Diabetes and menopause: A twin challenge

Diabetes and menopause can form a team to varied effects on your body. This is what you can expect - and how to maintain control.

Menopause - and the years leading up to it - can present unique challenges if you have diabetes. However, it is not necessarily a one-two punch. First, know what to expect. Then consider what to do about it.

Diabetes and Menopause: What to Expect

Menopause is the stage of life after their periods have stopped. Diabetes and menopause can form a team to varied effects on your body, including:

• Changes in the level of blood sugar. The hormones estrogen and progesterone affect how cells respond to insulin. After menopause, changes in hormone levels can cause fluctuations in the level of blood sugar. You may notice that your blood sugar level in the blood is more variable and less predictable than before. If your blood sugar is out of control, you have an increased risk of diabetes complications.
• Weight gain. Some women gain weight during the transition to menopause and after menopause. This may increase the need for insulin or oral medication for diabetes.
• Infections. Even before menopause, the levels of blood sugar can contribute to urinary and vaginal infections. After menopause - when a decrease in estrogen makes it easier for bacteria and yeast to thrive in the urinary tract and the vagina - the risk is even greater.
• Sleep problems. After menopause, hot flashes and night sweats can keep you awake at night. In turn, lack of sleep can make it harder to control your blood sugar in the blood.
• Sexual problems. Diabetes can damage the nerves in the cells lining the vagina. This may interfere with arousal and orgasm. Vaginal dryness, a common symptom of menopause may exacerbate the problem by causing pain during sex.

Diabetes and Menopause: What You Can Do

Menopause can wreak havoc on your diabetes control. However, there are many things you can do to better manage diabetes and menopause.

Decisions healthy lifestyle. Odds are, healthy lifestyle - such as eating healthy foods and exercising regularly - is the cornerstone of his plan to treat diabetes. Healthy foods and regular physical activity can help you feel better after menopause, too.

Measure your level of blood sugar frequently. You may need to check your level of blood sugar more often than usual during the day and occasionally at night. Keep track of your readings and symptoms of blood sugar. Your doctor may use the information to adjust your treatment plan of diabetes, as needed. Your doctor may also recommend regular hemoglobin test to reflect the average level of blood sugar for a period of two to three months before the A1C test.

Ask your doctor how to adjust your diabetes medication. If your average level increases in blood sugar, may need to increase the dose of your diabetes medicine or start a new medication - especially if you gain weight or reduce their level of physical activity. Similarly, if the average level of blood sugar drops, you may need to reduce the dose of your diabetes medicine.

Ask your doctor about medications to lower cholesterol. If you have diabetes, you are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The risk increases even more when you reach menopause. To reduce the risk, eating healthy foods and exercising regularly. Your doctor may recommend medications to reduce cholesterol too.

Seek help for menopausal symptoms. If you are struggling with hot flashes, vaginal dryness, decreased sexual response or other symptoms of menopause, remember that treatment is available. For example, your doctor may recommend a vaginal lubricant to restore vaginal moisture or vaginal estrogen therapy to correct the thinning and inflammation of the lining of the vagina (vaginal atrophy). If weight gain is a problem, a registered dietitian can help you review your meal plans. For some women, hormone therapy may be an option.

Diabetes and menopause is a double challenge. Work closely with your doctor to ease the transition

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