His & Hers: his prostate/her menopause
Why would so many women benefit from helping their men to reduce the symptoms of benign prostate enlargement? Not just because they care for their men’s health and want them to be happier and healthier, but also because reducing symptoms for the husband means fewer night time trips to the loo and so less interruption of their own night’s sleep!
If you’re already having disturbed nights due to menopausal symptoms, this is particularly pertinent because the last thing you need is your husband breaking into the times you actually manage to get to sleep, with his nocturnal urination.
For both men and women, it’s changes in hormone levels that are causing the disturbances. For women, falling oestrogen levels can trigger uncontrollable changes in temperature, necessitating frequent changes of bedding and clothing as they struggle to find an appropriate environment for their temperamental thermostat. The menopause brings relief from heavy bleeds, period pain and PMS, but other symptoms that can accompany these benefits can be both uncomfortable and socially embarrassing. They aren't pleasant for either the woman or her partner, and the lack of sleep that ensues contributes to a general feeling of brain fog, low mood, lack of concentration, and all-round irritability. Not good for any partnership!
Taking Sage can help the body to rebalance, in order to prevent the worst of the symptoms, particularly those that can wreck a good night's sleep. Many women find that this is all they need to keep the situation under control until the menopause passes. As it is traditionally known to be very safe and easy to take, it makes a sensible solution to problems that can disturb sleep, energy levels and confidence. Take it daily, with breakfast, lunch and dinner is symptoms come during day and night
If the problem is predominantly at night, take it at teatime and then take it again just before you go to bed. You can take Sage for as long as you need to. Once the troublesome symptoms have stopped, it makes sense to stop or reduce the dosage, resuming if they return. As you move through the menopause, it may become more or less necessary to use it as hormone levels rise or fall; but because it works relatively quickly, it is easy to take it up again whenever it’s needed. And thank goodness for something that makes a full night’s sleep possible.
The reason men often find themselves targeting the loo increasing numbers of times per night is due to the fact that they possess a prostate gland (not found in women). This walnut-shaped gland nestles cosily around the neck of the bladder and, as a man heads towards fifty and hormone levels start changing, the gland starts to swell. This is an inevitable part of male ageing, and is known as Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (or BPH). Every year, the prostate gets a tiny bit bigger, compressing the urinary tract as it leaves the bladder. This makes it increasingly difficult for urine to leave the bladder. Small amounts of urine trickle out hesitantly, with much dribbling and general feeling that there’s more to come – but it just won’t.
The urine left in the bladder after one of these disappointing sessions presses on the bladder wall giving the signal that the bladder needs to be emptied. So off the chap trots again, to do another splash or two. It’s tiring, uncomfortable, and leaves him feeling as if his bladder’s still quite full, which indeed it is. A man can be visiting the loo as much as eight times a night, with nothing to show for it but bags under the eyes and a distinct lack of cheeriness.
This situation may be a natural result of ageing, but you should visit your doctor for a diagnosis. If BPH is confirmed, then there are ways to help such as Saw Palmetto which can be taken every day.