Tag Archives: osteoporosis

Why Don’t We Talk About Perimenopause?

Why don’t we talk about perimenopause? Women talk a great deal about menopause. Menopause has been the butt of jokes for years. We associate hot flashes and mood swings with menopause, however, little is said about the stage preceding menopause which is perimenopause. Some of the same symptoms that are experienced in menopause can also occur in perimenopause. Perimenopause is the transition stage before menopause hits. It can last anywhere from two to ten years before menopause takes full effect and the menstrual period ceases. The average duration of perimenopause is six years so it’s obviously an important stage in … Continue reading →

Help Your Bones Heal

Healing a broken bone doesn’t have to be just a waiting game — put on the cast and sit back to wait. There are some things you can do to help a bone heal after an injury. If you’re a smoker — STOP. Patients who smoke take a longer time to heal (on average) than those who do not. Smokers are also at higher risk of developing a nonunion — a bone that doesn’t heal correctly. Why? Smoking can alter the blood flow to your bones, depriving a healing area of necessary nutrients. Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Your body … Continue reading →

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Side Effects

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If you are considering hormone replacement therapy to relieve menopause symptoms, you might want to know a little bit about the possible side effects. Not all side effects occur in all women, but the following side effects have been reported. In general, side effects are more frequent when taking oral forms of estrogen therapy. With any form of estrogen therapy, you could experience: Irregular vaginal bleeding and other discharge. Headache. Nausea. Fluid retention and weight gain. Breast tenderness. Darkening skin or spotting on the skin, especially on the face. Asthma — newly diagnosed asthma seems to be more common in … Continue reading →

What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

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Hormone replacement therapy is helpful for easing symptoms of menopause and preventing osteoporosis in some women. You may also hear hormone replacement therapy called “opposed estrogen therapy”. The name basically describes how it works. Hormone replacement therapy increases estrogen and/or progestin levels in a woman’s body. There are several different forms of hormone replacement therapy, including: Estrogen and progestin combination pills (brand name Premphase, Prempro, Activella) Estrogen and progestin patches that continuously release hormones over time (brand name CombiPatch) Oral progestin used with an estrogen-only pill or patch (brand name Provera, Prometrium, Micronor, Norlutin, Aygestin) Progestin intra-uterine device (IUD) used … Continue reading →

Walking and Menopause

Researchers from Temple University took a look at stress and physical activity in women before, during, and after menopause. You probably won’t be surprised to find out that an active, healthy lifestyle can lower your stress levels. You might be surprised to know that an active, healthy lifestyle can also help ease the transition into menopause! A team from Temple University studied nearly four hundred women for a period of eight years. The study began when the women were premenopausal; the average age of participants was forty-two. Participants were asked to report physical and emotional symptoms of menopause, including hot … Continue reading →

Ease Hot Flashes with Flaxseed

You can never have enough remedies for those hot flashes! Researchers at the Mayo Clinic took a good look at flaxseed in a recent study. A quick look at the study participants: Twenty-one post-menopausal women None using hormone therapy All of them experiencing fourteen or more hot flashes per week The study participants were asked to take four tablespoons of crushed flaxseed daily. They could eat it pretty much any way they wanted to. Some sprinkled it on yogurt or cereal. Some mixed it into juice or water. I’ve never tasted flaxseed myself, so I’m not sure what kind of … Continue reading →

Does Dong Quai Help With Hot Flashes?

Seems like I’ve heard a lot of talk about dong quai lately. This traditional Chinese herb is popular for treating menstrual and menopause problems… but does it work? Doctors suspect that hot flashes are related to changes in circulation. Blood vessels near the skin’s surface dilate in an attempt to cool the body — that can create a flushed look in the face. Your body may turn on the sweat to help you cool down. Hot flashes may be triggered by caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol, and spicy foods. Stress can also be a trigger for hot flashes. A recent study in … Continue reading →

The Future of Dentistry

In the next few years, your dentist may be able to do some amazing things — and not just to your teeth. The health care professionals you trust to care for your choppers may be able to help you care for your entire body. Within the next two years, you may see your dentist using your tooth x-rays to check for osteoporosis. European scientists have developed software that can scan x-rays of your teeth to help gauge your risk of osteoporosis. In early trials, the software is just as accurate as bone density tests! More trials are underway, but a … Continue reading →

Osteoporosis Tests For Men

Osteoporosis tests are routine for older women, but a new study from Park Nicollet Health Services in Minneapolis says that they should be routine for certain men, too. Medical experts see a general misconception in the United States that osteoporosis is only a threat to women. Current data indicates that one in two Caucasian women will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture at some point in her lifetime. One in four Caucasian men will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture at some point in his lifetime. Osteoporosis is half as common in men as it is in women, but it is still very common. … Continue reading →

Do Men Get Hot Flashes Too?

Believe it or not, some men can be just as troubled by hot flashes as some women. For women, hot flashes usually come in association with menopause. Menopause is when estrogen levels drop in a woman’s body, causing all sorts of changes. For men, hot flashes are associated with androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. Prostate cell growth is stimulated by testosterone. If you reduce hormone levels or block hormone action in the body, it can help make radiation therapy for prostate cancer more effective. As much as eighty percent of men who receive androgen deprivation therapy end up experiencing … Continue reading →