about incontinence

Foot problems and buying shoes that fit

Chapter 8 Moods and Emotions 194

Singing the menopause blues?

The hormone/mood connection

The depression spectrum

Lowering your risk for mood disorders

PMS, perimenopause, and depression: Are they linked?

Hot flashes, sleep, and mood

The role of stress and how to manage it

Toxic marriages

Cultural influences on mood at menopause

Thyroid disease and depression

The science of happiness

Evaluating different treatments

Can you Botox your troubles away?

Rx: a new job?

Help! Antidepressants are killing my libido

Can hormone therapy help?

Could progesterone be the problem?

Bipolar disorder and hormone therapy

Anxiety disorders at midlife

Why you may be more vulnerable to panic attacks

Could it be more than depression?

Late-onset schizophrenia

Will schizophrenia worsen?

Chapter 9 Thinking and Memory 227

The anatomy of your brain at midlife

Types of memory problems

Feeling out-to-lunch during the menopause transition

What is Alzheimer's?

Depression and memory

Common causes of memory loss

Hot flashes and concentration

ADD in adults

Chemo brain

Losing your car keys: a sign of Alzheimer's?

The role of stress

Hormones and dementia: what we've learned from the Women's Health Initiative

Reading problems

Surgical menopause and memory

Maintain your brain

Strategies for improving memory

How exercise helps your body and your mind

What's diet got to do with it?

The importance of being social

Mind games

Part III Staying Healthy Forever 251

Chapter 10 Bones 253

Estrogen loss and weak bones

Getting your daughter to build bone mass now

Getting tested

Who's at greatest risk for osteoporosis?

Calcium: from food or supplements?

Why vitamin D matters

You can be too thin

The role of race and ethnicity

Teeth and bones

Inside your medicine chest: medications for bone health

Do statins and cancer drugs protect bones?

Concern about radiation

Alternative treatments

Is heredity destiny?

Exercises to strengthen your bones and improve flexibility and balance

Chapter 11 Eyes and Ears 293

When did the menu print get so small, and why is everybody mumbling?

Dry eyes

Estrogen, testosterone, and your eyes

Buying reading glasses that don't look frumpy: a guide

Behind your specs: makeup tips

Do you need bifocals?

Why nighttime driving has gotten harder

Sun exposure and eye health

Preserving your vision as you get older

Hormone therapy and hearing loss

How loud is too loud?

Alternatives to visible hearing aids

Turn down your iPod!

Chapter 12 Heart 315

The #1 killer of women

Why your symptoms may be different from his

Cholesterol 101

Risk factors for heart disease

Estimating your risk and how to lower it

The controversial role of hormone therapy

Using the new food labels

Antioxidants and free radicals

Exercise, exercise, exercise

How heart disease affects your whole body

Chapter 13 Cancer 335

What you need to know about breast, ovarian, endomentrial, cervical, lung, colorectal, bladder, vulvar, vaginal cancer

Keeping an eye out for symptoms

Hormones and cancer: where they meet

Cancer detectives: maximizing the benefits of mammograms, Pap tests, colonoscopies

The effect of menopause and age on your risk profile

Why pregnancy and breast feeding protect against breast cancer

Does the pill make a difference?

Is hormone therapy an option after cancer?

Hormone therapy and cancer: a mixed bag

What you should know about breast self-examinations

When is it a tumor and when is it just a cyst?

What you can do to improve your odds

Lowering your risk by losing weight

The pros and cons of progesterone

The search for an effective ovarian cancer screen

The cervical cancer vaccine and what it means for you

Dealing with menopause and cancer at the same time

Chapter 14 Diet and Exercise 376

Does BMI matter?

Good fats and bad fats

Can supplements keep you healthy?

Why your belly is suddenly bigger

Battling bloated portions

Dairy and dieting

Vegetarians and menopause

The myths and realities: from blueberries to chocolate

How to lose weight at midlife

Exercises and recipes to keep you fit and strong into your 80s and beyond

Chapter 15 Looking Good 422

Aging skin

Looking younger longer

Assessing sun damage

Smoking and premature aging

Are high-priced skin creams worth the extra money?

Adult acne

Hormone therapy and wrinkles

Makeup tips

Nail health

Fixing varicose veins

Bust boosters

Buying a bra that really fits

Less hair on your head, more on your chin: what to do

Endnote 445

Appendix I 449

Appendix II 477

Acknowledgments 490

Index 499