by Joan Raynor,
Menopause, when a woman no longer menstruates, is a process that usually begins around age 45; however some women begin as early as age 35 or due to a hysterectomy. Not all women experience menopause in the same way. For some, menopause can bring on an array of uncomfortable symptoms. Others may experience few discomforts and are happy to no longer have periods. Although menopause is a very natural process for the body to go through, the effects can often be overwhelming.
The symptoms of menopause are common indicators of the changes in the hormones estrogen, testosterone and progesterone. This change and the symptoms caused by menopause may take anywhere from 7 - 10 years to complete and even as long as 15 years, depending upon the women. Menopause will not stop you from enjoying your life just like before, you just have to learn to adjust and find the right products to help with the relief of menopause.
But with so many pre-menopausal and menopausal symptoms to contend with it’s hard for many women to find the right solution to ease their discomforts. Women going through menopause can experience an array of uncomfortable symptoms such as hot flashes, fatigue, insomnia, loss of hair, vaginal dryness, irritability, facial hair and the most probable is weight gain. Some women have also noticed heart palpitations, headaches, muscle tension, aching joints, aching muscles, increased appetites, and dizziness.
The most common issues to contend with are hot flashes; an uncomfortable symptom of menopause that can leaves women feeling hot, sweaty and red faced. Hot flashes are a common symptom which is experienced by three out of four women in the transitional period of menopause. Another symptom women experience is weight gain. 90% of menopausal women gain some weight between the ages of 35 and 55. Most women who gain weight during menopause notice a change in body shape and can gain anywhere from 10 to 15 pounds during their menopausal years. This hormone change may begin to put weight on around your abdomen, instead of around your hips, thighs, and rear. With so many symptoms, what is the right solution to help alleviate or even eliminate these symptoms?
Many doctors are quick to prescribe hormone replacement therapy or HRT’s as a way to deal with uncomfortable symptoms; however vitamins and other natural supplements are turning out to be a great alternative for women. For thousands of years Asian women have used herbs to ease their transition into menopause. With the recent cardiovascular and breast cancer issues associated with synthetic hormone replacement therapy or HRT, it is comforting to know there are promising alternative treatments. Herbal supplements can also act on estrogen receptors to boost their function without causing the dangerous cell proliferation that HRT presents. This is important because cell proliferation spreads breast cancer cells.
So if you are a women dealing with menopause or are just planning ahead to when nature takes its change of course, know your options. Alternative medicines have been used for centuries and can be a trusted alternative.
