Health conference looks to destigmatise menopause

Women were promised that the fifth Annual Menopause Conference would be a celebration of menopause, a celebration of their “second spring” and the Women’s Holistic Health Centre recently delivered on that promise at Lexham House, the Garrison. 

Females in attendance were regaled with dancing meditations, mindful meditation, poetry reading and singing. The common sentiment shared among them was that it was indeed an enjoyable and informative evening.

Dr. Sandra Bynoe of The Women’s Holistic Health Centre said that over two hundred women registered for the conference and given the rainy conditions last Saturday, she was quite pleased to have half that number show up. “We started this journey in 2017 in a small room at the Courtyard Marriott with 30 women. Our intention was to destigmatize and remove the taboo around menopause and seeing the response to this conference, I think we have done just that,” Bynoe said. 

The conference was opened by Dr. Sonia Browne, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Dr. Browne kept the crowd entertained with a beautiful poem she composed for the event based on her own personal experience and those of her patients and friends. She expressed her commitment to working with Dr. Bynoe to have a wider selection of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) medication on the drug formulary. 

Bynoe, a consultant obstetrician/gynaecologist and certified menopause specialist, continued the theme of poetry and shared a poem by Caribbean poet Derek Walcott entitled, “Love after Love”, a poem that speaks to the beauty of self-love and finding oneself again. “If it’s one thing we women are trained to do, it is putting the needs of others before our own. We are trained to be good wives, daughters and sisters. It is time that we understand that we are the most important person in our own lives. It is time to change the narrative, the more we honour ourselves, the more we teach our sons and daughters to honour who they are. It begins with us,” Bynoe said.

Bynoe told her audience, “you are not going mad and you are not alone.” She explained that estrogen which declines during menopause was key for energy production in the brain. “It pushes the brain cells to use glucose to make energy. High estrogen means high brain energy and low estrogen equates to low brain energy. This partially explains why we suffer from insomnia, anxiety, depression and mood swings, lack of concentration and brain fog. The other symptoms of menopause: irregular heavy periods, hot flashes, night sweats, decreased libido also contribute to the anxiety and depression,” she said. 

The medical professional highlighted the link between menopause and dementia. She explained that in general women have more problems sleeping and noted that sleep disturbances are associated with a higher incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s later in life. She emphasized that the brain uses the time when persons are asleep to detoxify itself. When the brain is not able to do this, as a result of chronic insomnia, the end result is brain shrinkage and loss of cognitive function. She shared other tips to help with brain health, including good nutrition and exercise, highlighting that women who lead a sedentary lifestyle have a 30 per cent risk of developing Alzheimer’s. 

Bynoe, who is also a certified mind body medicine practitioner, emphasized that chronic stress also has deleterious effects on the brain leading to brain shrinkage. Stress, she said, leads to increased cortisol levels. Chronic high cortisol is a major risk factor associated with the development of dementia. 

She then led the audience in a dancing meditation, an effective way of dealing with stress. She shared that studies have demonstrated that meditation reduces the level of cortisol therefore improving brain health. A number of attendees later shared that they were unaware that dancing was a form of meditation.

In the second half of the conference Dr. Bynoe discussed some myths around HRT, sharing that vaginal estrogen, which is used to treat the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (vaginal dryness, burning, soreness and discomfort in the vagina, recurrent urinary tract infections and urinary leakage) was incredibly safe and does not carry any risk of developing breast cancer or blood clots. There was therefore no reason for women to put their sex life on hold because of vaginal dryness.

She highlighted that the HRT currently on the market comes in different formulations and is a safe and effective option for most women. Several alternatives to HRT were discussed, such as black cohosh and red clover. She explained that even though these were not as efficacious as HRT, they could
provide some measure of relief. She ended by advising women not to suffer in silence and to seek help.

Melanie Brancker, a certified nutritionist, reinforced the importance of a healthy diet in the maintenance of brain health. She discussed the importance of hydration, anti-oxidants and omega-3 fatty acids as well as diets such as the Mediterranean diet which is rich in phytol-estrogens.

Nathalie Golding, a master practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, lead a discussion on the importance of nurturing one’s inner child, which helps in reducing anxiety. Golding added: “Menopause is a time of self-transformation.  Every story is unique and different. For those who may be feeling anxiety and depression you are not alone.  Seek out help and be open to visit a therapist or coach to help you understand yourself better. Menopause may break you down but it will build you back up stronger and more balanced.”

Anne Bancroft, a meditation and Qi Gong specialist, gave a practical introductory mindfulness meditation and Qi Gong session that explored integrated mind body secular techniques that work with what arises in the body and mind during this time with gentle awareness, compassion and fortitude. 

(PR)