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

Hysterectomy and menopause continues to create confusion among many women who are not sure whether the latter will be induced by having a hysterectomy. In explaining what can occur let’s look at the link between the two.

Firstly, what is a hysterectomy? In simple terms, it’s the removal of a women’s uterus and cervix or part of a women’s uterus. Some procedures may also involve removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes.

The Effects Of Hysterectomy

So how does a hysterectomy affect menopause? Women can no longer menstruate or become pregnant following a hysterectomy but it seems there is confusion surrounding the issue of whether this means that menopause has occurred. Simply explained, if one or both of the ovaries are retained then menopausal onset could continue as normal. In fact, one of three things could happen: the ovaries will continue to function normally until menopause occurs; the ovaries could stop functioning as soon as one year following surgery or ovarian failure could be silent.

What Is Surgical Menopause?

Complete removal of the ovaries in pre-menopausal women will result in a drop in oestrogen and progesterone levels which can bring on what is described as surgical menopause. A sudden drop in ovarian production can lead to menopause symptoms occuring just a few days following the procedure. The increased risk of osteoporosis is one of the downsides to this as well as the usual symptoms of menopause including hot flushes and night sweats.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is an option for women who experience surgical menopause. This can help alleviate some of the symptoms such as hot flushes. Information on the benefits of HRT are sketchy to say the least with the treatment having both it’s detractors and supporters. Whether it’s the right course of action for you can only be made following a consultation with your health physician. The good news for women who elect to skip HRT is that there are alternative and more natural treatments available and this should be one of the first questions you ask your doctor.

Women who have one or both of their ovaries left behind following a hysterectomy will generally experience ovarian production until menopause is reached. The difference is that hormone levels can fluctuate alarmingly or, they can stop producing a lot sooner than expected. If it’s the latter and oestrogen deficiency is recognized, then a visit to the doctor is of the utmost importance.

More Issues To Consider

There are other issues regarding whether the ovaries should be left behind. The threat of ovarian cancer always lingers and many doctors will advise their patients to consider removing them. The risk however, is low and in many cases if the ovaries are relatively healthy then many patients will elect to retain either one or both.

Hysterectomy and menopause seems like a very complex issue on the surface and in reality it is because there are many factors to consider. Hysterectomy is one of the most performed surgical procedures in the western world for women and for most, it’s a decision made after lengthy analysation. You’ll need to weigh up the pros and cons with your doctor before making any decision.



Thanks to Dean Caporella for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Premature Menopause

Perimenopause symptoms are most often experienced by women in their late 30’s, 40’s or early 50’s. The perimenopause symptoms such as fluctuating menstrual cycles can signal the slowing down of reproductive capabilities.

Perimenopause (or peri menopause) can be defined as the time before menopause. Menopause is the cessation of menstrual periods for twelve months in a row. Having symptoms of perimenopause can mean that the woman is getting closer to the age of menopause and the ending of monthly menstrual periods.

Here are common symptoms of perimenopause:

• Changes in the Menstrual Cycle (menstrual flow can be heavier or lighter, longer or shorter time between periods, irregular flow)

• Lumpy or Tender Breasts

• Water Retention, Bloating

• Problems with Sleep

• “Foggy, Fuzzy” Thinking, Difficulty Concentrating

• Anxiety, Mood Swings, Depression

• PMS

• Hot Flashes, Night Sweats

• Vaginal Dryness

• Unexplained Weight Gain

Perimenopause and menopause will affect each woman differently. Your only one of the perimenopause symptoms may be that your period stops. However, you may have one or more of the other symptoms of perimenopause. Perimenopause symptoms can be experienced by a woman for a few months or they can last for years. Since the average age of menopause is 51, symptoms of perimenopause can appear in a woman’s late 30’s, any time in her 40’s or early 50’s.

During perimenopause, many women begin experiencing their first symptoms of hormone imbalance. How does hormone imbalance happen?

According to Harvard-trained physician Dr. John Lee, perimenopause symptoms appear because ovulation occurs less frequently or not at all in the years before menopause. When a woman is healthy and ovulating, estrogen is produced during the first part of the menstrual cycle and following ovulation, progesterone is produced during the latter part of the monthly cycle.

With ovulation required for the monthly production of progesterone, if there’s no ovulation, no progesterone will be produced. With declining progesterone production, perimenopause can be the time women experience the onset of hormone imbalance, causing symptoms of perimenopause.

How can a woman tell if the symptoms of perimenopause are related to hormone imbalance? One way is to take a leading womens clinic test for hormone health and related perimenopause symptoms. The health test is free and it takes just a few minutes.

Copyright 2006 InfoSearch Publishing



Thanks to Olinda Rola for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Making Money Online

Can you answer midnightdealer’s question about Menopause?:

For the past two weeks, I’ve been unable to sleep at night due to night sweats and hot flashes. When I get a hot flash within a couple of minutes it feels like my heart is going to jump right out of my chest. Is this normal? Any remedies for relief?

Menopause Natural Remedies

Menopause is not a disease or an illness. Menopause is simply the name given to the last menstrual period. Menopause before the age of 40 is termed ‘early menopause’. Early menopause affects 15% before the age of 45 affects 15% of the population. Menopause is the natural and normal body process of a woman, which may result in the changing or halting of her monthly menstrual cycles. Menopausal women can experience emotional ups and downs, including anxiety, depression, cravings, and forgetfulness. Early menopause, premature menopause and/or premature ovarian failure are terms that are often used to describe the same condition, whatever the cause. Estrogen crash can cause extreme hot flashes, fatigue, mood swings, and depression in some women.

Menopause occurs when a woman’s ovaries run out of functioning eggs. Symptoms of early menopause are basically the same as for natural menopause. There is a rapid decline in the amount of estrogen (known as “estrogen crash”) in your body. This causes you to enter menopause more quickly than other women. Estrogen crash can cause extreme hot flashes, fatigue, mood swings, and depression in some women. The most common is the hot flush however, women may sometimes experience several of the symptoms hot flushes and night sweats ,aches and pains ,crawling or itching sensations under the skin ,headaches ,vaginal dryness ,reduced sex drive ,urinary frequency ,tiredness ,irritability ,depression ,sleeping difficulty ,lack of self esteem and forgetfulness.

Emotional problems related to the menopause – many women find the symptoms of the menopause. In a survey of early menopausal women, 100% of women who experienced surgical menopause experienced a number of menopause symptoms in quick succession. Pelvic surgeries, such as hysterectomy, also causes early menopause. Vague symptoms you may not have connected may become significant when viewed as part of perimenopause. Dryness of the vagina - this is a common symptom of pre-menopause and unfortunately it can cause a woman to feel uncomfortable during sexual intercourse. It can help in some cases to talk to a councillor so that any depressive emotions can be worked through outside of the home.

Menopause Treatment Tips

1. Hormone therapy relieving menopausal hot flashes.

2. Gabapentin (Neurontin) is approved to treat seizures, but it also has been shown to significantly reduce hot flashes.

3. Cyclical therapy: Estrogen taken daily via a pill or via a patch.

4. Clonidine (Catapres, others). Clonidine, a pill or patch typically used to treat high blood pressure.

5. Estrogen can be administered locally using a vaginal tablet, ring or cream.

6. Gabapentin (Neurontin) is approved to treat seizures.



Thanks to Juliet Cohen for contributing this article to our Menopause blog:

Menopause Hormone Replacement