Menopause (更年期) When a body that was once young and healthy begins to show the traces of time little by little, it can be hard to accept. In particular, women enter menopause as menstruation ends and they reach the final menstrual period.
Menopausal symptoms may improve to some extent over time, but simply enduring the symptoms is not advisable. Receiving appropriate treatment according to the symptoms that appear may help prevent secondary symptoms and, further, may help prevent other illnesses. In fact, many people become healthier as they receive treatment for menopausal syndrome and improve their lifestyle habits.
In other words, menopause is a time to understand your body better and to find lifestyle habits that fit “you.” In menopause (更年期), gyeong (更) means “again,” but it also carries the meanings of change, renewal, and improvement. Because it refers to a major change in the body’s flow, menopausal syndrome is not a disease, but a natural change.
Menopause (更年期) When a body that was once young and healthy begins to show the traces of time little by little, it can be hard to accept. In particular, women enter menopause as menstruation ends and they reach the final menstrual period.
Menopausal symptoms may improve to some extent over time, but simply enduring the symptoms is not advisable. Receiving appropriate treatment according to the symptoms that appear may help prevent secondary symptoms and, further, may help prevent other illnesses. In fact, many people become healthier as they receive treatment for menopausal syndrome and improve their lifestyle habits.
In other words, menopause is a time to understand your body better and to find lifestyle habits that fit “you.” In menopause (更年期), gyeong (更) means “again,” but it also carries the meanings of change, renewal, and improvement. Because it refers to a major change in the body’s flow, menopausal syndrome is not a disease, but a natural change.
Menopause, the closing of menstruation: For a healthier second half of life (1) Heat that rises often and irritability—will they go away on their own if I just wait it out?
As menopause begins and ovarian function gradually weakens, the secretion of the female hormone estrogen also decreases. Because of this, you may experience sensations of heat rising, facial flushing, frequent sweating, and even sweating in the middle of winter. In more severe cases, cold sweats during sleep may be enough to soak the pillow and clothing.
In Korean medicine, “upper heat and lower cold (上熱下寒)” is mentioned as one of the main causes of menopausal sensations of heat rising, cold hands and feet, and excessive sweating. This means that, due to a decrease in kidney essence and blood associated with aging, heat from the heart cannot descend normally and rises upward instead. Heat in the heart can lead to palpitations, irritability, anger, depression, and insomnia. Conversely, symptoms of kidney deficiency may appear together, such as coldness in the lower abdomen or hands and feet, chills in the lower back or knees, and decreased libido. Therefore, treatment is needed to replenish weakened kidney function, qi and blood, and body fluids caused by hormonal imbalance, while helping excessive heart heat descend.
(2) I keep getting angry, and my whole body aches here and there.
In fact, the late 40s to 50s, when many women experience menopause, is also a time in life when many factors can easily collide: conflicts with parents, children, or a spouse; burnout from excessive responsibility; financial factors; and the discovery of other health issues. During a period when hormonal changes and declining organ function are already progressing, a person can be strongly affected by complex external factors, and long-standing anger, anxiety, depression, and hwa-byung, or anger syndrome, may lead to somatic symptoms.
When hwa-byung becomes somatized, it means that abnormal signals appear in the body beyond simple emotional changes, such as decreased concentration, reduced digestive function, body pain, dizziness, headache, tinnitus, and fatigue. These symptoms are also understood to be caused by “upper heat and lower cold,” along with reduced and blocked circulation of qi and blood, resulting in “blood stasis.” Therefore, comprehensive treatment is needed, including replenishing body fluids, easing stress and hwa-byung, stabilizing the mind and body, and strengthening the musculoskeletal system, which can become more vulnerable.
(3) Why am I gaining weight even though I’m eating less?
When menopause begins, female hormones decrease, body fat increases, and muscle mass decreases. As a result, even when eating the same amount, metabolism decreases, and body fat accumulates more heavily in the abdomen and upper body. In contrast, muscle decreases, making the lower body slimmer. Abdominal obesity means an increase not only in subcutaneous fat but also in visceral fat, raising the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Swelling may also occur often due to reduced body fluid metabolism. Therefore, rather than leaving reduced metabolic function unaddressed, treatment is needed to restore organ function, raise metabolic rate, regulate appetite, and improve circulation so that waste products and toxins can be discharged from the body.
(4) I thought my periods had ended, so why am I bleeding?
The 1-year period before complete menopause is also called the menopausal transition. This period usually begins gradually from the mid-to-late 40s, as menstruation becomes irregular and menstrual flow repeatedly changes. However, some people occasionally experience bleeding during this period or even after complete menopause. In Korean medicine, this stage is viewed as a deficiency pattern caused by irregular ovulation of the ovaries, delayed regeneration of the endometrium, and deficiency damage of the Chong and Ren vessels, which govern the reproductive system. Another issue is that if this irregular abnormal bleeding or uterine bleeding continues, symptoms related to blood deficiency may occur. Therefore, in severe cases, treatment may use herbal ingredients that support weakened uterine function, promote smooth circulation, and, when necessary, help stop bleeding.
Menopausal syndrome: You do not have to endure it alone anymore. Menopausal syndrome is a complex issue involving hormonal changes together with age-related decline in organ function. At the Kyunghee Ryu Korean Medicine Clinic Women’s Health Clinic, we provide treatment that considers each person’s constitution, helps restore hormonal balance, replenishes insufficient body fluids, and helps relieve a variety of physical and emotional symptoms. In addition to one-on-one personalized herbal medicine prescriptions, acupuncture, large moxibustion, and jahageo pharmacopuncture may be combined as needed.
During menopause, the fact that one has reached the final menstrual period can itself bring concerns about identity as a woman. Emotions may be sensitive, and this is a time when empathy is needed more than ever. Through patient-personalized, empathetic care at Kyunghee Ryu Korean Medicine Clinic, we aim to provide more comfortable prescriptions and treatment.