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Fab at 50 – Glitchy Hormones Be Gone

Tired, upset, feeling low, wanting to hide away and wishing the days away, yes we all feel like that sometimes. Some of it is down to our pesky hormones too. Who knew they were going to be so troublesome for us as we get older? It’s not fair, it really isn’t.

It is, however, sometimes down to the ever present challenge of ageing. Some people accept it gracefully, others feel down and miserable, and a few just want to hibernate and wish the world would go away.

Sometimes, knowing why we feel so bad, can help us get out groove back. Perhaps our bodies aren’t as good as they used to be, or the mirror shows an older face beaming back at us, but here’s a little reminder of what happens to us as we hit that mid life hormonal challenge.

It didn’t happen overnight. In our thirties and forties, our hormones start to ebb and flow, and the per-menopause can begin to bite. Yes, it can be as early as that. I entered peri-menopause in my early thirties and was fully menopausal before my mid thirties, so although it’s usually older, those pesky hormones can strike early as egg reserves dwindle. With eggs beginning to run out, our bodies may miss out a cycle of ovulation here and there, meaning that stress levels can rise and weight gain/inflammation can rear its’ ugly head.

In our later forties and early fifties, nobody bats an eyelid at a lady flushing and blushing, as it’s acknowledged silently, without as much as a wink or a blink, that a hormonal woman may be going through the ‘change.’

Thinking back to my own history, one day I remember vividly, still makes me cringe. In my thirties, early menopausal hot flushes rose from my toes to reach the top of my head in frequent rolling waves of unpleasantness. I used to be adept at excusing myself before it got past my stomach and elbows, heading up to my armpits.

In an office environment, it is often quite easy to sidestep for a few minutes and avoid being a sweaty betty in public, but at times, it can be quite an embarrassment. I was talking to a male colleague and with no escape route, I felt a hot flush begin to surf up and out. The colleague had a big issue that needed dealt with urgently, and I couldn’t concentrate on what was being said, for trying to hold my breath and attempt to mentally banish the hot flush back into my ground rooted boots.

The hot flush hit my cheeks with the force of a mini tsunami. With no escape, and two people manning the door behind, it got to my forehead, at which point, my colleague looked mildly horrified and stumbled over his words. He’d obviously thought I fancied him……. Bless!! The point is, that if I’d been in my late forties or fifties, he might have offered to get me a glass of water, open a window and understood what was going on. I gave up on decorum, reached for a few pieces of paper, swiftly folded them in half to fan my face, and apologised for the early menopausal heebiejeebies!!!!

That was the point I decided that honestly is the best policy when in a pickle where the menopause is concerned. There really is NO hiding it if hot flushes are your big go to symptom…

The pesky oestrogen and progesterone hormones causes loads of symptoms as they begin to get out of balance. Although symptoms differ from person to person and in intensity too, there are some common issues that can point towards our hormones making us enter a challenging phase.

  • Period problems.
  • Hot flushes (see point 1).
  • High cortisol and increasing stress responses.
  • Low mood.
  • Sleep disturbances.
  • Low libido.
  • Anxiety.
  • Brain fog (see trying to suppress a hot flush in point 1, and everyone else thinking brain fog 🙂
  • Thyroid issues.
  • Weight gain.
  • Dry skin.
  • Joint pain.

Barrelling through the peri menopause is one thing, but living in full menopause is a totally different thing. There are opotions nowadays. HRT didn’t work for me, but it does help lots of people avoid being in the situation I found myself in with the hot flush above. To do that, you have to see a GP and have your hormone levels tested, to make sure your issues really are with your hormone levels. It was quite a blow so young in my thirties, to find out that I’d entered full menopause, but at least I had a reason for my symptoms.

Managing stress and learning to live with life changes is another way to help us cope. There will be times we will be on top of it, and times some of us aren’t. We know the goal is to exercise, eat well and take the right supplements, and sometimes we recognise mental health needs adjusting to reduce stress levels too.

If you are looking at reducing stress levels, treatment below can have a good effect on wellbeing, to relax the body and promote calm mood and relaxing sleep.

  • Indian head massage.
  • Facials.
  • Reflexology.
  • Reiki.
  • Hand and Foot Massage.
  • Meditation.

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I have a medical condition, can you still treat me?

The answer to this isn’t cut and dried.  It will depend on the treatment, your condition and the length of time your condition may affect you for.   I’ve had many disappointed clients at the point of consultation due to a medical condition making them unsuitable for treatment or requiring a letter from a GP to go ahead, but my answer to them is always the same.  If I carry out a treatment that has a negative impact or affects the treatment they are receiving from another therapist or a medical practitioner, I could do more damage to their health by continuing the treatment.

Please don’t be offended if we ask you to take a letter to your GP or consultant for their permission to go ahead with a treatment.

Common conditions are:

Skin Conditions

  • Both eczema and psoriasis are ok for most treatments, unless they directly affect the area to be treated, for example affecting the eyes when you want your lashes tinted.  It would not be appropriate to carry out that treatment, while a reflexology treatment may be perfectly suitable if the lower limb area is not affected.
  • Rosacea and acne do not usually stop treatments, unless you are being treated by a topical skin treatment, at which time we would rather you wait until your practitioner tells you it is ok to receive treatments.
  • Fungal infections such as athlete’s foot and ringworm would mean the area affected cannot be treated until it has cleared up completely.
  • Verrucas and wards would cause the affected area to be untreatable, however would not hinder other treatments.
  • Rashes will depend on where they are and what the causes are.  Speak to your GP.

Infections

  • colds, flu, cough and bronchitis tend to make you feel bad, so it’s not a good idea to have a treatment.
  • infectious diseases: please remain at home until you are fully better.
  • fever: please remain at home until you are free from illness, as you have an infection in your body.

Cancer

Dependent on your condition, however if you are under treatment, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, we are unable to treat you unless your GP writes to us and lets us know a therapy is suitable for you.

Pregnancy

In the first trimester, we cannot treat you.  For those after 12 weeks, there are still treatments we cannot carry out.  Lash treatments are unsuitable, as are products with chemicals and scents, due to pregnant women being unable to take antihistamine medication in the event of an adverse reaction.

Other Conditions

  • lice, scabies or other:  please do not come for treatment until you are fully clear of the conditions.
  • unusual conditions: please refer to your GP
  • undiagnosed lumps and bumps: please refer to your GP

Your Therapist

Please remember, that if you arrive for an appointment with a contra indicated condition, ie one that we cannot treat you for, and you have not disclosed that, we cannot fill that space and reserve the right to charge for a portion of that treatment.  Cancelling your appointment has a monetary loss of value for us, but we don’t want to put you at risk.

Please do not be angry with us for asking you to go and see your GP, it is for your own benefit, to ensure you do not receive a treatment that may make your health condition worse.