No, it is unrealistic for every woman contemplating HRT to ask for a bone density scan as the procedure is offered by only a small number of centres and the cost to women varies from about $30 to over $100. The federal government is considering introducing a Medicare rebate for the procedure. What’s more important is that it’s not necessary for every woman.

Those for whom bone density scans are appropriate have one or more of the following characteristics:

- a family history of osteoporosis

- an experience of breaking a bone around the time of menopause with very little force applied

- strong risk factors for osteoporosis, such as a history of absent periods for six or more months, heavy smoking, excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption, prolonged immobilisation and a poor diet

- difficulty deciding whether or not to remain on HRT now that symptom control is no longer the purpose for it

There may also be some women without symptoms who are contemplating HRT, and the bone density measurement will help them make their decision.

*124\38\8*

In attempting to put the presence or absence of sexual intimacy into some sort of general framework of midlife relationships, Hathorn and Bates identified a significant obstacle. ‘One of the major problems was that our interest was in both men and women, yet it seems that most of the well-known developmental theorists of the past have focused only on men. It is as if woman were an afterthought and had to be “fitted in” to men’s cycle of growth.’

Professor Marjorie Fiske, who initiated a long-term study of life changes among Californian adults, believes that developmental models based on men may be misleading where women are concerned. ‘The assumption that men and women undergo similar processes in terms of developing, coping, and “declining” has turned out to be fallacious. In nearly all ways of living, thinking and feeling, a young woman is far more likely to resemble an older woman than a young man her own age. Similarly, differences between groups of men in various periods of life are less significant than their differences from women in their own life stage.’

While women within male-female relationships have been largely overlooked by theorists, homosexual women and heterosexual women without partners have fared even worse, having had almost no attention paid to them in traditional analyses of sexuality after menopause. Simone de Beau voir made the point in her book The Coming of Age that enjoyment of sexual activities takes many forms, has many motivations, and is not necessarily extinguished with age. ‘It is understandable that a man or woman should be bitterly unwilling to give it up, whether the chief aim is pleasure, or the transfiguration of the world by desire, or the realisation of a certain image of oneself, or all this at the same time . . . The old person often desires to desire because she retains her longing for experiences that can never be replaced and because she is still attached to the erotic world she built up in her youth or maturity — desire will enable her to renew its fading colours.’

*90\38\8*

LOWER URINARY TRACT PROBLEMS Urinary frequency (going to the toilet more often), the pressing urge to go (known as urgency), and bladder incontinence (escape of urine when the need to urinate is very strong or when coughing or sneezing occurs) are more likely with increasing age and may be accentuated at menopause. Studies indicate that up to 50 per cent of women attending menopause clinics have some lower urinary tract symptoms. Treatment with HRT may relieve some of these symptoms, including urinary incontinence, frequency and urgency, by increasing the collagen of the urethra and vagina, and by improving muscle tone in the pelvic floor.

PALPITATIONS AND HEADACHES You may be one of the many women who experience palpitations and headaches around the time of menopause. A Dutch study found that one in four women had palpitations at menopause, and headaches affect nearly a third of Australian-born women aged forty-five to fifty-five. For reasons that are not clear, some women have more frequent and severe tension-type headaches around menopause; for others, headaches, and particularly migraine, become less of a problem. Oestrogen appears to be effective in treating palpitations. It may alleviate migraine in some postmenopausal women too.

*55\38\8*

Those on HRT are mainly women seeking help to reduce their menopause-related symptoms. In some cases the menopause has occurred naturally. In others menopause has been brought on by removal of or damage to the ovaries during surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy (see chapter i). The main user groups other than women with generalised menopausal symptoms are those who are at high risk of fractures and heart disease, and those already experiencing these health problems.

A study of Massachusetts women aged forty-five to fifty-five found that, of those on HRT after natural menopause, ewer than one-third continued the treatment for more than two years. Among those who had a hysterectomy, nearly two-thirds stayed on hormones for more than two years. Among women in the natural menopause group, those on hormones were different in some important ways from those not on it. Before they started treatment, these women were more likely to have reported hot flushes or menstrual problems than women who did not embark on hormone therapy. They were also more likely to regard their health as poor and to use health services. These women were better educated, too, and were more likely to have used oral contraceptives in the past.

Prescribing HRT for women who do not have clearly defined symptoms and are not at high risk of postmenopausal fractures or heart disease is quite a controversial matter. Fuelling the controversy are some medical specialists who advocate HRT for most women ‘from menopause to grave’. Supporters of this approach tend to equate menopause with ‘hormone deficiency’ or ‘ovarian failure’, often giving the impression that menopause is a time of dramatic and irreversible shutdown of sex hormone production: the start of a downhill road along which women become crumbling shadows of their former selves. This is a ridiculous generalisation, as the variability in sex hormone production after menopause is vast.

Studies of Australian women aged forty-five to fifty-five indicate that about one in two who have had their ovaries removed at the time of hysterectomy are on HRT, as also are one in three who have had a hysterectomy without removal of their ovaries, and about one in six who have had a natural menopause. In a comparable group of US women, the rate was about the same in the surgical menopause group and significantly lower in the natural menopause group. Rates seem to vary widely across Western Europe, but there are no comparable studies by which to assess this.

*21\38\8*

Itchy skin is usually accompanied by a rash of some sort, as in eczema and urticaria. Itchiness, without any spots or rash, can be caused by all sorts of things. The most likely sources of trouble are clothing, toiletries and cosmetics. Woollens and synthetics are the most common offenders, while cotton or silk clothes are the least irritating. Changing to unscented brands of soap and using the minimum of cosmetics may relieve the itching. Adding baby oil to the bathwater can also help. Some people are sensitive to traces of detergent or fabric conditioner left on clothes, and simply rinsing clothing more thoroughly may be the answer. If the itching is mainly on the hands, then cleaning agents may be the culprit, and you should wear rubber gloves for housework, preferably with cotton gloves inside them, or cotton-lined PVC gloves.

Various parasites cause itching, including scabies, threadworms, lice and ringworms. Generalized itchiness is also one of the symptoms reported for Candida infestation, which is described more fully on pl79. Itchiness around the anus or vagina is particularly likely to indicate Candida, although an itchy anus can also be due to food intolerance. In general, itchiness in other parts of the body does not seem to be a common symptom of food intolerance.but it is reported in a few cases.

*151\180\8*

Medical textbooks dealing with the signs of old age mention all kinds of conditions that have as their cause the progressive deterioration of the body. Ossification of the cartilages increases, elasticity of the ligaments decreases, and the whole body becomes stiff, the entire bone structure bent. The joints are less flexible and moving them becomes more difficult, often painful. Walking becomes less safe and the person feels as if the joints lack lubrication, easily said after hearing them creak and crack! The memory deteriorates and the increased hardening of the blood vessels leads to high blood pressure. Strenuous physical effort and exposure to strong sunlight can no longer be tolerated but cause giddiness and the danger of a stroke.

This description is enough to make you lose a little of the joy of life if you are past sixty. But does it have to be like this? Is this fate immutable? Have a look at those who are much older and you will meet many eighty-year-olds who are full of vitality and energy, sometimes more so than other people who are only fifty. This reminds me of my grandmother’s sister who, at the age of ninety-six, was still able to read the newspaper without glasses. Her memory and mental alertness were so sharp that I had great admiration for her when I was a young man.

*1227/28/1*

The benefits of fresh air are far too little known and appreciated. One so often enters a bedroom, living room, study or work room and finds the air so heavy that it is almost impossible to breathe. These rooms should be aired frequently. A sickroom, in particular, requires a regular change of air because the exhaled gases and germs are harmful to both the sick person and those who care for him. Fresh air must be let in regularly. However, the question might arise as to whether it is wise to air rooms at a time when fuel is scarce or expensive? Heating engineers will answer that our concern is not at all warranted. The fire in a stove will not burn efficiently if it is deprived of oxygen. That is why we will benefit the fire if the room is ventilated frequently, though quickly, letting oxygen-rich air in. The room will heat up more quickly because fresh air becomes warm faster than stale air lacking oxygen.

In the case of a sick person, never deprive him of fresh air, even though he may have a fever. If he is properly covered he will not become chilled, and do not be surprised if I tell you that a fever patient cannot catch cold easily under normal circumstances. He is in fact overheated and a quick cold breath of air will do him no harm, so that you will have nothing to fear on this account. See that the sick person is well tucked up in bed, then open all the windows for a few moments. Nothing untoward can happen when this is done; on the contrary, the fresh air will help the patient on his way to recovery.

*1158/28/1*

If you have been able to travel extensively, your judgement in many things will be better than that of the person who has been used to looking at everything from the limited experience of his immediate environment and local events. Through travelling, we become acquainted with the art of many cooks and come to appreciate those who know how to prepare healthy and nourishing food and not only tasty dishes that merely appeal to the palate. In this respect, three entirely different types of cooking have impressed me no end: the French, Arabic and Chinese cuisines. Each of the three follows the principle that the art of cooking is based on the correct use of spices, seasonings and flavourings. Food that is naturally bland needs careful preparation and seasoning if it is to be made palatable so that we will want to eat it again. Simply adding plenty of salt will not achieve the desired result and cannot produce the flavour that the food lacks in the first place. Cooking is an art that some people develop naturally, but others have to learn it. What helps to make our food healthy and tasty are the herbal or vegetable seasonings that are added to it, certainly not just the use of salt.

*1089/28/1*

Date sugar and grape sugar, made from raisins and currants, are so valuable that everyone who is interested in his or her family’s health should make the effort to sweeten all fruit dishes with it. This would provide the entire family with valuable carbohydrates and the vital minerals and vitamins needed to prevent sickness.

In view of my observations I am sure I was right to give consideration to the problem of sugar while sitting in the shade of some Mesopotamian date palms. There and then I made up my mind to experiment with the valuable natural sugar of dates and come up with a product that pleases the taste buds and is also a healthy food. Indeed, every food item, and especially sweets, should be such that they cannot spoil our children’s teeth in the future. We want their teeth to be just as healthy as those of the Arab children who obtain their sugar from Mesopotamia’s date palms.

*1019/28/1*

You must observe an important rule when fasting; never begin a fast while feeling disturbed, annoyed or worried about something. A happy frame of mind is a natural medicine that stimulates the endocrine glands and keeps them at the peak of their efficiency. This is one reason why our modern way of life with its constant hustle and bustle, and its problems, worries and upsets, can damage our health so much.

How long should a dietary fast last? The answer to this will be

determined by the needs of the individual. Two or three days may be sufficient; however, having kept it up for three days, it is perhaps a pity to stop. The first three days are like climbing a high mountain with all its initial difficulties. Having scaled the hardest part, the worst is over and, to one’s surprise, the going becomes easy and enjoyable. So it is after the first three days of fasting. The body will have adapted to the change and can easily stand another five days. An eight-day fast, taking only fruit juice, will give your body a complete ‘spring clean’. If you suffer from arthritis, a condition that cannot easily be shifted, you will find it beneficial to continue the fast even longer. Remarkable men like John the Baptist, and a still more distinguished person, Jesus Christ himself, fasted. Of course they did it not for the purpose of cleansing their bodies, but to achieve the utmost mental concentration. As documented in the Scriptures, Christ fasted for forty days. It is an established fact that when great demands are made on the mind, fasting will help to make one’s thoughts crystal clear, one’s understanding precise and accurate.

*948/28/1*

Related Posts:

• THE SYMPTOMS OF OLD AGE
• FRESH AIR
• THE ART OF COOKING DEPENDS UPON PROPER SEASONING
• SUGAR – THE GOODNESS OF DATES – DATE SUGAR AND GRAPE SUGAR
• OIL CURE FOR GALLSTONES
• DO STARCHY FOODS CAUSE CONSTIPATION? (GENERAL INFORMATION)
• THE MEANING OF THE WORD ‘SOUL’ – THE TREATMENT OF PSYCHOSOMATIC ILLNESSES AND MENTAL DISORDERS
• HOW TO DETECT KIDNEY DISORDERS 3
• HAEMORRHOIDS – INTRODUCTION
• HERBAL TREATMENT OF DIZZINESS, HYPOCHONDRIA AND INSOMNIA

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