Dr Nike Bello, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, says 75 per cent of women in menopause will have cold feet, insomnia and night sweat.
Bello told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ibadan that these were three common symptoms of menopausal transition which women and their spouses needed to understand.
She hinged the cold feet on the poor circulation of blood, adding that a number of factors could contribute to this.
Bello said lowered hormone levels in menopause could result in slower circulation which could cause a tingling sensation in the feet.
The consultant, who defined insomnia as inability to sleep through out the night, said women could wake up in the early hours of the morning during pre-menopause in particular.
“ It is often the case that after waking up, women will experience night sweats, ‘’ Bello said.
She said night sweats were known in medical parlance as “sleep hyperhydrosis” and were episodes of excessive nocturnal perspiration with the symptoms ranging from mild to severe.
“The symptoms can often wake a woman from her sleep and as such prove a real irritant to many sufferers.
“In some cases, they impact upon a woman’s daily activities if she is tired and lacking energy from a poor night’s sleep,” Bello said.
The consultant said hormonal imbalance was thought to be the main reason for the occurrence.
“During menopausal transition, the body produces less estrogen and this can trick the hypothalamus (the part of the brain that regulates body temperature) into thinking that the body is too hot.
“In response, it sets off a variety of physiological reactions that result in the symptoms of night sweats,” she said.
Bello recommended some treatment options to tackle the disorders which included getting up and taking a walk round the bed room.
She said this was in order to restore circulation and tire victims out so that they would readily fall back to sleep.
Others included eating balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables to improve circulation, keeping the bedroom cool and engaging in exercise some three hours leading to sleep.
Bello also recommended establishing a good sleep pattern by going to bed at regular times, wearing light pyjamas or sleeping naked and not eating two hours before going to bed. (NAN)
留言