ver·ti·go (vûrt-g)
n. pl. ver·ti·goes or ver·ti·go
My mother came into my room at 1am last night, carrying a pair of scissors and the tin of medicinal patches my sweet father bought for her from China last year. She was having yet another vertigo attack, a condition that majority of menopausal women are sadly affected by, and wanted me to put the patches on her acu points for her. She's basically incapacitated when she has an attack gripped by severe nausea and giddiness, it lasts for hours (Imagine having horrendous severe motion sickness).
From Wikipedia:
Vertigo, sometimes called a headrush, is the sensation of spinning while the body is stationary. With the eyes shut there will be a sensation that the body is in movement; if the eyes are open the surrounding will appear to move past the field of vision.
The effects may be slight; may cause nausea; or, if severe, may give rise to difficulty with standing and walking. Vertigo is usually associated with a problem in the inner ear balance mechanisms (vestibular system), with a problem in the brain, or with the nerve connections between these two organs.
Vertigo is often used, incorrectly, to describe a fear of heights (Acrophobia or altophobia is the correct term. You were right Sonny)
Menopause is a very long drawn process that could take anywhere from 2-10 years. Having been on the receiving end for the past 5 years, of which I've only been around for 2, I can say it has not been easy. Drastic massive mood swings, extra nit pickiness, being irritable, periods of low self esteem...the list goes on. It's been a challenge at time, and we've fought our fair share of mother daughter wars during this period. But truth be told, all this pales in comparison to what my mother, and every single menopausal woman has to go through.
They have to struggle to understand their body all over again, and most of the time they have no control over the drastic changes. Muscles turns into fat no matter how hard you excercise, hot flushes at night that leave you breathless and drenched in sweat, the dry skin, dry everything, reduced immunity, in extreme cases, increased facial hair (yes, the bearded lady really did exist!), just to name a few. There are treatments of course, there's the ever popular Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT for short. The only draw back of HRT is that, cancer cells that lie "dormant" in your body may be jolted into activation, and every good specialist will make you sign a memorandum of understanding to ensure you are aware of this risk before you start. My mother lost her best friend to aggressive breast cancer of both breats after 3 months of HRT, and hence the fear and rejection of ever taking HRT.
I pains me to see her going through this, and I just wish her menopause will be over soon.
Love your mothers all, I must learn to bite my tongue a little bit more for her.
n. pl. ver·ti·goes or ver·ti·go
My mother came into my room at 1am last night, carrying a pair of scissors and the tin of medicinal patches my sweet father bought for her from China last year. She was having yet another vertigo attack, a condition that majority of menopausal women are sadly affected by, and wanted me to put the patches on her acu points for her. She's basically incapacitated when she has an attack gripped by severe nausea and giddiness, it lasts for hours (Imagine having horrendous severe motion sickness).
From Wikipedia:
Vertigo, sometimes called a headrush, is the sensation of spinning while the body is stationary. With the eyes shut there will be a sensation that the body is in movement; if the eyes are open the surrounding will appear to move past the field of vision.
The effects may be slight; may cause nausea; or, if severe, may give rise to difficulty with standing and walking. Vertigo is usually associated with a problem in the inner ear balance mechanisms (vestibular system), with a problem in the brain, or with the nerve connections between these two organs.
Vertigo is often used, incorrectly, to describe a fear of heights (Acrophobia or altophobia is the correct term. You were right Sonny)
Menopause is a very long drawn process that could take anywhere from 2-10 years. Having been on the receiving end for the past 5 years, of which I've only been around for 2, I can say it has not been easy. Drastic massive mood swings, extra nit pickiness, being irritable, periods of low self esteem...the list goes on. It's been a challenge at time, and we've fought our fair share of mother daughter wars during this period. But truth be told, all this pales in comparison to what my mother, and every single menopausal woman has to go through.
They have to struggle to understand their body all over again, and most of the time they have no control over the drastic changes. Muscles turns into fat no matter how hard you excercise, hot flushes at night that leave you breathless and drenched in sweat, the dry skin, dry everything, reduced immunity, in extreme cases, increased facial hair (yes, the bearded lady really did exist!), just to name a few. There are treatments of course, there's the ever popular Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT for short. The only draw back of HRT is that, cancer cells that lie "dormant" in your body may be jolted into activation, and every good specialist will make you sign a memorandum of understanding to ensure you are aware of this risk before you start. My mother lost her best friend to aggressive breast cancer of both breats after 3 months of HRT, and hence the fear and rejection of ever taking HRT.
I pains me to see her going through this, and I just wish her menopause will be over soon.
Love your mothers all, I must learn to bite my tongue a little bit more for her.