Highlights of this issue

◎  Health challenges and maintenance guides for women in 3 different stages

◎  Adolescence keywords: menstruation, reproductive organ development, infectious diseases

◎  Reproductive period keywords: fertility, breast, reproductive organ maintenance

◎   Menopause/senile period keywords: menopause, gynecological tumors, urinary

Many businesses call today “Queen’s Day” or “Goddess Day”, but in fact women do not have to become queens or goddesses. “Women” itself is a very beautiful word. Contemporary women are playing more and more roles. In addition to being daughters, wives, and mothers, they are also shining in different fields and in different professions, injecting a more comprehensive vitality and beauty into the entire female group.

The social, cultural and medical definition of “women” is: any female aged 14 to 16 years old or above could be called a woman.

This age stage is when most women experience their first menstruation and their unique physiological characteristics begin to develop rapidly. After that, a series of physical and mental health issues unique to women will accompany a woman throughout her life. On this special day, the best gift you can give to the important women around you, and the best care women can give themselves, should be a concern for health.

In this article, Dianhetang will talk about the physical and mental health problems and coping solutions faced by women from the three most important stages of a woman’s life, to cheer for women’s health! You may wish to save it for yourself, or forward it to your female elders and friends.

Stage 1: Adolescence (14-25 years old)

Women at this stage will experience many firsts, including the first menstrual period, the first significant physical change, the first love, the first time leaving home to study, the first time entering the workplace… .These many firsts often bring many physical and mental health challenges to women at this stage. Paying attention to this stage will lay a solid foundation for women’s health.

Physical health challenges

During this period, women’s bodies develop rapidly, mainly marked by the development of reproductive organs and the beginning of secondary sexual characteristics. During this stage, a particularly critical health issue for women is:

Menstrual care + good development of reproductive organs + prevention of infectious diseases
With the onset of menstruation, women are prone to problems such as irregular menstruation, abnormal menstrual flow, secondary amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea or functional uterine bleeding. Some women even have no ovulation cycle after menarche. During the development of reproductive organs, women often face problems such as incomplete development of ovaries and uterus and abnormal functions caused by various internal and external factors.

The health of reproductive organs such as ovaries and uterus not only affects women’s fertility, but also has an important impact on the normal operation of women’s entire endocrine system, the health of skin and hair, as well as cardiopulmonary function and physical strength.

In addition, men and women at this stage often fall in love. If boys and girls lack perfect sex education during their growth, women are likely to suffer from various gynecological inflammations and sexually transmitted diseases due to lack of awareness of scientific contraception and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, or experience artificial abortion and cause great damage to the body. If these injuries affect the normal development of women’s reproductive organs and often put them in an inflammatory state, then women’s health in the second half of their lives will be burdened.

Mental health challenges

At this stage, women will gradually face the busyness of school, the adaptation problems of transitioning from campus to the workplace, and major issues such as life direction and life partner selection. In addition, due to the lack of life experience, they are likely to face psychological challenges such as lack of security, shyness, anxiety, and emotional ups and downs.

Some psychological counselors suggest that women at this age are in a period of rapid development both physically and mentally. If they do not adjust themselves properly and the guidance and support given by their relatives, friends and teachers is insufficient, it is easy for their emotional problems to evolve into mental illness.

For example, women at this stage pay more attention to their appearance. Most young women have a certain body anxiety. If this anxiety cannot be well relieved and transformed, it may cause women’s eating disorders, and severe cases may cause them to suffer from bulimia and anorexia, which will then cause great harm to their physical health.

Stage Care Guide

The second stage: childbearing period (26-45 years old)

This stage can be said to be the most complex period for women’s social identities. They are daughters, wives, mothers, subordinates, and superiors… Each identity may contain some happiness, novelty, pressure, and bitterness. In addition, most women experience the great changes in their body and mind brought about by childbirth during this stage. Balancing so many identities and the trivialities behind them is indeed a great test for women to protect their health.

Physical health challenges

During this period, women’s bodies have matured and the state of their reproductive organs has gradually declined from the peak period. The main health issues for women at this stage are:

Fertility care + breast care + reproductive organ care
Generally speaking, common effects of childbirth on the female body include vaginal relaxation, breast sagging, mastitis, varying degrees of sagging of internal organs, rectus abdominis separation, urinary incontinence, and decreased bone density. The extent of these effects is related to each woman’s specific physical fitness, childbearing age, and whether adequate care is provided before and after childbirth.

During this stage, the gradual aging of the uterus and ovaries and the overall decline of female body functions, coupled with the physical and mental burden of multiple identities on women, will also bring women health problems such as irregular menstruation, chronic gynecological inflammation, spots and acne, premature ovarian failure, and premature menopause.

Mental health challenges

Young and middle-aged women play an important role in educating children, maintaining the family, and raising the elderly. They are under considerable economic and family pressures, and the probability of developing psychological problems increases accordingly.

During the two special periods before and after childbirth, women are prone to prenatal/postnatal depression due to the change of identity and sudden changes in hormones; and the confrontation during the child’s rebellious period mostly occurs in the relationship with the mother. Women at this time may be experiencing the physical changes brought about by the early menopause, and the psychological pressure caused by this tense conflict on women cannot be underestimated; at this stage, because both men and women are experiencing the midlife crisis, women are also more likely to face various problems arising from intimate relationships, which need to be taken seriously by themselves and their families.

Stage Care Guide

Body

1、Nutritional supplements during special periods

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should pay attention to supplementing the nutrients they need, such as folic acid, protein, calcium, iron, dietary fiber, etc., and should follow the doctor’s advice. This is not only for the health of the fetus, but also for the health of the women themselves. Lack of nutrition during pregnancy is likely to cause women to have nutritional anemia, osteomalacia and other health problems.

2、Emphasis on postpartum recovery

Fertility care not only includes the preparation for pregnancy and the pregnancy period, but also includes the postpartum recovery period of six months to one year after delivery. Many women and their families do not pay enough attention to postpartum care, which may cause poor uterine contraction, pelvic floor muscle relaxation, and rectus abdominis separation to fail to be repaired in time. If the repair effect of these problems is delayed for too long, it will be greatly affected.

3、Pay attention to breast care

The most common breast diseases are breast hyperplasia, breast nodules, breast cancer, breast fibroids, etc. Affected by lifestyle and hormone changes, breast diseases are more likely to occur in women between the ages of 30 and 45. Therefore, women at this stage should pay more attention to properly choosing comfortable and supportive underwear, avoid staying up late, avoid stimulating foods, be careful not to hunch over, and do not squeeze the breasts when sleeping.

4、Daily dredging

In fact, congestion occurs throughout life, but with age, physical function decline, and the influence of bad living habits, the occurrence of congestion will be greatly aggravated. The root cause of many women’s health problems is actually congestion. For example, when microcirculation disorders, ovaries, and fallopian tubes are blocked, it will lead to abnormal uterine and ovarian function and appear:① Dysmenorrhea and menstrual disorders can manifest as abnormal menstrual cycle, menstrual period, and menstrual volume;② Infertility or ectopic pregnancy;③ Adenomyosis, endometriosis, back pain, premature menopause, premature ovarian failure or worsening menopausal symptoms;④ The so-called uterine cold is also caused by congestion.  Skin problems and breast problems in women are mostly caused by blockages in various parts of the body. Therefore, it is very important for women to pay attention to daily dredging from this stage. [1]（See the notes at the bottom of the article for how to desilt）

5、Regular medical check-ups

The health problems faced by women during this period are the most complex and diverse, and there is a contradiction that as physical functions decline, social responsibilities become increasingly heavy. Many women’s health problems break out during this period, so it is important to develop the habit of regular physical examinations, so that even if health abnormalities occur, you can grasp the golden treatment period in time.

Psychology

The psychological problems of women at this stage are not only caused by simple cognition and thinking methods, but also brought about by solid life pressure. Therefore, consciously organizing their own resources and arranging family, work and other related matters more reasonably can directly reduce the psychological pressure caused by this. For example, part of the household affairs can be outsourced to professionals, so that women can focus their energy on what they are best at and what is most important. Ensure the three-dimensionality of the social circle（That is, multi-dimensional interpersonal relationships including family, colleagues, friends, and like-minded people）It can avoid the extreme sense of loss that women may feel due to a single emotional sustenance.Women with financial resources can also receive regular psychological counseling if needed, which can more effectively help them relieve stress and maintain a good mental health level.

Stage 3: Menopause/Aging (Age 46+)

Women in this stage are experiencing menopause, withdrawing from the social stage and returning to the family. Although their social status and responsibilities are gradually decreasing compared to the previous stage, and appearance issues are becoming less of a problem, the society does not pay enough attention to this part of women, resulting in many physical and mental health problems of middle-aged and elderly women becoming their own secrets…

Physical health challenges

As aging approaches, the main health issues for women at this stage are:

Menopausal care + gynecological tumor protection + urinary health management
Menopause is a process that every woman must go through, but the severity and duration of symptoms shown by each woman may be different. Paying attention to health management during menopause can minimize the impact of this stage on women’s body and mind.

With the increase of age, the risk of reproductive organ cancer faced by women is also increasing year by year. Diet, living habits, emotions, etc. have a certain impact on the incidence of tumors. The prevention of gynecological tumors needs to be implemented from all aspects.

Another particularly common health problem for middle-aged and elderly women is urinary health problems. Due to improper care during the production stage of some women and the lack of attention to silt removal throughout the middle and young ages, women’s problems of urinary incontinence, frequent urination and urgency will gradually appear or worsen after the age of 40 or 50. However, since many women lack awareness of this and have a strong shame mentality, these urinary symptoms may continue to worsen.

Mental health challenges

The reduction of social responsibilities can bring people not only “relief”, but also the “sense of emptiness” of having nothing to do. If women fail to rebuild a rich and regular new life after retirement, they are very likely to develop various psychological problems due to the sudden huge sense of gap; and the many physiological changes in elderly women can easily cause anxiety problems. For example, the poor communication caused by deafness may make elderly women lack a sense of collective identity; the shame mentality mentioned above may also cause anxiety and depression and even mental illness.

Stage Care Guide

Women’s health is like a delicate flower that needs to be carefully guarded at all times. On this anniversary dedicated to women, I would like to say to all women: “Thank you for your hard work!”.

I hope that women of any age can appreciate the vitality or wisdom of their own specific stage, and remind themselves again of the importance of “loving themselves”. I hope that all women’s lives will shine on the premise of health!

 Women’s Day 

Dianhetang wishes you a happy Women’s Day!

Knowledge Development

[1] How to desilt daily Good eating and exercise habits often cannot achieve a thorough and complete desilting effect. To achieve a thorough and comprehensive desilting effect, we should combine dispersing and nourishing. Based on the traditional medical wisdom of more than 2,000 years, and with the help of modern medical perspectives, we can summarize several Chinese medicinal raw materials that are particularly outstanding in dispersing, promoting blood circulation, removing dampness, promoting urination, clearing heat, and nourishing:

Bee pollen, dandelion, houttuynia, purslane, poria, platycodon, peach kernel

Among them, bee pollen is known as the “all-round nutritious food”, and the next six common plant raw materials are all items of food and medicine listed in Appendix 1 《List of Items That Are Both Food and Medicine》 in the 《Notice on Further Standardizing the Management of Health Food Ingredients》promulgated by the Ministry of Health, and are suitable for daily use.

However, it is best for ordinary people not to formulate their own medicines. It is difficult for ordinary people to grasp the ratio of medicinal flavors, they do not have a deep understanding of pharmacology, and it is difficult for them to distinguish the quality of medicinal materials. Moreover, the effects of medicinal materials are not simply additive. It is also difficult for ordinary people to know whether different raw materials will produce certain toxicity when combined together. Therefore, formulation and prescription still require the help of professional forces.

[2]How congestion causes urinary problems When microcirculation disorders occur in the detrusor muscle, sphincter and other parts of the urinary system such as the bladder and urethra, blood supply to the corresponding muscles will be blocked, nutrition and oxygen supply will be insufficient, and metabolites will be blocked, causing muscle relaxation or edema, impaired function, and blocked toxins to stimulate and compress nerves, leading to muscle dysfunction, resulting in severe symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency, incomplete urination, incontinence, and nocturia.