Dr. Sabine
15. September. 2023.
It is fall again, and we have some new questions for Sabine!
Kalopsia: Why should women welcome autumn as a time for self-care, time to get a check up? What do you recommend?
Sabine: Summer is always synonymous with relaxation, carelessness, sea, sand, fun, travel and good memories.
September is the month of prevention and as our children go back to school and before we resume our busy and time-consuming routines, we should take the opportunity to focus on our wellbeing and women’s health.
This is the time of year when we need to focus on restoring and optimising our health after all that exposure to the sun, high temperatures and the beach. It is time to focus on prevention in order to maintain our health for the year ahead, as it is well known that a healthy family is strongly dependent on a healthy mother or partner. This lifestyle improvement should come from aligning our mental health with our physical wellbeing, and from having a preventative check-up rather than waiting for symptoms to appear.
Trying to optimise our health should not feel like a guilty pleasure, but as time well spent to build up strong organ function and stamina for the winter ahead – when our bodies will be tired from the fast pace of everyday reality, the occasional flu and cold, and the fatigue that almost always builds up.
But prevention is not just about taking tests. It also lies in improving our gut health, our vaginal flora, our skin and our eating habits. We recommend an annual check-up after the summer holidays, which includes:
1. A dietary review with intermittent fasting and a diet based on greens, vegetables and fruit, fish, chicken and small amounts of red meat.
2. Urine and blood tests
3. Gynaecological appointment for vaginal swabs, smear and ultrasound and in some cases testing for sexually transmitted bacteria.
4. An annual mammogram for women over 40 and an annual breast ultrasound for women over 35.
5. For women over 50, a screening colonoscopy and gastroscopy.
6. Please do not forget dermatological check-up for skin discolouration.
Have a happy and healthy start, ladies!
July, 2023.
We are delighted to have Sabine Wünschmann, an eminent obstetrician – gynecologist and a dear friend, as the first guest in our series of intimate conversations where we
dare to share!
Sabine graduated from the Medical Faculty of the University of Frankfurt, Germany, during which time she trained in Hamburg, Paris, Australia, Switzerland, China, and Taiwan. She went on to
specialize in obstetrics and gynecology at Frankfurt Hospital and continues to train in laparoscopic surgery, infertility, the holistic approach to menopause and natural birth in water, for which she
continues to train with ABRAM. Sabine has also broadened her,expertise by training in Homeopathy at the University of Athens under the tutelage of Professor Georgios Vithoulkas.
Since 1998, Sabine has had private practice as an obstetrician-gynecologist in Athens with a special interest in laparoscopic
surgery, infertility, and menopause.
Kalopsia: Sabine, thank you very much for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today. You have done so many interesting things professionally and personally and we have so
many questions. You are a mother, an expatriate here in Greece, running an extremely successful medical practice, and so much fun! How do you manage it all?
Sabine: Thank you very much for inviting me!
Being a doctor may mean working long, stressful, and unforgiving hours. Can be demanding and a time – consuming profession, but it
is also a rewarding one. It’s important to find a healthy balance and make for self-care to maintain a good work-life balance.
Happy family means “a happy and balanced mum”!
As it can clearly be seen, the road to becoming a physician is a strenuous path requiring much personal sacrifice. While work-life
balance can seem impossible, it can be managed with love and patience.
When you have little time to give-make sure its quality time, a busy mum but focused, makes her kids also move independent
which is good for later in their lives.
My moto is “Whatever you do – do it with love and passion”!
Kalopsia: Looking at your professional background, one thing is immediately apparent: you have a balanced medical approach to
woman’s wellbeing. While you are firmly rooted in Westernmedicine, you have a deep interest and extensive training in
holistic medical practices, homeopathy, and the use of Ayurvedic supplements in your approach to helping women manage the
symptoms of pre-menopause and menopause. Do you agree that although Western practitioners are more open to different
practices than ever before, there are still many sceptics in the medical field?
Sabine: Until now, most medical treatments have been designed for the “normal patient”. As a result of this « one-size-fits-all»
approach, treatments can be very successful for some patients but not for others. A multi-faceted approach should be adopted
in order to relieve the symptoms. The approach in Western Medicine addresses only the symptoms
and doesn’t look into the root causes. In general doctors aresuspicious and critical when they don’t know and their holistic
approach is unknowns to then. It’s a lack of education in that field that makes them suspicious. When they see an overall
improvement in their patients and they are open minded, they want to use every tool possible for a safe result which will slowly
change things for the better.
My philosophy is to focus on individual, tailor made treatments and holistic outlook by examining the entire body with a focus on
balancing the organ functions. Every person is unique understanding what makes people different-genetics, environment, lifestyle-is central to shifting
the focus of healthcare from treating diseases to delivering the best care for each person throughout their lives. This is the
promise of my personalized health care…
Kalopsia: What is your opinion on hormone replacement therapy (HRT)? It has been a controversial treatment for menopausal symptoms for more than twenty years, after a limited study on
the dangers of HRT was published.
Women suffering from even extreme menopausal symptoms (hot flushes, vaginal atrophy, relaxation of the pelvic muscles, mental
symptoms such as brain fog, hair loss, etc.) were advised to tough it out and that it was all just a normal part of being a woman, so
my medical professionals basically dismissed me.
Sabine: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been the subject of controversy for several years regarding the benefits
and risks of its administration.
Dismisses since 2001 Women’s Health Initiative has left thousand women unprotected and uncovered. It is critical to see menopause
as just one point in a continuum of life stages. A woman’s health status entering the perimenopausal period will largely be
determined by prior health and reproductive history, lifestyle, and environmental factors.
Perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms can be disruptive to personal and professional lives, and changes associated with
menopause will affect a woman’s health as she ages. Therefore, perimenopausal and menopausal care plays an important role in the
promotion of healthy ageing and quality of life.
Women tend to put others needs before their own needs , and as we age, we start to suffer from this luck of self-care during our
lifetime. Perimenopause and menopause is a window of opportunity where can learn to put ourselves first and to focus on our own
needs.
Menopause doesn’t mean pause or end of women’s life, but a new chapter in life.
In my medical practice for many years, we have the logic that we are all unique and we must support the women with a tailor-made
approach to hormonal imbalances and help them feel revived,rebalanced, and back to their normal selves which is my overall
aim.
Hormonal replacement should include plant-based hormones, bio-identical hormones which are friendly to the body and can be
individually tailored for each woman and should be one part of taking care of women.
Additionally with diet changes, lifestyle changes but also with intestinal support, hormonal support and adrenal support women
could be helped.
Don’t forget that women are a crucial part of society and their well being guarantees the future of our world!
Don’t be afraid to have a conversation, don’t be embarrassed by the word menopause, ask for help and support and get the
support in your life you deserve! HRT is one of the approaches and can be very safe if carried out
with an individual approach! Longevity demands support for women and guidelines have
changed worldwide.
