African American Women Understanding Menopause

Menopause is when the body ceases to menstruatemenopause."
for 12 months and consequently halts the production ofTo assist you through this process I have provided a
Estrogen hormones which is considered as goingfew quick menopausal relief tips:
through the "Change of Life".1. Be conscious of your clothing you select to wear-If
When your body begins to change, what do you do?you dress too warm by wearing too many layers or if
Sometimes it is learning how to accept the curve ballsyour fabric holds in body heat you could trigger flashes.
that life throws you and hit a home run, or makingDress lightly in cottons (because they breath) and
lemon aid out of lemons and so on, you have heardcarry a sweater or jacket.
them all and they are true, you have to believe them2. Don't sleep in a hot environment-keep room at a
and move forward. If you are experiencingcomfortable temperature, moderate heat or air
menopausal symptoms, just make the best of it. Don'tconditioning , decrease the number of night sweats
allow yourself to be miserable.you experience
Have you ever been around someone who complains3. When you feel you are having an anxiety attack or
constantly about everything? Don't turn into thatyour heart is palpitating fast, stop what you are doing
miserable complaining person but the individual whoand take several deep breaths, count to 10, sit and
knows how to rise above it all while you figure thisrelax for a minute and take a sip of cold water. If it
thing out.continues see a Doctor.
In 2005 a study was presented by Shirley B. Huffman,4. Exercise to keep the body stretched and strong.
Jane E. Myers, and Lloyd BondHelps to keep stress and anxiety down. Walk, run, do
Focusing on Menopause and African-Americanaerobics, what ever you choose, just move that body.
Women: Attitudes and Symptom ReportingIf you are at work stop and take a short break and
They stated: "The picture of midlife African Americanwalk.
women that emerged from this study supports a5. Exercise and challenge your brain daily to decrease
multicultural perspective that is: Postmenopausalfogginess and forgetfulness
women recorded the most positive attitudes and6. Lastly, as African American women we tend to
perimenopausal women reported the mosttake care of everyone else but ourselves, become
symptomatology. Taken as a whole, women in thismore aware of yourself and take better care of
study reported a slightly positive attitude towardyourself
menopause, although they held many negative beliefsYou deserve it.
about it. They believed menopause is both a naturalSome of you have heard of power foods; here a few;
midlife event and a reason to seek medical attention.1. Soy
They were concerned about what to expect during2. Nuts-Walnuts, Almonds
menopause. They saw few benefits to the3. Fish
experience apart from the cessation of menses and4. Yams
the end of fertility. Forty-nine percent believed women5. Flax seeds-Meal, Oil more affective
worry about losing their minds during menopause, while6. Teas-Black&Green
71% believed women are concerned about how their7. Green vegetables-Leafy green vegetables. The less
husbands will feel about them after menopause. Oncooked the better
the other hand, they believed after menopause8. Yogurt
women have a broader outlook on life and generallyIt has been a pleasure sharing my knowledge and
feel better than they have for years, beliefs thatfindings on menopause. It is my desire to better
fostered their overall positive attitude towardeducate women and men so there is a better
menopause. If there is a taboo related to speakingunderstanding and appreciation for what challenges lie
about menopause in the African American culture, itahead and how to address them head on so this
did not appear to affect this population of women.becomes an easy transition for everyone.
Relatively few found it difficult to speak about