9 Ways to deal with menopause
· Pausive Team
You wake up sweating at 3 a.m., your jeans fit differently and you snap at things you never used to notice. And you wonder how long this is going to last.
Menopause can feel a lot easier with a few well-chosen habits and a good menopause supplement, starting today.
Menopause symptoms and why they happen
When your ovaries make less estrogen, your whole body has to adjust. That shift is behind almost every symptom, from the heat to the sleepless nights.
The most common are hot flashes, night sweats, poor sleep and mood swings. So are weight that settles around your waist and vaginal dryness.
It isn't a matter of a few weeks. In a long-running US study of 1,449 women, frequent hot flashes lasted a median of 7.4 years.1
How to cope with menopause, step by step
This guide covers 9 ways to deal with menopause, from daily support for the heat to how to protect your bones:
- Pausive, daily support
- Cooling down in the moment
- Avoiding what sets off the heat
- Sleeping well
- Strength training
- Managing your weight
- Calming anxiety
- Your intimate comfort
- Your bones
9 ways to deal with menopause
1. Pausive, daily support for menopause
Pausive is made for what weighs on these years most: hot flashes, night sweats and the heat that breaks your sleep, with no hormones.
It brings the plants best studied for menopause together in one habit: 2 capsules with breakfast. It also supports a steadier mood and intimate comfort.
2. How to cool a hot flash in the moment
When you feel the heat rising, cool your neck and wrists with cold water or an ice-cold bottle. A hand fan helps a lot, too.
Dress in layers you can take off fast, in breathable fabrics like cotton. Find more ideas on our hot flash relief page.
Keep a fan, a bottle of water and a light spare layer in your bag. That way the heat finds you ready, whether you're at work or out and about.
3. Avoid what sets off your hot flashes
The most common triggers are alcohol, spicy food, caffeine and hot drinks. Not every woman reacts to the same ones.
Note what happened before your hot flashes for a week or two. That way you'll learn the triggers for hot flashes in your case.
4. How to sleep better during menopause
A cool bedroom, around 65°F, and cotton sheets help when night sweats wake you up. Keep a glass of cold water by the bed.
Go to bed and get up at the same time, even on weekends, and put screens away a while before. More on our menopause and sleep page.
A lukewarm shower before bed helps bring your body temperature down. If you still wake up hot, flip your pillow to the cool side.
5. Exercise for menopause
Strength training two or three times a week looks after your muscles and bones, which you lose faster at this stage of life.
Add brisk walks, dancing or cycling. Moving also lifts your mood and your sleep, and helps you feel strong in your own body.
You don't need a gym: squats, wall push-ups and resistance bands at home all count. Start with light weights and build up little by little.
6. How to manage menopause weight gain
With less estrogen, your body stores more fat around the waist and loses muscle. A portion of protein at every meal helps you keep it.
Fill half your plate with vegetables and choose whole grains. Our menopause diet guide has eight foods to start with.
7. How to ease menopause anxiety
Hormonal shifts can bring nerves and irritability. Breathing slowly, in for five counts and out for five, helps you come back down.
Move every day and talk about how you feel with someone you trust. More on menopause mood swings.
8. Look after your intimate comfort
Vaginal dryness is very common after menopause. In 60 postmenopausal women, it improved within 16 weeks on a soy supplement.2
Soy isoflavones are part of Pausive. If the discomfort stays, there are vaginal moisturizers you can buy over the counter. More on menopause and sex.
9. Protect your bones
After your last period, you lose bone faster for a few years. That's why calcium, vitamin D and exercise matter more than ever.
Eat dairy, sardines or calcium-set tofu, and get a little sun. Soy isoflavones are also studied for bone density after menopause.
FAQs on dealing with menopause
What is the best treatment for menopause?
Hormone therapy works best for hot flashes, but it isn't for everyone. Your doctor can help you choose, including options without hormones.
What can I take for menopause?
Pausive is a good place to start: it brings the plants best studied for hot flashes and night sweats, like black cohosh and soy, into 2 daily capsules.
How do you treat menopause without hormones?
With plants studied for the heat, exercise, good sleep and a diet rich in protein. See our guide to natural alternatives to HRT.
Can you deal with menopause naturally?
Yes, to a large extent. Exercise, sleep and food help a lot, and plants like black cohosh and soy have been studied for hot flashes.
What can I do to feel better in menopause?
Move every day, sleep in a cool room and eat protein at every meal. If the heat is costing you sleep, start there: it changes your days the most.
How long do menopause symptoms last?
It varies a lot. Frequent hot flashes usually last around seven years, and more than ten for some women. They almost always get milder with time.
What vitamins help with menopause?
Vitamin D and calcium look after your bones, and B12 helps with energy if you're low. Get a blood test before taking high doses of any of them.
How do you fight menopause fatigue?
Start with sleep, which night sweats often break. Moving every day and eating protein at every meal also give you more energy through the day.
Sources
- Avis NE et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015: in the SWAN study of 1,449 US women, frequent hot flashes lasted a median of 7.4 years.
- Carmignani LO et al., Menopause, 2015: in a 16-week double-blind trial of 60 postmenopausal women, vaginal dryness improved significantly on a soy supplement.