Bright Pictures/Visual China
Bright Pictures/Visual China
What does it mean to be a mother? It is the unregretted choice of pregnancy in October, the hard and hard nurturing, the concern of "leaving closely, fearing that it will be delayed", and the nagging of "meeting pity and thinness, and asking for hardships". The word "mother" is not only a beautiful title, but also carries endless love and tolerance.
As children grow up, their mothers are no longer young, and diseases begin to invade their bodies and minds. According to a survey by the World Health Organization, more than 96% of married women in mainland China suffer from different degrees of gynecological diseases, and the incidence of common gynecological diseases is more than 87.6%. In addition, many problems such as family chores, work pressure, children's education, and emotional management have gradually emerged.
"Whether as a woman or a mother, the most important thing for her is health and beauty." Ruan Xiangyan, director of the Department of Gynecology and Endocrinology at Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, sighed. So, what health care knowledge do women need to have in daily life? What diseases should women pay special attention to compared to men? How to make mothers have a more peaceful, happy and quality of life?
Estrogen is the "protector" of the female body
Recently, 53-year-old Aunt Wang has come to Beijing from her hometown in Hebei Province three times in a row to see a doctor. The first time was hospitalized to regulate blood pressure, the second time was knee pain that made it impossible to walk, and the third time was to worry that he had coronary heart disease.
"I have been unwell, and I have not found it after checking it in my hometown, so the doctor suggested that I go to a big hospital in Beijing to take a look." Speaking of this, Aunt Wang's tone was a little low, "My family will accompany me when they are free, but after a long time, they will also be impatient, thinking that I am overly worried and making a fuss." ”
There are not a few women like Aunt Wang who are going through menopause. According to statistics, menopause is more common in women aged 40 to 65, and about 80% of them will have symptoms such as menstrual disorders, hot flashes and sweating, palpitations and headaches. But in fact, the effects of menopause on the body go far beyond that.
In Ruan Xiangyan's eyes, to understand menopause, we must first understand the estrogen that escorts women's health and beauty.
"When a woman reaches puberty, the ovaries start to secrete estrogen. Estrogen can not only maintain women's secondary sexual characteristics, but also have strong protection for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health, smooth and bright skin, bone formation and many other aspects, and is a 'protector' for women's health. Ruan Xiangyan said, "When women enter the age of 40, the ovarian function gradually declines and cannot provide enough estrogen to nourish the body, menopausal symptoms will gradually appear." At present, the average age of menopause for women is 49 years old, while the average life expectancy of mainland women is 80 or 90 years old, it can be said that half of their lives are postmenopausal, and estrogen has a profound impact on women's quality of life. ”
In order to help women understand the importance of ovarian function and estrogen to health, Ruan Xiangyan edited the popular science book "Women Should Understand Endocrine". She said that many menopausal women do not realize that they are unwell due to the decrease in estrogen, "headaches, feet and feet", but have taken a lot of detours.
"If you have a prolonged or shortened menstrual cycle for more than 7 days twice in a row, or if you have unexplained sweating or irritability, you should come to the menopausal clinic or gynecological clinic for medical consultation, evaluation and treatment. A balanced diet, reasonable exercise, and a happy mood are all conducive to smooth menopause, but the most effective way is to supplement estrogen under the advice of a doctor, which can effectively reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, cognitive impairment and other diseases. She said.
As a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, during the two sessions of the National People's Congress this year, Ruan Xiangyan submitted a proposal to establish China's first national fertility protection center in Beijing with ovarian tissue cryopreservation, hoping to protect women's ovarian function with the help of modern medical technology.
"Every year, at least more than 1 million girls and women of childbearing age in the mainland lose their fertility due to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, aging is significantly earlier, and various chronic diseases may occur 10 or even 20 years earlier." Ovarian tissue cryopreservation technology is currently the only new technology that can effectively protect ovarian function and fertility, hoping to benefit more women, so that they can live a better quality of life and have the right to become mothers. She said.
Bone health is a lifelong "compulsory course" for women
In the outpatient clinic, common female diseases, such as gynecological inflammation, breast hyperplasia, uterine fibroids, menopausal syndrome and osteoporosis, are closely related to estrogen.
"Uterine fibroids and breast nodules are more common diseases in women entering the reproductive period, which is not unrelated to the current high physical examination rate of people." Jin Hongyan, deputy chief physician of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Peking University First Hospital, said that most uterine fibroids are in a harmless state, do not need to be too anxious, and regular follow-up observation is enough.
In Jin Hongyan's view, bone health is a lifelong "compulsory course" for women's health, but its importance is often overlooked. "Estrogen promotes bone formation and also reduces bone loss. Postpartum lactating and menopausal women are in a hypoestrogenic state, bone loss is significantly increased, and the incidence of osteoporosis is greatly increased. ”
"Some women have problems such as arm pain and back pain after giving birth, which is strain on the one hand, and osteopenia on the other hand." Jin Hongyan said that during pregnancy and lactation, the calcium and phosphorus needed for the growth and development of children are obtained by decomposing calcium in the mother's body, which is a "bone removal" process, and due to the low level of estrogen and high prolactin levels in the postpartum body, the mother's ability to renew calcium will deteriorate accordingly.
"In menopause, that is, perimenopause, with the decrease of estrogen, about 30% of women around the age of 50 will have osteopenia, and by the age of 65, about half of women have osteoporosis. Only 10% of men develop osteoporosis at age 65. Jin Hongyan explained that the reason is that the level of male and female hormones is different, "For example, if the decline of male male hormones is a 'slow slope', then the decline of female estrogen is 'diving'."
How to supplement calcium scientifically?
Jin Hongyan introduced that in terms of diet, women should eat more calcium-rich foods, such as drinking more milk, eating more canned fish with bones, and vanilla ice cream is also a good choice. It is also necessary to get more sun exposure so that vitamin D can be effectively supplemented. If osteoporosis has occurred, Jin Hongyan recommends weight-bearing exercises, such as moderate iron stroke, sandbag walking, tai chi, etc., to increase bone accumulation. In addition, calcium tablets and vitamin D can be taken when large doses of bone replacement are required.
"No matter how to supplement, it should be carried out under the advice and monitoring of doctors to avoid constipation, increased blood calcium, vitamin D poisoning and other situations." Jin Hongyan reminded.
"Generally speaking, when women reach the age of twenty-four or five, they should consciously supplement calcium." Jin Hongyan said that even at the age of seventy or eighty, there is a need to supplement calcium, which can help maintain bone mass and even slowly improve.
Fitness needs to be gradual to avoid sports injuries
In April last year, Domi's mother from Foshan, Guangdong, welcomed the birth of her daughter. "The arrival of the child added a lot of joy to the whole family, but after a caesarean section and scarring at the incision area, my body was out of shape, my weight soared, and I couldn't wear many clothes, and I felt like a mess." She recalled that after "unloading", her belly was still so large that she "couldn't even see her feet while standing".
A few months later, Domi's mother signed up for a Pilates class near her home. "In the first class, the teacher taught me how to breathe and tummy tumble, and I felt that I was slowly regaining my perception of the body, which was really good!" Although she is very busy taking care of her children, she insists on taking 1 hour a week to exercise, and while her body recovers, her mood gradually becomes more relaxed and cheerful.
Peng Wenjie is a professional yoga instructor in Beijing, and in her more than 5 years of experience, she has met many mothers who have had similar experiences. "Postpartum women usually have body anxiety. The average person will not gain dozens of pounds at once, but mothers not only have to face a sharp increase in weight, but also bear the pain of pubic symphysis separation, rectus abdominis muscle separation, pelvic floor muscle relaxation and other pains brought by childbirth. ”
How to eliminate "mother's belly", Peng Wenjie recommends postpartum repair through yoga training first, and then moderately increase aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise after a period of time. "Aerobic is fat loss, anaerobic is shaping, and the combination of the two can better improve body shape. Exercise can also produce dopamine, which helps blood circulation and transmits excitement and happy emotions, which can help women relieve body anxiety and promote physical and mental health. She reminded that postpartum mothers must be gradual when returning to exercise to avoid sports injuries, "seeing that others can do it, they feel that they can too, this 'comparison' mentality is not desirable."
What fitness activities can you do at home if you don't have a lot of exercise equipment at hand?
Yang Huaqing, director of the orthopedic department of Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, said that only a yoga mat or floor mat is needed to do exercises such as planks, sit-ups, and abdominal crunches. "Plank can exercise the whole body muscles, especially the strength of the core muscles, the training frequency is kept in one group for 30 seconds, and the rest between each group is 30 seconds, generally about 5 sets can be done. Sit-ups and crunches mainly exercise the abdominal muscles, and the sit-up movements should be standard, otherwise it is easy to suffer back injuries. Crunches are less damaging to the back and are more recommended for stay-at-home mothers. In Yang Huaqing's view, calisthenics is also a good fitness method, jumping 20 to 30 minutes a day calisthenics, you can achieve the effect of exercising the muscles of the whole body and improving cardiopulmonary function.
For middle-aged and elderly women, Yang Huaqing suggested that if sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis occur, they must insist on exercise, especially menopausal women should insist on 3 hours of exercise per week. "The principle of exercise is to find the exercise that suits you based on the differences in individual physiological state and motor function. Middle-aged women can try swimming, brisk walking, cycling, etc., and older women can practice exercises such as tai chi and five-bird play. Exercise intensity should be based on muscle soreness and fatigue after exercise and can be relieved the next day, if it does not relieve after rest, moderate reduction of exercise. ”
With the advent of summer, outdoor sports have become more and more choices for parent-child activities. Yang Huaqing reminded that warm up before exercise to prevent muscle and ligament strains; Eat moderately before exercise and avoid fasting exercise; During exercise, it is necessary to replenish water in time, do a small amount of many times, no more than 250 ml each time, and avoid drinking full at one time; Outdoor exercise should also pay attention to temperature changes and keep warm at any time to avoid getting cold after sweating.
To maintain mental health, women need more understanding and support
"Stay away from the children." When asked how to be a happy mother, Liu Xiaojing blurted out. Her child has just entered junior high school this year, and in her words, it is the "most abrasive" time, from academic performance to living habits, often making her feel that "life is a cultivation".
For Lin Xue, she can barely cope with the life of working during the day and taking the baby at night, and what makes her most irritable is that her husband can't help at home.
Bottlenecks in the workplace, family troubles, the pain of childbirth, the fatigue of parenting... When the pressure from all sides falls on them, and after superimposed physiological changes, many mothers feel that they have become "unhappy" and "physically and mentally exhausted".
According to the "2022 National Depression Blue Book", the proportion of depressed patients is as high as 68%, which is twice that of men. Due to women's unique physiological and psychological characteristics, emotional problems are more likely to occur in postpartum, menopause, menstruation, etc.
"Changes in female hormone levels are an important factor influencing changes in women's psychology. Women are accompanied by changes in hormone levels from puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, and drastic changes in hormones can lead to an increased risk of depression. Li Yihua, chief physician of the Department of Psychological Psychiatry of the Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, said that postpartum depression in women is very common, and the main factors include identity changes, breastfeeding, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship, past medical history, etc. "If postpartum depression occurs, mild to moderate patients can gradually recover their health through mindfulness therapy, psychological intervention, biofeedback stress reduction and other methods." If it is severe depression, accompanied by impairment of social functions such as inability to sleep, slow response, etc., and extreme thoughts appear, it is necessary to seek medical attention in time. ”
Li Yihua said that for menopausal women, if it is emotional anxiety and depression caused by physiological changes, it is recommended to solve it through physiological methods, such as timely supplementation of estrogen. Some women themselves are impatient and stubborn, and they will be more prominent at this stage.
"When menopause meets adolescence, it's troublesome." Li Yihua sighed, "Every parent hopes that their children will become dragons and phoenixes, and they have high hopes for their children, so their children's every move will affect the nerves of their parents." As a mother, you should continue to grow at different stages of life, including establishing a better parent-child relationship, finding a balance between work and family, and making yourself more inclusive and open-minded. ”
"In several special periods in life, women especially need more understanding and support from family and society, encourage them to talk out their troubles, take the initiative to seek professional help, and learn to relieve stress in various healthy ways." Jin Hongyan said that some depressed patients find it difficult to eliminate their "sense of shame", embarrassed or afraid to go to psychiatric hospitals, and more often choose to seek treatment in general hospitals. "In terms of medication refinement, psychiatrists will be more professional, so it is best to choose to consult in a specialist and follow up in a general hospital."
"Women should learn to take care of their hearts, listen to their needs, and share the pains and joys of family life with their spouses. Whether it is being a mother or a wife, it takes some great wisdom. Jin Hongyan said.
(Some respondents are pseudonyms)