The problem with many health issues that can affect younger women is that we don’t see them coming. After all, women in their 20’s are expected to be healthy, vital, and in the prime of their life, so dealing with problems such as hearing loss, and early menopause aren’t often on our radar. However, as a significant proportion of women in their 20s and 30’s do struggle with health issues, it can be hugely valuable to find out more about them. Then we can be on guard for the symptoms and get treatment early, enabling us to live our best life possible no matter what health issue we are facing.
Hearing Loss
Most people associate hearing loss with older people or guys that work on construction sites with heavy machinery. However, recently there is an increase in younger women suffering from this problem before they are even 40 years old! Hearing loss can strike at any age!
One of the reasons for this is that we aren’t always taught how to take care of our ears in the right way to keep them as healthy as possible. For example, I bet you think clearing out the yucky wax with a cue tip is a good idea when in reality it removes the very thin layer of protective skin that lines the ear canal and can so can make you much more sustainable to ear infections.
Also, listening to personal music devices with earphones at a high volume level can do a lot of damage to the hair in the cochlea. Something that can result in hearing loss or even Tinnitus, a condition where the sufferer experiences a ringing sensation that is not triggered by outside inputs.
With that in, mind, you may be asking what can be done to alleviate or even to prevent such a problem in the first place, especially in young women? Well, first of all, drop using cue tips for cleaning your ears, and never exceed the yellow bars on your music devices volume control. Also, if you have to turn the TV up loud to hear it or you notice that conversations are muffled, it’s worth going to see an audiologist for a hearing test.
Audiologists are hearing specialists, and they can help you pinpoint your ear-related issues. They can also advise how to treat it and where to buy hearing aids that can help restore your full range of hearing. Something that can help you live your life in the same way any other young woman would expect during their 20’s.
Early Menopause
Menopause is a stage in most women’s lives that occurs around the ages of 45 to 55. The body reduces its production of estrogen, and the same amount of eggs are no longer released by the ovaries making pregnancy less likely. It is often accompanied by mood swings, depression, and hot flashes among a myriad of other issues, making it a tough time for women both physically and mentally.
Sadly, for a few women menopause occurs when they are much younger, some having to deal with this issue and all the life change it brings in their twenties! This is what is known as early menopause, and if you are struggling with irregular periods, having trouble conceiving, or experience hot flashes, it is worth investigating this as the cause.
If you suspect that you could be suffering from early menopause, the first step is to pay a visit to your doctor, although there are some home test kits available now that can help as well. Once you have established that the cause of your issue is early menopause, you will be able to explore treatment options such as HRT, and fertility possibilities such as egg harvesting and egg freezing in the UK, and even using a donor and surrogate if you want to conceive.
Many women also find that complementary therapies such as acupuncture, and taking supplements like black cohosh and agnus castus can help with the symptoms of early menopause.
The reason for this is that such supplements are thought to act on the hormone levels in the body, helping them to better regulate and so minimize any symptoms that occur.
Although, it is always worth checking with your medical team before using any complementary therapies as some will have negative interactions with medications you are already on. Something that at best can make your problems worse, and at worst be dangerous for your overall health. Something that a younger woman will, of course, want to protect as much as possible to live a long a vital life.