women’s HEALTH & WELLNESS

DID YOU KNOW?

• Around 75% of menopausal women experience symptoms, with one-third reporting that they negatively affect their lives.

• Some supplements and herbal/botanical treatments may disrupt your endocrine system. Always check with your physician before taking anything new.

• Avoiding foods that reduce estrogen levels while increasing intake of phytoestrogen-rich foods may help lessen menopause symptoms.

HORMONE THERAPY

Combats Symptoms, Restores Quality of Life

BY ANNETTE BROOKS

HORMONES ARE POWERFUL CHEMICAL MESSENGERS PRODUCED BY OUR ENDOCRINE SYSTEM. TRAVELING THROUGH THE BLOODSTREAM TO TISSUES AND ORGANS, THEY HELP REGULATE MANY BODY FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING METABOLISM, GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, ENERGY PRODUCTION, AND REPRODUCTION.

Endocrine glands in women include the ovaries. They produce female estrogen hormones (estradiol, estrone, and estriol), as well as progesterone and to a lesser amount, testosterone. Important for regulating the menstrual cycle and for childbearing, estrogen also helps keep cardiovascular tissue healthy and cholesterol in control. It protects the brain with proper blood fl ow and affects mood, muscle mass, and bone density. With all this and more, it’s easy to understand why depleted estrogen levels can wreak havoc with women’s health and sense of well-being. Significant changes due to decreasing estrogen levels occur during perimenopause which generally starts between ages 40 to 45, menopause (the average age for menopause is 51 in the U.S.), and continue through post-menopause. Symptoms include hot fl ashes, night sweats, chills, chronic insomnia, mood swings, low libido, vaginal dryness, weight gain, thinning hair, dry skin, loss of breast fullness, feelings of depression and anxiety, and cognitive changes, including brain fog. Complications such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and urinary incontinence may also occur.

Laboratory tests measure hormone levels in blood, urine, or saliva samples, and your provider may recommend hormone replacement therapy (HRT) based on the results and your health history. HRT treatment options include prescription pharmaceutical medications that deliver estrogens via pills or tablets, creams or gels, sprays, and patches. There’s even a vaginal ring. Combination estrogen/ progesterone drugs are also available. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is an alternative to pharmaceuticalbased HRT. Bioidentical means hormones that are chemically identical to those your body produces. Derived from plant-based sources such as soy and wild yams, BHRT is considered a natural treatment Keep in mind, however, that processing is performed to create BHRT products and their delivery system into the body, including customized, compounded creams, gels, patches, injections, pills, and small pellets placed inserted subcutaneously in the skin. Usually, BHRT includes regular hormone level tests that are analyzed to determine whether your treatment plan includes the correct hormones in the appropriate dosages for your individual needs, or if changes need to be made. Fortunately, women are no longer relegated to silently suffering with “the change of life.” Today, we have more treatment options today than ever before to help combat the symptoms of female hormone depletion and imbalance and restore quality of life.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Periodontal disease is a risk factor for preterm and low birth weight babies

• Gum disease risk increases with age, but can start at any age

• You’re missing over 40% of tooth surfaces when you don’t floss

• Gingivitis is preventable and reversible. Periodontitis isn’t, but can be improved and managed so it doesn’t progress.

ORAL HEALTH

Oral Health is Linked to Overall Health

BY ANNETTE BROOKS

DID YOU KNOW THAT YOUR ORAL HEALTH AND OVERALL HEALTH ARE INTERTWINED? RESEARCH INDICATES THAT GUM DISEASE HAS BEEN LINKED TO CARDIOVASCULAR AND RESPIRATORY DISEASES, STROKE, DIABETES, ALZHEIMER’S, RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, SOME CANCERS, AND MORE. WOMEN ARE ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO ORAL HEALTH ISSUES RESULTING FROM HORMONAL FLUCTUATIONS WHICH OCCUR DURING PUBERTY, PREGNANCY, AND PRE-, PERI-, AND POST MENOPAUSE. USING HORMONE-BASED BIRTH CONTROL AND EVEN MENSTRUATION, WHICH INVOLVES HORMONAL SHIFTS, HAS BEEN CONNECTED TO GUM DISEASE.

Symptoms of gingivitis, an early stage of gum disease, include irritation, redness, and swollen gums around the base of the teeth. Left untreated or undertreated, gingivitis may progress to a more advanced stage of gum disease called periodontitis, signifi ed by an infection that can spread to underlying tissues, the jawbone, and systemically to different bodily organs. In addition to causing or worsening certain chronic diseases, periodontal disease can cause receding gums, tooth loss, and jawbone damage. The development of periodontitis starts with plaque in most cases. Treatments include deep cleaning teeth below the gum line with a laser to remove plaque and topical antibiotics to help control the bacteria and shrink periodontal pockets. Periodontal pockets are spaces or openings surrounding the teeth under the gum line fi lled with infection-causing bacteria. Flap surgery may be required in severe cases. This involves a periodontist cutting the gums and lifting them back to remove plaque deposits in pockets around the teeth. When done, the gums are sutured closely around the teeth. Periodontitis is typically a result of poor oral hygiene, yet sometimes, other culprits are involved. Changes in eating habits can lead to an increased risk of gum disease during pregnancy. An ill-fi tting or damaged bridge can lead to bacteria build-up along the gumline. Either a bridge replacement or getting dental implants to replace missing teeth provides a solution. A misaligned bite and crowded, crooked, diffi cult-toclean teeth can contribute to periodontal disease. Getting your teeth straightened with traditional braces or clear aligners such as Invisalign will not only create a beautiful smile but also help you avoid getting gum disease. Fortunately, good oral health is usually achieved and maintained with proper oral hygiene — flossing, brushing, and using a rinse as directed by your dentist — and regular dental check-ups with professional cleaning. Don’t wait until you have a problem before seeing your dentist. Preventive, proactive care can boost your oral health and reduce your risk of gum disease.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Surgery for correcting facial injuries is believed to date back more than 4,000 years.

• In India, physicians employed skin grafts in reconstructive surgery as early as 800 B.C.

• During the Greco-Roman period, medical writer Aulus Cornelius Celsus detailed surgical methods for recon structing ears, lips, and noses.

• Early Byzantine writing chronicled reconstructive techniques for repairing facial defects.

COSMETIC SURGERY

Procedure Possibilites

BY MIMI GREENWOOD KNIGHT

COSMETIC SURGERY WON’T TURN YOU INTO SOMEONE ELSE AND WON’T SOLVE YOUR PERSONAL OR RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS, BUT IT SURE CAN BOLSTER YOUR SELF-CONFIDENCE AND ADD TO YOUR OVERALL WELLBEING. THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLASTIC SURGEONS LISTS THE FOLLOWING AS SOME COMMON WAYS WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES ARE DOING JUST THAT.

FACELIFT

Facelifts are a great way to repair sagging, loose, droopy, or wrinkled skin on the lower face and turn back the clock. During this procedure, facial tissues are lifted, excess skin removed, and skin replaced over repositioned contours. Facelifts are often performed with neck, forehead, or eyelid surgery and range from mini lifts to extended deep plane facelifts.

LIPOSUCTION

This is not intended as a weight-loss technique but as a way to improve the body’s shape by strategically removing localized fat deposits using a vacuumsuction technique. Liposuction can be performed on most parts of your body to reduce fat, often more than one at a time, and can also be used to remove fat tumors (lipomas) and address male gynecomastia.

TUMMY TUCK

Also known as abdominoplasty, a tummy tuck can improve the shape of your abdomen and your abdominal profile, removing excess fat and loose, sagging skin and restoring weakened or separated muscles. While it’s not a replacement for exercise and eating right and can’t eliminate stretch marks aside from those in the excess skin that’s removed, if you maintain your weight, tummy tuck results can be dramatic and permanent.

BREAST AUGMENTATION

This procedure is an ideal way for many women to increase the size or change the shape of their breasts with implants or their own fat. Breast augmentation isn’t the same as a breast lift or reduction, although it’s not uncommon for augmentations and lifts or reductions to be performed together.

HAIR TRANSPLANTATION

Both men and women can suffer from hair loss. Fortunately, hair transplantation surgery can improve the appearance of baldness. Different techniques are used to transplant hair, including follicular unit extraction (FUE) and the strip method. Ask your provider to explain the differences to decide which procedure suits you.

RHINOPLASTY

Also known as a “nose job,” this refers to any surgery that repairs or reshapes the nose. It may be performed for cosmetic or medical reasons, used to reduce the nose size, correct problems following an injury, address congenital disorders, relieve, or improve breathing problems, narrow the shape of the nostrils, or change the shape or angle of the nose.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Women are more likely to talk about their hearing loss and seek help than men.

• Hearing loss is twice as common in people with diabetes than in those without.

• Cardiovascular disease that affects circulation can affect your hearing.

• Current smokers are more likely to suffer from hearing loss than nonsmokers.

HEARING HEALTH

How to Diagnose and Treat

BY ANNETTE BROOKS

ALTHOUGH MEN ARE ALMOST TWICE AS LIKELY AS WOMEN TO SUFFER FROM HEARING LOSS, DON’T BE TEMPTED TO BRUSH IT OFF AS A MALE-ONLY ISSUE. UP TO ONE-THIRD OF WOMEN IN THEIR 50S AND ALMOST TWO-THIRDS IN THEIR 60S HAVE SOME DEGREE OF HEARING IMPAIRMENT.

HEARING AND HORMONES

Hearing loss can be due to hereditary factors, aging, trauma, lifestyle, recreational, and occupational choices. Chronic health conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease also affect hearing. Further supporting the total body connection, studies indicate that female hormones may contribute to hearing problems, suggesting that estrogen may protect the inner ear. Even hormonal and circulatory changes during pregnancy can create temporary hearing impairment. PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL EFFECTS

Untreated hearing loss can have a serious psychological and social impact. Unable to hear clearly, people become less likely to interact with others and participate in social activities. This can lead to depression, anxiety, isolation, diffi culty maintaining relationships, and feelings of anger and loneliness. Equally troubling is the mounting evidence that hearing loss is a major risk factor for cognitive decline, contributing to dementia. These issues and more highlight the importance of early intervention, although according to the National Institutes of Health, people often wait 10 years or more from the time they fi rst notice a problem before seeking help.

DIAGNOSING AND TREATING HEARING LOSS

Sensorineural hearing loss, where the inner ear or the hearing nerve itself becomes damaged, is the most common type. Fortunately, hearing aids are often helpful. The fi rst step is to undergo a comprehensive in-office audiology evaluation with a licensed audiologist. If results indicate that hearing aids will be benefi cial, the next step is selecting the hearing aids that will best address your needs and budget, and there are a variety to choose from. Technology has advanced tremendously, so even the most basic digital hearing aids currently available are far better than the best hearing aids on the market decade or two ago. Aesthetically discreet, highly programmable, and feature-rich, today’s hearing aids can use artifi cial intelligence (AI), are Bluetooth enabled, connecting to smartphone apps and other devices, offer digital, wind, and impulse noise reduction, have rechargeable batteries, and may even include tinnitus (ringing in the ears) masking features. While a diagnosis of hearing loss isn’t something you hope for, treating it can lead to a better quality of life with improved communication, psychological well-being, cognitive health, and personal safety. It’s a good idea to get your hearing tested every three to fi ve years, and seniors should see their audiologist annually.