We often hear middle age women talking about menopause and menopause symptoms relief. Just what is menopause? Menopause is a natural biological process that every woman will face when she gets to the age of between 45 and 55. It is by no mean an ailment, infection or a medical disorder. This process is more of a time of physical and emotional changes. With the onset of menopause lower levels of female hormones are produced by the ovaries.

The majority of women do not have much trouble going through menopause. On the other hand, there are many that suffer from average to severe symptoms. Menopause symptoms include night sweats, insomnia, fatigue, hot flushes, anxiety, joint pain, headaches, depression, sadness and heart palpitations. It is different with every woman when it comes to these symptoms. They could in some cases get worse or tend to last for years.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is the common pharmaceutical treatment for alleviating symptoms of menopause. With this method women are either given oral estrogen hormone alone or combined with another hormone Progesterone in the form of progestin. These hormones are in a synthetic form. Until recently Hormone Replacement Therapy delivers the best menopause symptoms relief especially night sweats and hot flushes. It was also believed that HRT could prevent strokes, heart attacks and osteoporosis.

Many women have been taking HRT for years and it is now reported that it carries certain health dangers. These risks include blood clots, breast cancer, high blood pressure and uterine cancer. Menopausal women are advised to only take the lowest dosage that would give them menopause symptoms relief. They are also encouraged to take HRT for the shortest time frame possible.

There have been menopause natural relief products available that work for some people. For those who have very severe symptoms they have to resort to Hormone Replace Therapy. Today on the market there are products for menopause symptoms relief that are both natural and effective. Generally such menopause natural relief products are formulated with a blend of herbal extracts such as black cohosh, soy, damiana, vitamin E and other phytoestrogen herbal ingredients. Throughout history these components have proved to be effective in correcting hormonal imbalance. The ingredients in these herbal menopause symptoms relief products are highly recommended by leading herbal experts as alternatives to HRT.

Such menopause natural relief works by restoring the hormone levels of the body to give menopause symptoms relief. Females who have had a hysterectomy can also benefit from these products. These menopause natural relief products do not generally have interactions with drugs. Manufacturers of such menopause symptoms relief products often also make other quality herbal supplements.

For years manufacturers of menopause natural relief products cautioned women about the risks of synthetic Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Herbal menopause symptoms relief products are highly recommended by doctors the world over as the safe and effective menopause natural relief. Reviews from consumers show that menopause natural relief products are effective for menopause symptoms relief.

Many specialists are of the opinion that menopause natural relief products are safe and work better than prescription drugs or traditional hormone replacement therapy. Many of these herbal products do provide effective and guaranteed menopause symptoms relief. These products also help to maintain the normal functions of the female body.

If you are presently going through menopause and suffering from menopause symptoms, you owe it to yourself to find out more about such menopause natural relief products and how they can benefit you mentally, physically and emotionally.



Thanks to Paulina Jenkins for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Menopause And Hair Loss

Most women experience the symptoms of menopause around their late forties and in their early fifties. This is a phase in a woman’s life that is associated with changes that indicate the end of her reproductive years and it is a very difficult time to manage. During menopause your menstrual cycle will become irregular and the ovaries stop functioning. The result of menopause is that less estrogen hormones are produced and this is the real cause of the unpleasant symptoms associated with menopause.  Women may start being affected by the symptoms of menopause even though they may still be menstruating though periods will be irregular. There are some effective treatments for menopause that can be prescribed by your doctor or natural herbal products like Menozac that effectively treat the symptoms which can be purchased from health stores, but make sure to investigate their effectiveness first.

 

What Are the Unpleasant Symptoms of menopause.

 

If you are a man that is married to a woman during menopause, then you will know how difficult this stage in a woman’s life is. This is a time when they will experience symptoms indicating menopause, like hot flushes, mood swings, night sweats, aggression, anxiety and even bouts of depression. Some women even complain of itchiness in the genital area, burning and even pain during intercourse. There can be more frequent urination at night and in some woman urinary incontinence can appear. The lack of estrogen can also help the onset of osteoporosis due to decreasing bone mineral density.

 

Men need a lot of patience and understanding during this time considering all the unpleasant symptoms a woman can experience during menopause. These symptoms of menopause are extremely frightening for some women and your support as a husband is vital to help her through it every step of the way.

 

Treating Menopause.

 

The most effective treatment of menopause is that of hormone therapy and treatment should start as soon as the symptoms of menopause become apparent. It is more sensible seeking a doctor’s advice and they will assist you in finding suitable treatments that are worked out according to your age and overall status of your health. There are various more natural treatments for menopause you can investigate yourself, which will help you effectively manage the symptoms of menopause like natural herbal Menozac for example.

 

Reading up information on menopause will also help you better understand it as well. Your family support during this period of your life is the most important pillar that you need to get through menopause. You can also help them understand that you are not crazy or turning into a monster. Menopause is a natural stage in every woman’s life or as the older generation called it the New Celebrated change in a woman’s life. Managed properly using the right products it will not be half as bad as what I could be.



Thanks to Richard for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Bleeding After Menopause

Learning how to deal with menopause

A woman’s life is often marked by drastic changes. From adolescence to her menopausal years, women strive to cope up with the remarkable changes that come their way.

According to medical experts, menopause is a very significant time in any woman’s life because this is the time her body goes through a lot of changes. These changesmostly physicalgreatly affect her social, emotional, and intellectual stability. Studies show that when a woman goes through her menopausal years, her feelings about herself and her attitude towards work and life in general changes considerably.

MENOPAUSE FACTS

Menopause is perfectly a natural occurrence in any woman’s life. Unlike before when menopause is dreaded like some sort of disease, medical advances today have proven that a wide range of health care choices can be done to help women cope up with their menopausal stage.

Learning what menopause is all about, what causes it and what are the things that can be done to enhance the quality of life during this phase will help women nearing it understand it fully. Knowledge about it can even teach women how to deal with the phase when it comes.

In medical terms, menopausemeno (menstruation) and pause (stops)refers to the last menstrual flow in a woman’s life or the end of a woman’s menstrual periods. Medical experts say that menopause is a natural part of aging and usually occurs when the woman’s ovaries stop making hormones called “estrogens.” When the ovaries stop producing estrogen, the estrogen level will drop and will halt monthly periods. Low estrogen levels are usually linked to many uncomfortable symptoms in most women. Since estrogen plays a big role in shaping a female’s body in preparation for various female functions such as pregnancy, it’s loss during menopausal years can create a big impact on a woman’s overall well being.

The climacteric spans of menopausal years are usually dated from early or mid 40s to late 50s to early 60s. The entire phase includes the pre-menopausal years (before menopause), the menopausal climax years (during menopause), and the post-menopausal years (after menopause) or the “Change of Life.” Aside from aging, menopause can also be triggered by surgical removal of the ovaries for any other reasons like illness.

Medical experts agree that about 75 percent of women across the globe report uncomfortable symptoms during menopause and these vary from the most common to the most complicated ones. Studies show that the most common symptoms of menopause include hot flashes and vaginal atrophy or thinning, drying, shrinking and thinning of the vagina. Other symptoms include hot flashes along with sudden and violent waves of sweating, irregular periods, vaginal or urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence or inability to control the flow of urine, redness or inflammation of the vagina, ultimate discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse, visible changes in skin, digestive tract, and hair.

Emotional changes like mood swings and depression are also distinguished during pre-menopausal, menopausal, and post-menopausal years.

In the long run, more serious health risks are related to menopause or the lack of estrogen supply in a woman’s body. These include osteoporosis, heart diseases and heart attacks that can be traced due to being overweight or obesity, blood pressure that is monitored regularly, cigarette smoking, illness such as diabetes, high levels of “bad” cholesterol in the body and a low level of physical activities.

Menopause is usually determined after a woman has visited her physician. After the health history and physical examination has been diagnosed and conducted by the doctor, the appropriate therapy is then recommended to improve the menopausal discomfort. If you are on the verge of menopausal and you’re worried how to deal with it, make sure that you ask for professional help before anything gets worse.



Thanks to Nathalie Fiset for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement

The hormonal changes associated with menopause actually begin prior to the last menstrual period, during a 3- to 5-year period called perimenopause. The ovaries begin producing lower amounts of estrogen and other steroid hormones prior to menopause during a phase called perimenopause. Perimenopause is heralded by the onset of irregular periods. 

Menopause is the end of the reproductive years rather than the beginning, and thus it is the opposite of menarche, nonetheless it can usefully be compared with that event: the menopause transition years are in many ways similar to puberty in that women experience hormonal fluctuations which usher in a new stage of life. 

Menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation which occurs a considerable length of time before the end of the lifespan. Menopause is considered premature if it occurs before age 35. It is considered late if it occurs in a woman older than 55 years. Menopause is a natural biologic event that does not need to be prevented.

Menopause Symptoms

Symptoms related to menopause are caused by changing or dropping hormone levels and usually end 1 or 2 years after menopause. As menopause approaches, women often experience a number of physical and emotional symptoms including:

Irregular menstrual periods

Hot flashes and night sweats

Disturbed sleep patterns, insomnia

Anxiety

Significant mood changes

Depression

Dry skinIrritability

Vaginal dryness and pain with sexual intercourse

Difficulty concentrating

Trouble remembering things

Diminished interest in sex

Frequent urination or leaking of urine

Headaches

Achy joints

Fatigue

Early morning awakening.

Symptoms may last from 6 months to about 10 years.

Understanding the natural progression of age in a woman\’s body and becoming acquainted with the therapies available, allows women today to manage their symptoms, however hideous and to be proactive in maintaining their health for their later years.

Women of different ethnicities report significantly different types of menopausal \”symptoms\”. One major study found Caucasian women most likely to report what are sometimes described as psychosomatic symptoms, while African-american women were more likely to report vasomotor symptoms. 

Herbal Treatments For Monepause

It is a personal choice for women who desire menopause relief, and this choice should be made after much consideration about the possible side effects of the treatments.  Some women concerned about the risks of hormone therapy choose alternative therapies, including homeopathy, herbal treatments, and Chinese medicine. Now that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) no longer commands the primary focus since its reputation has been tarnished, an abundance of prescription drugs are primed to fill the void and sell us treatments for osteoporosis, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, and heart disease. 

Menopause Gum

Menopause Gum is the relief of menopausal symptoms, naturally and without a prescription.  The Gum is unique in it\’s form of delivering the needed help for sufferers of menopausal symptoms, in a much more appealing form. Menopause Gum is ingested without water through the membranes of the mouth, so more of the essential supplement is delivered to and retained in your body.

Menopause Gum is safe and effective thanks to a scientific blend of old-world herbs. While all four of these ingredients – dong quai root, black cohosh root  extract, damina leaf, mexican wild yam root - are in common use and available in health-food stores nationwide. Zoft Menopause Gum is the only herbal supplement to combine all four of these powerful herbal ingredients. 

Conclusion

A natural or physiological menopause is that which occurs as a part of a woman\’s normal aging process. Rather than a single point in time, menopause is a process or transitional period when women move away from the phase of life where reproduction is possible. 

Learn what menopause is, the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, and the treatments for menopause from traditional hormone replacement therapy or HRT to natural and bioidentical treatments for menopause. Women need to remember menopause is simply another stage of life, not a disease.



Thanks to Paul Rodgers for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Perimenopause And Weight Gain

Until you reached this stage in your life, there’s a high probability that you’d never even heard of perimenopause. As a matter of fact, you were probably a bit surprised that perimenopause (the transitional period before menopause) could begin so early in life, and last for ten years - sometimes even longer.

Symptoms of perimenopause are described almost exactly as those associated with menopause, and may include:

• Weight gain (especially around the mid-section)

• Mood changes

• Night sweats

• Hot flashes

• Vaginal dryness

• Changes in sexual desire (lowered libido)

• Sleep disturbances

• Frequent urination

• Extreme sweating

• Difficulty concentrating

• Other symptoms similar to those you may experience with premenstrual syndrome

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s a good idea to talk with your health care provider to rule out any other medical conditions. Once you’re sure that perimenopause is indeed the culprit behind the symptoms you’re now noticing, it’s time to “step it up” and take the steps necessary to reduce - and in many cases eliminate - the discomforts that can be associated with perimenopause.

Your physician will likely encourage you to make some lifestyle changes that have been proven to effectively benefit many women during perimenopause. These include:

• Altering your diet to include soy and flax

• Exercising regularly, incorporating weight training into your routine at least three days per week

• Taking supplements of vitamin E

• Avoiding triggers that can cause hot flashes, such as caffeine; also, it’s suggested that you avoid being in extremely warm temperatures or rooms

• Herbal treatments, such as ginkgo biloba, black cohash or Evening Primrose Oil

Depending on your age, health and medical history and the severity of your symptoms, your doctor may also use various other treatments to remedy your perimenopausal symptoms, such as:

• A low dose of birth control to stabilize your hormone levels

• Antidepressants to level out your mood swings

• Progesterone to alleviate symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome

This transitional period can be a bit frightening for many women, but it’s important to remind yourself that you can indeed breeze through perimenopause and menopause if you simply take care of yourself. You can be as healthy, energetic, happy and beautiful as you’ve always been. As an added bonus, your age has brought you to a maturity level you didn’t have twenty years ago, giving you confidence to be certain that you can be and do everything you set your mind to. You will no doubt enjoy and savor your life if you remain positive and determined.



Thanks to Susan Megge for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Menopause And Bleeding