Menopause has perverse timing, creeping up on us right in the midst of a time in our lives when we are often already undergoing stressful transitions.  Worse,  hormonal changes associated with it can suppress our ability to deal well with these middle age stresses.  

Connie Ryan, a nurse practitioner specilizing in women's health, briefly explains how menopause can wear us down, and also discusses what can be done to combat the heightened stress at this important stage of our lives.

Unfortunately, menopause is timed perfectly with middle age. Just at the time of life when we are juggling caring for aging parents, planning for retirement, and adjusting to children leaving home, women often have a decreased ability to handle stress due to the symptoms of menopause.

We, who have always taken care of everyone else first, find that now is the time to truly learn how to take care of ourselves. Along with common menopausal symptoms such as insomnia and irritability, other problems like hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, metabolic syndrome and diabetes are more common at this stage of life adding to stress levels.

Chronic stress affects the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis which is how your brain talks to your adrenal glands. During prolonged periods of stress, the HPA axis is disrupted, resulting in mood changes, disrupted sleep patterns, food cravings and lower energy and activity levels. In stressful situations the body has a fright or flight response which causes the adrenal gland to produce excess cortisol, which leads to increased abdominal fat storage. Stress also suppresses the immune system which has a profound effect on health.

So, how do we get out of this condition? Studies have shown that the best way to decrease stress and its resulting physical manifestations is exercise. Not only does physical activity seem to prevent stress-induced suppression of the immune system resulting in fewer viral and bacterial illnesses, it also decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.

For those of us who have been too busy to fit exercise into our lives, middle age is the perfect time to start a regular exercise program with aerobics, resistance training and stretching. It's never too late to start exercising, stay active and move through menopause in a calmer and healthier way.

Connie Ryan, RNC, is a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner and the founder of Central Family Practice, a medical practice combining western medicine and alternative treatment methods.  She specializes in evaluation and treatment of menopause, bio-identical hormone treatment, abnormal Paps, vaginal and vulvar pain syndrome, persistent vaginal infections, and other problems that frustrate other providers.   She has been carrying out her dream of delivering individualized care for women in the Austin area since 1978.  Connie can be reached at 512-371-9260.  Or, check out her webiste, www.centralfamily.com .