Abesifazane Neminyaka: Umthelela Weminyaka Empilweni NaseMandleni Abesifazane

Njengoba abesifazane bedlula ezigabeni ezihlukahlukene zempilo, iminyaka idlala indima ebalulekile ekwakheni impilo, amandla, nokuphila kahle jikelele. Kusukela ebudaleni bokuqala kuya ku-menopause nangemva kwalokho, isigaba ngasinye siletha izinguquko ezithinta impilo yomzimba, eyengqondo, kanye neyokuzala. Ukuqonda lezi zinguquko kungabasiza abesifazane ukwenza izinqumo ezinolwazi zokusekela impilo enhle nempilo egculisayo.

Indlela Iminyaka Ethonya Ngayo Impilo Yokuzala

Iminyaka yokuzala kowesifazane ivamise ukuba phakathi kweminyaka engu-15 nengu-49, isikhathi esivame ukubizwa ngokuthi iminyaka yokuzala. Kulesi sikhathi, amandla okukhulelwa aphezulu kakhulu, kodwa ehla ngokwemvelo njengoba isikhathi sihamba. Abesifazane bazalwa benezinani elilinganiselwe lamaqanda (cishe ayi-1 kuya kwayi-2 million), kuthi ngesikhathi befika esikhathini sokuqala, leli nani lehle libe cishe phakathi kuka-300,000 no-400,000. Njengoba abesifazane bekhula, kokubili inani nekhwalithi yala maqanda kwehla.[1]

Umsebenzi wokuzala uqala ukwehla kakhulu ngemva kweminyaka engu-35. Uma usufinyelele eminyakeni engu-40, amathuba okukhulelwa ngokwemvelo ayehla kakhulu. Lokhu kwehla kuhlotshaniswa nokwanda kobungozi bokuphazamiseka kwezakhi zofuzo, njengokugula okuthiwa i-Down syndrome, kanye namathuba aphakeme okuphuma kwezisu. Intuthuko kwezobuchwepheshe bokuzala, okuhlanganisa ukugcinwa kwamaqanda (egg freezing) kanye nokufakelwa umntwana esibelethweni nge-vitro (IVF), kunikeza izinketho kwabesifazane abafisa ukunweba umsebenzi wabo wokuzala wesimanje ngaphesheya kweminyaka yabo yokuzala.

Izinguquko Zamahomoni Ngokuhamba Kweminyaka

Amahomoni adlala indima ebalulekile empilweni yomfazi, futhi ashintshashintsha kakhulu ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Eminyakeni yokuzala, i-estrogen ne-progesterone zilawula imijikelezo yokuhlinza (menstrual cycles) futhi zisekela ukuzala. Lawa mahamoni futhi anikela ekwenzeni amathambo aqine, inhliziyo inempilo, nesikhumba sibe nokugudluka nokunwebeka.

Njengoba abesifazane bengena eminyakeni yabo engama-40 yokugcina nasekuqaleni kwawo-50, bavame ukubhekana ne-perimenopause—lesi yisigaba sokudlula ngaphambi kwe-menopause. Kulesi sigaba, amazinga amahomoni ayashintshashintsha, okubangela izimpawu ezifana nokushisa komzimba okungazelelwe (hot flashes), ukushintsha kwesimo sengqondo, nokungajwayelekile kokuya esikhathini. I-menopause, echazwa ngokuthi izinyanga eziyi-12 zilandelana kungabi bikho ukuya esikhathini, uphawula ukuphela kwesikhathi sokuzala kowesifazane. Lesi sigaba sivame ukwenzeka cishe eneminyaka engama-51, yize singenzeka sahlukane. Lezi zinguquko nazo ziyisiphumo sezinkinga zokuzala kwabesifazane ezenzeka ngokwemvelo njengoba umuntu ekhula.[2]

Abesifazane abase sebekwedlule ekunqamukeni kokuya esikhathini babhekana nokwehla kwe-estrogen, okuyandisa ingozi ye-osteoporosis, izifo zenhliziyo nemithambo yegazi, nokoma kwezitho zangasese. Ukwelashwa ngokubuyisela amahomoni (HRT) kungasiza ukunciphisa lezi zimpawu, kodwa kubalulekile ukuxoxa ngobungozi nezinzuzo ezingaba khona nodokotela.

Iminyaka Yowesifazane Nempilo Yamathambo

Impilo yamathambo ihlobene kakhulu neminyaka yowesifazane. Umthamo ophezulu wamathambo uvame ukufinyelelwa ngasekupheleni kwawo-20, bese kuthi ukuguga kwamathambo kunciphe kancane kancane. Ngesikhathi sokunqamuka kokuya esikhathini, ukwehla kwe-estrogen kusheshisa ukulahleka kwamathambo, kukhulise ingozi ye-osteoporosis nokuqhekeka kwamathambo.

Ukuze kugcinwe impilo yamathambo, abesifazane bayo yonke iminyaka kufanele bagxile ekuthatheni i-calcium eyanele kanye ne-vitamin D, ukuzivocavoca okuthwala isisindo, nokuhlolwa njalo kokuqina kwamathambo. Ukuvimbela kusenesikhathi kungasiza ukunciphisa amathuba okuqheka kwamathambo nezinkinga zokuhamba ekugcineni kwempilo.

Impilo Yokucabanga Nokuguga

Amakhono okuqonda, okuhlanganisa inkumbulo, ukunaka, namakhono okunqoba izinkinga, ayashintsha njengoba abesifazane bekhula. Nakuba ukukhohlwa okuncane kuyinto ejwayelekile ekugugeni, ukwehla okukhulu kwamakhono okuqonda akuphoqelekile. Izinto ezifana nofuzo, indlela yokuphila, nezimo zempilo zithinta impilo yobuchopho.

Abesifazane basengozini enkulu yesifo i-Alzheimer kunabesilisa, cishe izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zalabo abatholakala besegulile bangabesifazane. Izinguquko zamahomoni ngesikhathi sokunqamuka kokuya esikhathini zingaba nendima kule mehluko.[3] Ukugcina ukudla okunempilo, ukuzivocavoca njalo, ukuvuselelwa kwengqondo, nokuxhumana nabanye kungase kusekele ukusebenza kwengqondo futhi kunciphise ingozi yezifo zokuguga kobuchopho.

Inhlalakahle Yokomzwelo Kuwo Wonke Umjikelezo Wempilo

Impilo yokomzwelo nayo iyashintsha ngokuhamba kweminyaka. Abesifazane abasebancane bangase babe namazinga aphezulu okuxhalaba nokucindezeleka ngenxa yokucindezelwa umphakathi, izidingo zomsebenzi, noma imithwalo yomndeni. Abesifazane abasebunganeni bokuphila bavame ukubhekana nezinselelo ezifana nokunakekela abazali asebekhulile, isimo sokushiywa wumntwana ekhaya, nokujwayelana nesikhathi sokuya esikhathini sokunqamuka kokuya esikhathini.

Nokho, izifundo ziphakamisa ukuthi inhlalakahle ngokomzwelo ivame ukuthuthuka njengoba umuntu eguga. Abesifazane abasebanganeni bama-50 nangaphezulu bavame ukubika izinga eliphezulu lokwaneliseka ngeMpilo nokuncipha kokucindezeleka uma kuqhathaniswa nalabo abasha.[4] Lokhu kwanda kokuphila kahle kuvame ukuhlotshaniswa nolwazi olwengeziwe lokuphila, ukukhula komuntu siqu, nokuqonda kangcono ubuwena.

Ukusekela Impilo Kuwo Wonke Ubudala

Ukuguga okunempilo kudinga izinqumo ezenziwa ngenhloso. Noma yisiphi isibalo seminyaka kowesifazane, ukubeka phambili ukuzivocavoca, ukudla okunempilo, impilo yengqondo, nokuhlolwa kwezokwelashwa njalo kungasiza ukugcina amandla nempilo enhle. Amasu abalulekile afaka phakathi:

• Ukuzivocavoca: Umsebenzi womzimba ojwayelekile unciphisa ingozi yezifo ezingapheli futhi usekela nempilo yengqondo.
• Ukudla: Ukudla okunempilo okucebile ngezithelo, imifino, okusanhlamvu okuphelele, namaprotheni anganamafutha amaningi kusekela impilo iphelele.
• Ukunakekelwa Kwempilo Yengqondo: I-mindfulness, ukwelashwa kwengqondo, neminxa yokusekelwa komphakathi kudlala indima ebalulekile ekuphileneni ngokomzwelo.
• Ukunakekelwa Okokuvimbela: Ukuhlolwa njalo kwezimo ezifana nomdlavuza webele, umdlavuza wesibeletho, i-osteoporosis, nezifo zenhliziyo kubalulekile ukuze kuqale ukwelashwa kusenesikhathi.

Igama Lokugcina

Izigaba ezihlukahlukene zobudala nokuphila kowesifazane ziletha izinguquko ezingagwemeki, kodwa ukuqonda lezi zinguquko kunika abesifazane amandla okubaluleka empilweni yabo nasekubeni nempilo enhle. Kungaba wukuhamba eminyakeni yokuzala, ukwedlula esigabeni se-menopause, noma ukwamukela izigaba zokugcina zempilo, isigaba ngasinye sinikeza amathuba okukhula nokwaneliseka. Ngokubhekana nezindaba zempilo kusenesikhathi, abesifazane bangajabulela amandla nokumelana nanoma yibuphi ubunzima kunoma yiliphi izinga lobudala.

Izinkomba:

1. Woodruff, T. Ukwenza amaqanda: ingabe isikhathi yilesi noma esizayo?. Nat Med 14, 1190–1191 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1108-1190 
2. Santoro N. I-Perimenopause: Kusuka Ocwaningweni Kuye Ekusebenziseni. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2016 Apr;25(4):332-9. doi:10.1089/jwh.2015.5556. Epub 2015 Dec 10. PMID: 26653408; PMCID: PMC4834516.
3. Beam CR, Kaneshiro C, Jang JY, Reynolds CA, Pedersen NL, Gatz M. Umehluko Phakathi Kwabesifazane Nabesilisa Ezingeni Lokwenzeka Kwe-Dementia Nesifo sika-Alzheimer. J Alzheimers Dis. 2018;64(4):1077-1083. doi:10.3233/JAD-180141. PMID: 30010124; PMCID: PMC6226313.
4. Darling, Carol \& Coccia, Catherine \& Senatore, Natalie. (2012). Abesifazane Esigabeni Sokuphila Esimaphakathi: Ukucindezeleka, Impilo Nokwaneliseka Ngepilo. Stress and health: journal ye-International Society for the Investigation of Stress. 28. 31-40. 10.1002/smi.1398.