Menopause, Culture, and Aging

After studying the different effects on how a woman's culture can play an important role in her experience with menopause, I felt the strong correlation between a healthy existence and a positive life change. When we talk about culture and menopause, I believe that aging gracefully must dutifully be included. The aspect that stood out to me the most was how women are revered in their respective societies had very much to do with how their "life change" occurred. Women, such as those in Japan, are celebrated! Their change brings about more respect. On the flip side, women in Middle Eastern countries fear that the loss of ability to have children, which in turn, tend to produce feelings of worthlessness. These are just examples of positive versus negative emotional experiences that exist. However, I have also learned that physical manifestations vary from culture to culture as well!

Project AWARE (Association of Women for the Advancement of Research and Education) has compiled a list of all possible symptoms associated with menopause and they are listed as follows, on their website:

1. Hot flashes, flushes, night sweats and/or cold flashes, clammy feeling (see note)
2. Irregular heart beat
3. Irritability
4. Mood swings, sudden tears
5. Trouble sleeping through the night (with or without night sweats)
6. Irregular periods; shorter, lighter periods; heavier periods, flooding; phantom periods, shorter cycles, longer cycles
7. Loss of libido (see note)
8. Dry vagina (see note)
9. Crashing fatigue
10. Anxiety, feeling ill at ease
11. Feelings of dread, apprehension, doom (see note)
12. Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion
13. Disturbing memory lapses
14. Incontinence, especially upon sneezing, laughing; urge incontinence (see note)
15. Itchy, crawly skin (see note)
16. Aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons (see note)
17. Increased tension in muscles
18. Breast tenderness
19. Headache change: increase or decrease
20. Gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, flatulence, gas pain, nausea
21. Sudden bouts of bloat
22. Depression (see note)
23. Exacerbation of existing conditions
24. Increase in allergies
25. Weight gain (see note)
26. Hair loss or thinning, head, pubic, or whole body; increase in facial hair
27. Dizziness, light-headedness, episodes of loss of balance
28. Changes in body odor
29. Electric shock sensation under the skin and in the head (see note)
30. Tingling in the extremities (see note)
31. Gum problems, increased bleeding
32. Burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste in mouth, change in breath odor
33. Osteoporosis (after several years)
34. Changes in fingernails: softer, crack or break easier
35. Tinnitus: ringing in ears, bells, 'whooshing,' buzzing etc.

Of all of these possible symptoms, women from different cultures have reported to only having a few or none of the above. According to research performed by the Canadian Woman's Health Network the following applies to women experiencing menopause:

• Japanese women report fewer hot flashes and other symptoms.
• Thai women record a high incidence of headaches.
• Scottish women record fewer severe symptoms.
• Greek women report a high rate of hot flashes.
• Mayan women report no symptoms

These are just a few examples that I felt the need to share with all of you. I can't help but think that if we, as Americans, apply the old adage "Respect your elders" into our daily lives, the women in our country could truly thrive and retain the value of their worth throughout their life change and beyond!

My sources include:

http://www.project-aware.org/Experience/symptoms.shtml
http://www.cwhn.ca/resources/faq/menopause.html
http://health.discovery.com/centers/womens/menopausenew/culture/culture.html