Is It Hot in Here? Or Is It Me? The Complete Guide to Menopause
Author: Pat Wingert
At last, a deeply optimistic guide to all the long, often mysterious years of menopause • the role of hormones and the controversy over hormone therapy • the truth about hot flashes . . . and how to deal with one in the middle of a meeting • the impact on sexuality and how to counteract that wavering libido. There are chapters on memory (how to protect it), moods (how to ride them out), and sleep (how to get what you need). And finally, why this period can be a natural springboard to staying healthy, feeling great, and looking beautiful for that next act in your life.
Publishers Weekly
Workman's enviable success with the classic pregnancy "bible" What to Expect When You're Expecting has no doubt sparked this guide, which claims to do for those at midlife what Heidi Murkoff's series has done for pregnant women. The company has tapped two respected Newsweek health writers for this map to everything a woman might encounter before, during and after menopause. An attractive, user-friendly format with sidebars, charts, illustrations and q&as guides readers through hundreds of pages of material. Chapters progress from the basics (types of menopause, onset and duration, testing); hormonal changes and their impact on sleep, sex, moods and memory; and lifestyle (diet, exercise, stress); to heart and bone health, cancer, treatment options and medications. As Wingert and Kantrowitz point out, we've come a long way from when symptoms associated with menopause included "uncontrollable peevishness" and "perversion of moral instincts," yet many women remain reticent about their experiences, fear aging and feel incapable of the new challenges presented by their bodies along with the rest of their obligations. Such readers will welcome Wingert and Kantrowitz's inclusion of suggestions for self-care and their positive focus on what, they say, can be a healthy and productive time in a woman's life. (Feb.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Menopause is a natural part of a woman's life cycle. Although most women go through it with few difficulties, for others the "change of life" is a debilitating experience. Baby boomer women reaching midlife are eager to manage their own menopausal experience, and Wingert and Kantrowitz, who cover women's issues for Newsweek, offer an in-depth guide to major menopausal complaints: hot flashes, sleep disorders, sexual dysfunction, bleeding, and mood and memory changes. There is also information on midlife health issues like osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancer, as well as evidence-based discussions of available treatment options. Q&A sections, case studies, material on what to tell your daughter, memory tests, and "Looking Good" beauty tips, combined with the writers' reader-friendly, authoritative tone, make this book an outstanding addition to menopause and midlife health collections. Highly recommended for all health and women's health collections. (Resources, appendixes, and indexes not seen.)-Karen Bensing, Benjamin Rose Lib., Cleveland Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
What People Are Saying
“Required reading for women wanting to maximize the second half of their lives . . . up-to-date, readable, and comprehensive.” —Wulf H. Utian, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Director and President, The North American Menopause Society
Table of Contents:
Foreword Bernadine Healy, M.D. vWhy We Wrote This Book xi
The Basics 1
What's Happening? 3
Mirror images: the beginning and end of menstruation
When does the menopause transition begin?
The stages of menopause
The different kinds of menopause (natural, induced, early)
Menopause in the animal world
How long does it take? Can it be temporary?
Hormones and your reproductive life
Are you out of eggs?
What's normal and what's not
Do menopause tests work?
Can menopause be reversed?
The pill and perimenopause
Late pregnancies
Estrogen in your body after menopause
An ending and a beginning
The Hormone Question 25
All about estrogen
A primer: pills, creams, patches, shots, bioidenticals
A history of hormone therapy and how it came to be part of every doctor's arsenal
The importance of the Women's Health Initiative
The dilemma of contradicting studies
How to understand news about medical research
Why you might still want to try hormones and what you need to know to make your decision
When is the best time to start hormones?
Hormone therapy and cancer: What are the risks?
Does estrogen cause weight gain or make you look younger?
Alternative treatments that might help and some that don't
Plus: Case studies of five women who made the decision
What You're Feeling Now 53
Hot Flashes 55
How and why you get them
Anatomy of a flash
Why some women are frequent flashers and othersnever break a sweat
How to feel better with and without drugs
Hot flash fashions
Do fat women flash more than skinny ones?
What if it's not menopause?
How long will a hot flash last?
How hot is a hot flash?
Why do you shiver afterwards?
The "emergency" kit every working menopausal woman should keep in her desk drawer
Tracking triggers
Does exercise help or hurt?
Can antidepressants work?
Relief without an Rx
Sleep 71
Why insomnia often strikes now
The role of estrogen
Snoring: a sign of trouble?
Common sleep disorders
How to finally get the rest you need
Setting the mood for sleep
Why a glass of wine before bed won't do the trick
Foods that can keep you up and ones that make you sleepy
Is it depression?
Sex before bed (or not)
Why you're beating a path to the bathroom
Keeping a sleep diary
Physical problems that rob you of sleep
Hot and cold couples
The role of exercise
Sleeping pills and natural remedies
Sex 93
The rise and fall of libido
How to improve your sex life
Body changes that can make sex more painful
Getting expert help
Sex toys and where to buy them
Hormone therapy and libido
Why orgasm can be elusive
New thinking on women and sexual dysfunction
What you need to know about testosterone
Could Viagra be the answer?
Better-than-ever orgasms
The thrill is gone, and that's fine with me
How to fix lubrication problems
The connection between allergies and vaginal dryness
Vaginal estrogen cream and your partner
Alternative treatments
Yeast infections and how to fight them
Starting to date again
Why contraception and safe sex still matter
The right way to Kegel
Bleeding during sex
The depression-sex connection
Hysterectomy and sex drive
Chemo and libido
Sex after radiation
What's in the medicine chest?
What if it's his problem, not yours?
What you need to know about sexually transmitted diseases
Bleeding 135
Irregular bleeding and how you know when you need to go to the doctor
What does heavy bleeding really mean?
Causes of irregular bleeding
Could it be cancer?
Fibroids and how to treat them
What you can expect at the doctor's office
How to talk to your doctor about bleeding problems
What you should know about the newest procedures and medications
Should you worry about anemia?
Is the pill the answer?
Nonhormonal treatments that may work
Sex and bleeding
The pros and cons of hysterectomies
Should you try and keep your ovaries?
Why your uterus may be falling and what to do about it
Postmenopausal bleeding: a primer
Aches and Pains 161
A top-to-bottom compendium
Menstrual migraines and morning headaches: What they mean and new treatments for both
Burning mouth syndrome
What your gums reveal about your hormone levels
Thyroid problems: too much and too little
Can low thyroid make you fat?
To treat or not to treat: the debate over thyroid therapy
Torn rotator cuff
Frozen shoulder
Breast tenderness
Morning stiffness
Joints 101
Beating arthritis
Talking to your doctor about incontinence
Foot problems and buying shoes that fit
Moods and Emotions 193
Singing the menopause blues?
The hormone/mood connection
The depression spectrum
Lowering your risk for mood disorders
PMS, perimenopause, and depression: Are they linked?
Hot flashes, sleep, and mood
The role of stress and how to manage it
Toxic marriages
Cultural influences on mood at menopause
Thyroid disease and depression
The science of happiness
Evaluating different treatments
Can you Botox your troubles away?
Rx: a new job?
Help! Antidepressants are killing my libido
Can hormone therapy help?
Could progesterone be the problem?
Bipolar disorder and hormone therapy
Anxiety disorders at midlife
Why you may be more vulnerable to panic attacks
Could it be more than depression?
Late-onset schizophrenia
Will schizophrenia worsen?
Thinking and Memory 227
The anatomy of your brain at midlife
Types of memory problems
Feeling out-to-lunch during the menopause transition
What is Alzheimer's?
Depression and memory
Common causes of memory loss
Hot flashes and concentration
ADD in adults
Chemo brain
Losing your car keys: a sign of Alzheimer's?
The role of stress
Hormones and dementia: what we've learned from the Women's Health Initiative
Reading problems
Surgical menopause and memory
Maintain your brain
Strategies for improving memory
How exercise helps your body and your mind
What's diet got to do with it?
The importance of being social
Mind games
Staying Healthy Forever 251
Bones 253
Estrogen loss and weak bones
Getting your daughter to build bone mass now
Getting tested
Who's at greatest risk for osteoporosis?
Calcium: from food or supplements?
Why vitamin D matters
You can be too thin
The role of race and ethnicity
Teeth and bones
Inside your medicine chest: medications for bone health
Do statins and cancer drugs protect bones?
Concern about radiation
Alternative treatments
Is heredity destiny?
Exercises to strengthen your bones and improve flexibility and balance
Eyes and Ears 293
When did the menu print get so small, and why is everybody mumbling?
Dry eyes
Estrogen, testosterone, and your eyes
Buying reading glasses that don't look frumpy: a guide
Behind your specs: makeup tips
Do you need bifocals?
Why nighttime driving has gotten harder
Sun exposure and eye health
Preserving your vision as you get older
Hormone therapy and hearing loss
How loud is too loud?
Alternatives to visible hearing aids
Turn down your iPod!
Heart 315
The #1 killer of women
Why your symptoms may be different from his
Cholesterol 101
Risk factors for heart disease
Estimating your risk and how to lower it
The controversial role of hormone therapy
Using the new food labels
Antioxidants and free radicals
Exercise, exercise, exercise
How heart disease affects your whole body
Cancer 335
What you need to know about breast, ovarian, endomentrial, cervical, lung, colorectal, bladder, vulvar, vaginal cancer
Keeping an eye out for symptoms
Hormones and cancer: where they meet
Cancer detectives: maximizing the benefits of mammograms, Pap tests, colonoscopies
The effect of menopause and age on your risk profile
Why pregnancy and breast feeding protect against breast cancer
Does the pill make a difference?
Is hormone therapy an option after cancer?
Hormone therapy and cancer: a mixed bag
What you should know about breast self-examinations
When is it a tumor and when is it just a cyst?
What you can do to improve your odds
Lowering your risk by losing weight
The pros and cons of progesterone
The search for an effective ovarian cancer screen
The cervical cancer vaccine and what it means for you
Dealing with menopause and cancer at the same time
Diet and Exercise 377
Does BMI matter?
Good fats and bad fats
Can supplements keep you healthy?
Why your belly is suddenly bigger
Battling bloated portions
Dairy and dieting
Vegetarians and menopause
The myths and realities: from blueberries to chocolate
How to lose weight at midlife
Exercises and recipes to keep you fit and strong into your 80s and beyond
Looking Good 423
Aging skin
Looking younger longer
Assessing sun damage
Smoking and premature aging
Are high-priced skin creams worth the extra money?
Adult acne
Hormone therapy and wrinkles
Makeup tips
Nail health
Fixing varicose veins
Bust boosters
Buying a bra that really fits
Less hair on your head, more on your chin: what to do
Endnote 447
Appendix I 451
Appendix II 477
Acknowledgments 491
Index 499
Go to: Plimoth Colony Cook Book or A Slice of Kentucky
Alzheimer's Disease: A Guide for Families and Caregivers
Author: Lenore Powell
When people suffer from Alzheimer's disease, their family and friends usually must care for them and make decisions on their behalf, tasks that can be emotionally and physically draining. Backed by solid medical information about the specifics of the disease-from early signs, testing, and diagnosis to treatments and long-term care-this comprehensive guide will help family and caregivers alike be better prepared for the unique challenges ahead of them. An invaluable resource, Alzheimer's Disease explains how to cope with the many feelings provoked by the disease and provides practical care advice including ways to communicate and to make life safe and comfortable for the Alzheimer's patient.
New York Times
Excellent.... Indispensable.
American Journal of Psychiatry
A wonderful primer, an introduction for families new to Alzheimer's disease.... Captures the full impact of the illness on caregivers and...provides valuable assistance and direction.
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