How Mid-Life Women Can Face Issues of Health and Wellbeing

When women approach mid life, they generally need to start taking a closer look at their health and wellbeing. For some, it is just a matter of regular monitoring and making necessary lifestyle adjustments. However, for others, it may not be so simple and challenges may be more serious. The midlife woman’s health is very closely linked with her sense of wellbeing and this period of a woman’s life can turn out to be critical to long-term quality of life. Below are some of the issues a mid-life woman will have to face.
 Perimenopause: Midlife women may experience a range of symptoms including fatigue, hot flashes, sleeplessness, mood swings and other symptoms of hormonal changes,. Since, thyroid problems can mimic perimenopausal symptoms, certain types of tests may be needed to determine the root causes of these issues. Women can start feeling signs of menopause from as early as the age of 38.
 MidLife Crisis: Mid-life crisis has been the topic of many a comical film and dramatic presentation. Previously, it was viewed more as a male syndrome. However, over the years, it has been found that women suffer from mid-life crises as much as men.
 Breast and Gynecologic Health Issues: Annual pelvic and breast exams are critical for midlife women and mammograms are ordered according to both need and preventative health maintenance guidelines. Women between the ages of 35 and 40 are advised to have a 'baseline' mammogram, followed by an annual mammogram from the age of 40 onwards. The same goes for pelvic exams and pap smear tests. Mid-life women are advised to have a pap smear examination every year. Most people can say they know someone who has been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer. Women everywhere face the fear of diagnosis every year as they have their annual mammograms and physician examinations. Some mid-life women are survivors of women’s cancers.
 Anti-aging: This is a very popular conversation topic to the mid-life woman. The greatest discussion for this group of women is the need for a changing diet, typically one higher in protein. Every known cosmetic potion has been developed to help women to erase the signs of aging.
 Colon Health: At age 50, women are encouraged to start having colon screenings and bone scans for osteoporosis.
 Contraception Options: Mid-life women who are capable of bearing children also have to decide their cut-off point for having children and what method of contraception they will use to avoid becoming pregnant.
 Empty Nest or Full Nest Syndrome: It is said that mothers feel a greater sense of sadness after their children have left home to attend college, start careers or simply move away because children seem to need them less. They may feel lonely and have difficulty getting used to a quieter household. This is called empty nest syndrome. The inverse is sometimes true, in which case the mid-life woman has to cope with living under the same roof with young-adult children who are staying home for one reason or another when their peers are leaving.
 Coming to Terms with Fear: From childhood through adolescence and into their adult lives, mid-life women experience fears, some of which they manage to overcome and many of which still linger. As they realize that the time to really live is getting shorter, they realize that they need to come to grips with the fears with which they have struggled for so long. They must learn to silence the internal chatter that tries to keep them immobilized.
 Sex and Dating: Mid-life women are not always comfortable with discussing sex with their healthcare providers. This group of women are sometimes in need of sex education as much as their younger counterparts. Modern sex education is focused almost entirely on teens and college students and therefore some women in midlife, especially singles, sometimes lack basic information about their bodies. This education is essential because mid-life women can be at risk for STDs such as HIV/AIDS. At times, health professionals mistakenly think older women already have all the information they need when in fact, they need information on how to discuss safe sex practices with their partners. Although they know why safe sex is important, they may avoid talking about condoms with their partners to avoid conflict or rejection.
Daunting though it may seem, the mid-life woman can work through all of the above issues with her healthcare providers and a properly trained life coach to ensure the best possible quality of life and a greater chance at longevity, which has become a reality for so many.

Deborah Lockhart is the Director of Operations of The Language Shop, a full service language solutions provider offering translation, interpreting, editing, proofreading and transcription services in all languages.

Donna Deming, LMSW, is an experienced life coach who has successfully coached women through life’s rough waters enabling them to find balance and fulfillment. Visit http://www.lifecoachaccess.com/search-for-a-coach.php for more information.