Women's Health Archive

Many women making the transition to menopause have trouble sleeping. Several strategies can help you get the rest you need.

If you're a woman of a certain age and you often find yourself staring at the ceiling in the middle of the night, you're not alone. The years leading up to menopause and the period that immediately follows are the times that women are most likely to report problems sleeping, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Many different conditions that are common in this stage of life — including hot flashes, obstructive sleep apnea, and mood disorders such as depression or anxiety — can cause sleep problems.

Lack of sleep is more than just a nuisance. "We now understand that high-quality sleep is absolutely vital to good health," says Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women's Health at Harvard Medical School. This means that seeking care should be a priority if you are experiencing problems.

Ask the doctors

Q. I have pelvic organ prolapse and I want to start working out. Are there exercises I should avoid?

A. Pelvic organ prolapse is a common problem, caused by a weakening of the bowl-shaped group of muscles and tissues that supports your pelvic organs. As this support fails, one or more of these organs — such as the uterus, bladder, or rectum — can shift out of place, typically pushing into (and sometimes protruding out of) the vagina.

Some routine or elective healthcare can safely wait a while, but putting off medical care for certain health conditions or potentially serious problems is risky.

Attempting to stand up from a seated position on the floor is a good way to assess your overall fitness. No problem? Do it regularly to track your physical health. Having difficulty? Try these exercises to help you improve your fitness.

The question of what age a woman can stop having mammograms does not have a definite answer, but is one each woman must answer based on her circumstances and her feelings about the risks of the procedure versus its benefits.

Here's what the numbers mean — and strategies to lower your cholesterol if it's too high.

For some women who've had normal cholesterol readings all their lives, that changes at menopause. "Going through menopause often results in lipid and cholesterol changes for the worse," says Dr. Samia Mora, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a specialist in cardiovascular medicine the Brigham and Women's Hospital. Drops in the female hormone, estrogen, are associated with a rise in total cholesterol levels due to higher amounts of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol, and another blood lipid (fat) known as triglyceride. Over time this can raise heart risks, which is a reason for concern, as cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 cause of death in postmenopausal women, says Dr. Mora.

"So, it's especially important to track the numbers in perimenopause and the early years after menopause, as LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol tend to increase," she says.

Research we're watching

If a woman has gestational diabetes during her pregnancy, she has a higher risk of developing diabetes later. But a study published February 10 in Diabetes Care found that breastfeeding may help reduce that risk.

The study, which used data from the Nurses' Health Study II, found that the longer a woman nursed her infant, the lower her risk of developing diabetes later in life. The study included more than 4,000 women who had gestational diabetes. Of those women, more than 800 developed diabetes within the next 25 years. Those who breastfed for six to 12 months were 9% less likely to develop diabetes, compared with women who didn't breastfeed at all. Women who breastfed for one to two years had a 15% lower risk of developing diabetes, compared with women who didn't breastfeed. And diabetes risk was 27% lower in women who breastfed for more than two years. This provides another reason that doctors may want to encourage women with gestational diabetes to breastfeed whenever possible.

Ask the doctors

Q. My skin has been breaking out since I entered menopause. Why is this happening, and what can I do about it?

A. Many women notice changes to their skin at menopause. For some women this means dryness, age spots, or a tendency toward bruising. For others, estrogen levels drop while male hormone levels, such as testosterone, remain the same, which can prompt acne breakouts.