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One of the major causes of weight gain in women is the changes in their hormone levels and sedentarism. Studies show that about 90 percent of menopausal women experience weight gain between the ages 35 to 55. This is not surprising because weight gain comes with the territory of aging and menopausal.

Medical experts say that menopause occurs when a woman?s ovaries has stopped producing estrogen which is responsible for ovulation and menstruation. Today, more and more women who are experiencing menopause go through weight gain due to hormonal changes brought about by aging. Experts explain that with aging, the muscles in the body start to decrease in bulk along with the slowing of metabolism. This slowing down of metabolism along with decrease in bulk of the body?s muscles contributes to weight gain. Aside from weight gain, menopause also leads to loss of sexual appetite or loss of libido, vaginal atrophy, and growth or loss of hair in the head and face. With all these demoralizing truths, it is common that women who are experiencing menopause lose self-confidence and esteem. But, it shouldn?t stay that way. With the help of science and modern researches, weight gain during menopausal years can be solved.

THE WEIGHT GAIN

Weight gain during menopause is as common as aging. Usually, women sometimes gain about 10 to15 pounds starting from their abdomen, to the hips, thighs, and rear. Studies show that weight gain on women usually starts during their pre-menopausal years and will continue to pile up as they grow older. For those who have experienced early menopausal due to major operation or surgery, they are expected to gain weight faster compared to those who haven?t.

Because of the changes in their weight or size, many women are starting to dread the thought of menopausal. It is recommended to exerciseregularly and eat to one’s appetite. Experts say that women should be more aware when they are entering the stage of menopausal so they can prepare for it. Physicians say that women should expect that as they enter the early stages of menopause, they would have difficulty maintaining their weight because of the fluctuation in their hormones. Because of these natural hormonal changes?that include estrogen, testosterone, and androgen levels?a man?s or woman?s appetite, metabolism, and fat storage are greatly affected.

UNVEILING THE REASONS BEHIND WEIGHT GAIN DURING MENOPAUSE

Before sulking into a pit of depression, a woman must know the reasons behind it so she can make the necessary adjustments.

1. Hormone deficiency and lack of female hormones that slows down metabolism. Lack of estrogen leads to excessive weight gain because it alters certain functions of the body and greatly influences fat distribution in the body. You must understand estrogen and fat distribution very well.

2. Slow metabolism due to aging. As people grow older, their metabolism starts to slow down. One effective way of reducing energy intake, women who are experiencing menopause are recommended to have a balanced diet composed of whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

3. Lack of exercise or physical activity. As women enter their menopausal stage, they become more sedentary in almost everything that they do. This inactive lifestyle leads them to weight gain because they are not getting enough physical exercise they should get. If muscle pains are giving a woman a hard time to do such simple and regular exercises, she can try taking in vitamin and mineral supplement to boost her energy levels that contain calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, chromium and selenium.

4. The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can also be a big factor in gaining weight. Although HRT is known to help give back lost female hormones, this treatment can also add up on the weight she already has because it works. HRT has also been subject to serious warnings in their use recently.

5. Weight gain can also be traced in increased food intake due to emotional problems like depression. Emotional eating or overeating due to frustration over weight gain is also a big factor that contributes to excessive weight gain. Talking to friends and satying active are powerful ways to fight back.

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: http://www.bestmenopause.com/weight-gain.html http://www.aperfectharmony.com or http://www.myalpha-power.com .

Menopause occurs when there is not enough supply of estrogen in the body. With the absence of this important hormone in a woman?s body, there are lot of adjustments to be done and changes to prepare for.

Studies show that the loss of estrogens accelerates bone loss in the span of five to eight years. One of the most common areas affected by the loss of estrogen in the body is the skeletal system?specifically the bones that lead to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis, as defined, pertains to the thinning of the bones. As the bones become thinner and thinner, it becomes weaker and breaks more easily. The bones that are often affected include those of the spine, wrists, and hips.

COMBATING OSTEOPOROSIS CAUSED BY MENOPAUSE

As women grow older and older, risks of having osteoporosis becomes greater. Studies show that aside from aging, more and more women and men suffer become prone to osteoporosis especially if he/she has a family history of osteoporosis, fair skinned like blonds and red heads, engage in low calcium diet, lives a sedentary or physically inactive, underweight, obese, smokers and those with serious illness and disease.

In order to avoid, or at least, lessen the burden of having osteoporosis, here are some recommended lifestyle changes that you can do by yourself.

1. Have enough calcium in your body. In order to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, men women alike should start taking about 1,000 mg of calcium every day that is equals to about three serves of dairy food. Calcium is naturally found in various foods and can also be added in powder form. Having enough calcium supply in your diet will ensure strengthened bones. Aside from eating foods rich in calcium, taking in calcium tablets can also support your calcium supply. For those who are drinking calcium to avoid further osteoporic problem, bear in mind that you should reach a total daily intake of 1,000 milligrams daily before menopause and 1,500 milligrams daily after menopause.

2. Physical activity is quite crucial to avoid further complications of osteoporosis. Recent studies show that people with or without osteoporosis can also benefit from spontaneous physical activity. Doing regular exercises like walking throughout your life can help in the reduction of osteoporosis risks because it reduces the rate of bone loss while protecting the remaining bone tissues. Experts say that the required minimum exercise for people who are suffering with osteoporosis is still unknown, but physical activity of 15 to 60 minutes at least thrice a week in highly recommended. Here are some of the general recommendations for exercise approved by most experts.

- Make sure that you have visited your doctor or health care provider before you start any exercise program.

- If you are already suffering from osteoporosis, avoid high impact activities or those exercise requiring sudden and forceful movements.
- Light weight-bearing exercises such as walking, dancing, and weight training are generally recommended.
- Make sure that you can sustain the frequency of your physical activity.
- Take strength training at least once or twice a week to prepare your body to more strenuous physical activities.
- Choose exercises that flexibility exercises or stretching.
- No matter how you love the water, avoid swimming because it?s not a weight bearing exercise. The buoyancy of the water will only counteract the effects of gravity and will be more difficult for you to maintain your balance.
- Choose exercises that will help you reduce bone loss, improve your muscle strength, balance, and fitness so the incidence of falls and fractures will be lessened.

Indeed, there is no easy way to address osteoporosis. Being a complex condition involving hormonal, lifestyle, nutritional, and environmental factors, osteoporosis can only be cured through proper exercise, diet, and supplements. Aside from these, medical preventions and treatments such as hormone therapy (HT), Bisphosphonates, selective oestrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), potential therapies like Tibolone (Livial) and parathyroid hormone are available today.

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: http://www.bestmenopause.com/osteoporosis.html http://www.aperfectharmony.com or http://www.a-1hypnosis.com .

The primary symptoms of low estrogen are irregular or missed periods, as occurs in the years leading up to and during menopause. Estrogen?s primary role during a woman?s reproductive years is to prepare the uterus to receive a fertilized egg, but researchers have shown that estrogen has other effects on a woman?s body as well, which is why estrogen replacement therapy is sometimes recommended to relieve unwanted symptoms associated with menopause and aging.

The Skin

According to the North American Menopause Society, hormones play an important role in skin health. The symptoms of low estrogen following menopause that relate to the skin include a decline in collagen and thickness, particularly in the years immediately following menopause. Some women notice that their skin is dryer; others develop acne, particularly if they had acne during adolescence. Estrogen replacement therapy may have beneficial effects on the skin, but is not recommended solely for this purpose, because of the numerous health risks with which it is associated.

Researchers at the University of Melina in Italy, investigating alternatives to estrogen replacement therapy that would counteract the effects of decreased estrogen production following menopause believe that isoflavones from red clover may be effective. Isoflavones are a type of plant estrogen and there is evidence supporting their use to treat other menopausal symptoms, so these scientists decided to investigate their effects on the skin. They concluded that supplements containing red clover isoflavones increased skin elasticity, collagen content and thickness, reducing the signs of skin aging associated with the symptoms of low estrogen following menopause.

Bones

One of the best known symptoms of low estrogen is bone loss or osteoporosis. Until studies linked estrogen replacement therapy to serious health risks such as blood clots and strokes, it was often recommended to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. Lack of estrogen inhibits the body?s ability to absorb calcium and vitamin D. Vitamin D is necessary for the body to effectively absorb calcium. Sun-screen which is necessary to protect the skin may also inhibit the body?s ability to activate vitamin D found in food. For this reason the North American Menopause Society advises that a vitamin D supplement may be necessary. The latest USRDA suggests that vitamin D supplements are probably necessary for anyone over the age of 50.

The body is able to absorb calcium most efficiently when iron, manganese, phosphorous, magnesium and vitamin C are present as well. Thus, a daily multi-vitamin containing adequate amounts of all of these nutrients, as well as vitamin D, provides the best insurance that a woman?s bones will continue to receive necessary amounts of calcium. Specialized health supplements designed for women containing plant estrogens, as well, may be even more effective, as the increase in dietary estrogenic compounds may counteract the symptoms of low estrogen caused when the ovaries stop functioning.

Sexuality

There is no evidence that estrogen replacement therapy alone can increase a woman?s sex drive or libido. Combination type hormone replacement therapies that include testosterone and other sex hormones appear to be more effective for this purpose. Vaginal dryness and thinness are believed to be symptoms of low estrogen levels following menopause, since the skin on other parts of the body loses elasticity and thickness. Since vaginal dryness and thinness can cause painful intercourse, women may experience a decreased sex drive as a result. This can create a kind of ?vicious circle?, because lack of sexual stimulation may cause a decrease in vaginal health, once again decreasing desire.

Many women have found that they enjoy an increased sex drive following menopause. They feel an increased sense of freedom, because there is no longer a risk of pregnancy. For women who have the desire, but are bothered by dryness, any of the K-Y lubricants can help and there are some that are specifically designed to act on vaginal tissue to relieve dryness. Herbal sexual stimulants including ginseng and tribulus terrestris can increase libido. Tribulus may also increase levels of circulating hormones, thus counteracting other symptoms of low estrogen, including vaginal dryness.

The Brain

No one is sure if mood swings, depression, anxiety, memory problems, trouble concentrating and other symptoms noted during menopause are symptoms of low estrogen, another hormone, other brain chemicals or simply part of the aging process. At least one study has shown that estrogen improves the ability of the receptors in the hypothalamus to receive and transmit signals. The hypothalamus is a part of the brain in which memories are stored, is important in regulating mood, sleep and sexuality, among other functions. Autopsies have shown that the hypothalamus is smaller in people suffering from major depressive disorders, possibly inhibiting its ability to function properly.

Women who have experienced anxiety or depression prior to menopause seem to be more likely to suffer from depression during or following menopause. It is important to seek treatment for depression, particularly if suicidal thoughts are present. Studies have shown that low-dose estrogen therapy is fairly effective, as are the newer antidepressants, known as Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors.

If depression is mild or emotions seem to swing from one extreme to another a natural antidepressant like 5-HTP or St. John?s Wort. 5-HTP may be harder to find, but is not associated with the health risks that may accompany the use of St. John?s Wort. Gingko biloba may help problems with memory. Black cohosh has been shown in clinical studies to relieve not only hot flashes, but some of the emotional symptoms associated with menopause. If these are symptoms of low estrogen, then dietary supplementation with plant estrogens may be effective.

Supplements

To learn more about dietary supplements, including vitamins, minerals, herbs and other plant components that can relieve the symptoms of low estrogen and may be effective alternatives to estrogen replacement therapy, please visit the Menopause and PMS Guide.

Patsy Hamilton was a health care professional for over twenty years before becoming a freelance writer. Currently she writes informational articles for the Menopause and PMS Guide. Read more at http://www.menopause-and-pms-guide.com .

One of the major milestones in the life of a woman is menopause. This is the period when the woman will no longer have their monthly periods. This also means that this is the end of their being fertile. Once a woman goes into menopause, they can no longer bear a child.

Menopause occurs when a woman?s ovaries run out of eggs. There is also a decrease in the production of some sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone and to some degree, androgen. A woman has in her lifetime about half a million egg cells in her ovaries. From these half a million eggs, only about 400 to 500 eggs mature and are released during the menstrual cycle. The rest of the eggs degenerate.

When a woman is still in her reproductive years, hormones are secreted by the body to thicken the lining of the uterus. These hormones, progesterone and estrogen prepare the body to nourish the egg. If this is fertilized, then it will develop into a fetus, a baby. If not, secretion of the hormones will lag down and the lining will slowly thin down. This is when menstruation occurs.

Because of age, ovaries of women will slowly decrease its secretion of the hormones. This often starts when they are in mid-30s. In their late 40s, they will often have irregular menstrual cycle because of the fluctuating levels of the hormones. By the time a woman reaches 40 years old, their period will eventually stop. This is menopause.

Menopause can be hard for some women especially when they are not prepared for it. Because the female hormones will stop its secretion, women may feel several changes in their bodies. Most common of these are hot flushes, weight gain and bone problem. Below are some tips that help you cope with menopause.

1. Make it cooler

Hot flushes may be solved by medications but some people do not opt for this due to costs or fear of side effects. To help minimize this, try to wear light clothes. Wear many layers, which you can take off when you hot flashes start. There are also mini fans that you can carry with you in your bag. They are battery operated so there is no need to look for an electric fan

2. Engage in physical activity

Expect to become heavier during menopause. When your pants suddenly won?t fit you, don?t be surprised. It is not because you have suddenly been eating a lot lately but because of menopause.

Because of the changes in the body particularly in the hormonal levels that the body secretes, women gain weight during menopause. To combat this, it is good to engage in physical activity. This also strengthens the bones, which tends to weaken during this period in life.

Another advantage in engaging in physical activity especially in sports is the fact that it will also help you maintain your weight. Remember that metabolism will naturally slow down as you grow older. So whether or not you are menopausal, physical activity will benefit you.

3. Take your vitamins

One of the important things that a woman should do to cope well with menopause is to take vitamins regularly. Hormonal changes in the body weaken the bones. This is why it is vital that women have adequate calcium intake. They should also watch the levels of their vitamin D in the body.

Vitamin D and calcium play a major role in reducing their risk of developing osteoporosis, which frequently occurs in women who are in their menopausal ages. Osteoporosis is a bone-thinning disease that may lead to bone fractures. Women undergoing menopause is recommended to take at least 1200 mg per day of calcium and about 400-600 IU of Vitamin D for calcium absorption.

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: http://www.bestmenopause.com/treatment.html http://www.aperfectharmony.com or http://www.myalpha-power.com

You are what you eat?especially during menopausal years. As people?especially women?get older, the digestive tract becomes less and less efficient leading to a longer digestion process. This is why knowing the proper and balanced diet is quite significant so you will know how to select foods that your body needs.

Nutritionists advise women nearing menopausal years to do everything possible to ensure that they eat a diet that is balanced and can provide the nutrients their body might need.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DIET DURING MENOPAUSAL YEARS

Experts say that knowing the proper diet for menopausal women is one excellent way of fighting the emotional, physical, and spiritual changes they experience. They also agree that to be able to manage menopause, women must be meticulous in the food they take in and they should keep in mind the important food group for their age like proteins and protein alternatives, adding up servings of grains and carbohydrates, dairy products, fats, and tons of fruits and vegetables.

Knowing the proper diet during menopausal years will help you manage the distressing symptoms of menopause. Keep in mind that good diet nutrition does not only minimizes the possibility of physical, mental, emotional, and health risks during menopausal years. If you are determined to combat the symptoms of menopause even before it gets worst, try some these healthy menopause diet suggestions.

1. Take in as many fruits and vegetables in your every meal. Fruits like melons, bananas, and citrus fruits that are rich in potassium along with veggies like spinach, yam, cabbage, and broccoli can be a perfect source for the nutrients you need and can even help balance your body?s sodium and water retention.

2. Go heavy on soy. Known to contain phytoestrogens?a chemical that has the characteristics of estrogen?soy is recommended in the diet of every menopausal woman because it reduces the possibilities of hot flushes. The bets sources of soy include tofu, soy nuts, tempeh, soy yogurt, and soymilk.

3. Take in a lot amounts of fiber?especially soluble fiber?on regular basis.

4. Delete the entries of junk or fried foods in your list. Instead of munching junk foods, take in broil or baked products instead.

5. Forget about white bread/flour in your bread. Eat products that include wholegrain bread, oats, rye, and wheat germ.

6. Stop eating white rice?with basmati or brown rice as an exception.

7. Veer away from regular potatoes. Instead switch to sweet potatoes or pasta.

8. If you?re not suffering from arthritis, add beans and lentils to your regular meals.

9. Opt for virgin olive oil, canola, wheat germ, or flaxseed oil instead of processed cooking oils when cooking.

10. Oily fish as salmon or mackerel should be a regular part of your diet because these are rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids that have wide range of health benefits.

Experts also recommended the addition of Vitamin C, D and E, bioflavonoids, isoflavones, B-complex, calories, calcium, Lignans (a form of phytoestrogen), Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Zinc to your diet to help fight the symptoms of menopause.

Indeed, having a balanced diet is just one of the so many things that men and women can do to reduce the discomfort brought by the symptoms of menopause.

Experts say that healthy eating wouldn?t only prevent weight gain but will also help alleviate the more challenging symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, irritability, and mood fluctuations.

Although there is no proven or concrete diet plan for menopausal men and women today, nutritionists believe that dietary recommendations containing the right amount of foods from a specific food group can be an effective way to treat the burden caused by menopause.

Remember, having a healthy menopause diet will not only maintain optimal health of the menopausal individual but will also decrease the risks of developing more complicated illnesses brought by the hormonal changes of the body.

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: http://www.bestmenopause.com/supplements.html http://www.aperfectharmony.com or http://www.a-1hypnosis.com

Menopause can be a difficult phase to go through for any woman. Aside from the thought of dealing with physical and emotional changes, menopause has been a cause of unnecessary confusion and worry to those who are nearing this specific phase because they don?t know how to deal with other symptoms.

Characterized by the end of menstruation period, menopause affects every woman differently just like in various biological changes. Common menopausal symptoms include changes in period patterns, hot flushes, night sweats usually followed by a chill, altered sleeping patterns or troubled sleeps, vaginal atrophy or vaginal dryness, thinning, or itching, depression, mood swings and emotional fluctuations, confusion or inability to focus on things and carrying out tasks, and hair loss or growth on unlikely areas such as the face.

Menopause may also cause more serious health problems such as obesity, osteoporosis, and heart attack in the long run if not paid attention. Make sure that you know and are well aware of other menopausal symptoms so you can understand it fully.

PROPOSED TREATMENT AND ALTERNATIVES

If you are one of those who are nearing menopausal years, educating yourself on how you can mange the symptoms and the effects of menopause can help you start living your life in harmony.

Experts suggest that eating a healthy diet along with regular exercise during menopausal years is effective to cope up and treat these symptoms. But if you think you can no longer handle the symptoms of menopause, then it is now time to seek for professional help or treatment to help you out.

Studies show that the need of women to seek for professional help varies on her need and emotional stability. Experts say that although many menopausal women do not really need special treatments for menopause, there are those who need it to overcome their difficulties.

For those women who are thinking of getting a treatment, there are various menopausal treatments available today. Since there is no single treatment that sits down well to all women, it is best if you consult your physician first before getting any of these treatments.

By doing this, you can ask your doctor to discuss with you the treatments that can be perfect for you. The following are the most popular menopause available today.

1. Hormone therapy (HT) or Hormone Therapy Replacement (HRT) is one of the most popular menopausal treatments today. Undergoing through this treatment will reduce and relieve menopausal symptoms like vaginal dryness, hot flushes and night sweats. Recent studies have warranted special caution in using HRT as they may be associated with an increase in heart problems.

Experts agree that HT/HRT should be taken at the beginning of menopause because it can be an effective solution to bone loss or osteoporosis because it can increase bone density by around five percent in two years and can even reduces the risk of spinal fractures by 40 percent.

A follow up after the menopausal years is as equally important to ensure the maximum effect of the therapy.

Experts say that HT is not recommended for the prevention of heart or bone disease, stroke, and memory loss. And since there many kinds of HTs, the best way to know which one is the best for you is by consulting so he/she can suggest what?s most suitable type for you.

2. Bisphosphonates, on the other hand helps the renewal of bone cells that are constantly being broken down. This treatment prevents bone loss by hindering the breakdown process. Although this is effective in preventing osteoporosis, experts warns the interested patients to brace for side effects like gastrointestinal upsets.

Today, the most commonly used bisphosphonates include Fosamax, Actonel and Didrocal that should be taken daily or weekly.

3. Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) is also one of the popular treatments because it supplies the natural estrogen of the body. Patients must look out for the potential side effects of SERMs that may include hot flushes and vein coagulation.

Other effective menopause treatment include Tibolone (Livial) therapy, parathyroid therapy, Vitamin D and calcium supplements and ?Bioidentical? hormone therapy. Overall, nothing replaces good healthy living habits like exercising regularly, eating well and relaxing,

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: http://www.bestmenopause.com/treatment.html http://www.aperfectharmony.com or http://www.a-1hypnosis.com

Many studies have shown hormone replacement therapy to be the most effective treatment for the maintenance of bone size and strength and for the prophylaxis of bone fractures. This kind of treatment must be taken for fifteen to twenty years to prevent osteoporosis effectively. After three years of treatment, menopausal women who receive estrogen therapy have about ten percent more bone than those not on this form of treatment.

Hormone replacement therapy is a powerful tool against osteoporosis because it not only reduces the loss of bone minerals, but also slows the loss of collagen from the deeper layers of the skin and it is said that this effect slows the rate of aging of the skin. It is safe to say that hormone replacement therapy is good not only for your inner layers but for your outer layer as well.

Osteoporosis can cause the bony vertebrae of the spine to become weak and spongy. Compression fractures of the spinal vertebra are characterized by crushed triangular wedges from their once-rectangular solid forms. Compression fractures cause a loss of height, a protruding abdomen and a curved posture, with compression of the spinal nerves that causes sharp shooting pains in the spine and limbs. At present, one in four American women over the age of sixty and at their post menopausal stage have one or more spinal compression fractures.

A loss of bone mass commonly occurs in the hips and without preventive treatment, fifty percent of post menopausal women are at risk of hip fracture by the age of seventy-five. Taking estrogen replacement therapy for fifteen years after menopause postpones the age of high fracture risk to ninety years. Currently, the average life span for the American woman is eighty-five, so hormone therapy in effect enables the majority of women to escape fractures. Post menopausal women who use estrogen therapy have a sixty percent lower risk of osteoporotic fractures than women who do not. As women continue to live longer, they may need to take hormone replacement for longer periods; the ideal solution would be to reprogram the ovaries to pump out estrogen indefinitely.

Aside from estrogen, some progestogens (hormones similar in effect to progesterone) have worthwhile ability in reducing bone loss. This provides another reason for combining estrogens and progestogens in hormone replacement therapy prescriptions.

Preventing osteoporosis is an important not only for our individual wellbeing, but also for the sake of society as a whole. The percentage of older persons in our population is increasing and while today’s affluent society has the resources to care for the health of these people, this may not always be so. Epidemiologists estimate that by the year 2025, the percentage of persons under fifteen years of age will have gone from approximately thirty-five percent to approximately nineteen percent, while the percentage of persons over sixty-four years of age will have increased from approximately four percent to roughly sixteen percent. The smaller number of younger persons will find it increasingly difficult to support the health of the larger number of older persons, both financially and socially. To avoid the high cost to society of providing health care for our aging population, we must use the tools of preventive medicine while we are in midlife.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Menopause

The long term effects of estrogen deficiency that accompanies menopause vary among different women, owing to genetic, psychological and environmental factors. This means that some women will suffer from the effects of estrogen deprivation, while others will not and this individuality will seem very obvious to a physician specializing in this area. Generally, the loss of estrogen results in a higher risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and sexual dysfunction in post menopausal women.

Five years after menopause, the majority of women will have some thinning, dryness and shrinkage of the vagina, unless they take estrogen replacement therapy. There are women in their sixties and seventies who continue to have active and fulfilling sex lives in response to hormone replacement. For the increasing number of women in their seventies and eighties who want to be sexually active, vaginal atrophy (shrinkage) is a real concern. However, for many women, the problem is not deciding whether to be sexually active, but finding a partner, as on average, men don’t live as long as women do.

Forty percent of American women will suffer from heart disease or a stroke as they go through menopause. Up to the time of menopause, women enjoy a certain amount of protection against cardiovascular disease compared with their male counterparts. Indeed, the incidence of heart attacks in women is only one third as great as the incidence in men. Unfortunately, after menopause, women begin to lose this relative protection from heart attacks and strokes, so that by the age of seventy-five, a woman’s risk of developing these diseases is similar to that of a man.

So why do women become prone to cardiovascular disease after menopause? The most important factor appears to be the loss of estrogen in the body, which results in unfavorable changes in the blood cholesterol levels. Not only do overall cholesterol levels increase, but the level of low density lipoprotein cholesterols, the so-called “bad cholesterol” goes up, while that if high density lipoprotein cholesterols (”good cholesterol”) go down. After menopause, this imbalance in cholesterol results in an increase in atherosclerosis (a condition characterized by blockage and hardening of the arteries), especially in women who smoke, who are obese and have sedentary lifestyles.

Early menopause is bad news for your cardiovascular system. Women who lose the function of their ovaries before the age of forty have a greater risk of heart disease than women who go through menopause when they are ten years older. The good news is that large-scale population studies have proven that estrogen replacement can restore a favorable balance in blood cholesterol levels. The risk of cardiovascular disease can be reduced by approximately fifty percent by taking estrogen at or soon after menopause. A study on hormone replacement therapy found breakthrough results for heart disease. The study showed that there were half as many cardiovascular deaths and heart attacks among women who took estrogen after menopause as there were among women who never used estrogen. This is because estrogen reduces total cholesterol levels, increases the proportion of the so-called “good cholesterol” and prevents cholesterol from being deposited in the walls of the arteries, thus preventing atherosclerosis.

The reduction of the incidence of stroke by hormone replacement therapy appears to be more modest, but it is still significant. A recent study of 23,088 Swedish women showed that post menopausal estrogen replacement therapy can reduce the overall risk of stroke by thirty percent.

We know now for sure that estrogen alone is good for your blood vessels and heart, but we are not sure if taking synthetic progesterone in addition to estrogen (as is now commonly done) reduces the benefits of estrogen on your cardiovascular system, particularly if you take estrogen and progesterone for many years. The ideal progesterone is yet to be found.

Your risk of cardiovascular disease is not determined only by the loss of estrogen. Other risk factors are equally important - and sometimes more important - as determinants of cardiovascular disease. These include smoking, high cholesterol levels, a family history of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, obesity, lack of exercise, a high fat diet and a diet that is deficient in raw foods, fish and liquids such as water and fresh juices.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Menopause

Perhaps the most telltale sign of menopause is the onset of hot flushes. You may feel hot and flustered even though everyone else is cool, calm and collected - and complaining bitterly when you open windows and turn off the heat. Hot flushes occur when the body’s thermo regulating part of the brain, the hypothalamus, does not function at all when it is deprived of estrogen. One minute, you may be cold and shivering; the next minute you may feel like an inferno, with an uncontrollable desire to pull off all your clothes and bedding.

Nearly 80 percent of menopausal women are troubled by hot flushes and in 70 percent of this group, the flushes will occur, on average, over a period of 5 years. This manifestation varies in severity and may be associated with heart palpitations, dizziness and strange crawling or itching sensations under the skin.

Another symptom of estrogen deficiency in menopause is an increase in bodily aches and pains. Headaches may be more severe or frequent, joints may ache, the back and neck may ache and one may begin to suffer from various rheumatic aches and pains.

The vaginal tissues are very sensitive to the effect of estrogen deficiency. More than 50 percent of menopausal women are troubled by vaginal dryness and failure to achieve adequate lubrication during sexual intercourse. This causes discomfort or pain during sex and, in severe cases, may result in some bleeding from the fragile mucous membrane lining the vagina. Without the strengthening effect of estrogen, the vagina may be more susceptible to infection by yeast and bacteria, which may result in vaginal discharge, itching and burning.

The tissues of the bladder are sensitive to estrogen deficiency during menopause as well. Some menopausal women complain of a frequent and urgent desire to pass urine, a reduced ability the passage of urine (urge or stress incontinence), a reduced bladder capacity and become more prone to bladder infection. Fortunately, these symptoms can be overcome by a combination of pelvic floor exercises, hormone replacement therapy and nutritional measures.

Both the superficial and the deeper layers of the skin on our faces and bodies are sensitive to estrogen. Without estrogen, the skin becomes thinner and more fragile, more prone to developing discolorations and broken capillaries and less capable of retaining moisture. The skin is more susceptible to dehydration and irritation and collagen depletion results in a more rapid appearance of wrinkles.

Another manifestation of menopause is difficulty going to sleep or early morning awakenings. The problem may be associated with, or made worse by, the occurrence of hot flushes during night. Studies have shown that taking estrogen increases the proportion of sleep time spent in the dreaming phase. Many women find that taking estrogen improves memory and decreases irritability. This may be due, in part, to estrogen’s beneficial effect on sleep.

Mental and emotional changes are common at the time of menopause. The most common complaints are depression and anxiety. Personality change may occur, with rapidly changing moods, irritability, loss of confidence and panic attacks occurring in women who had none of these problems before menopause. Some women say that they feel numb and can no longer muster any passion. If this occurs on a physical level, a woman may experience a total loss of libido and, in extreme cases, she may become completely unresponsive sexually.

Your mental attitude is a power factor in coloring your personal experience of menopause. Estrogen deficiency does not affect all women in a negative way. Indeed, some women sail through menopause with no emotional problems. Some women find that the cessation of hormonal highs and lows associated with monthly menstrual cycles makes their menopause a time of tranquility and composure.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Menopause

Menopause, commonly known as “change of life” is also often thought of as a disease, but just as menstruation is a normal phase or a natural process in a woman’s life, so is menopause. It is a gradual process which takes place over a period of anywhere from six to fourteen years. There is actually no particular age for menopause, like there is no particular age for the beginning of menstruation. However, the average age assumed for menopause to take place is around 52 years. It can happen anywhere around the ages of 45 to 55 years. It is difficult to say when menopause actually begins, but it is said to be complete when a woman has not had her period for about a year. It is also been found that a woman reaches menopause roughly as the same age as her mother did.

It must be noted that if you have had your uterus and your ovaries surgically removed then you would almost immediately be in menopause, as there would be no ovaries to produce estrogen. But if only your uterus has been surgically removed without the ovaries then your ovaries would still produce the estrogen and you would not undergo menopause till your time is up.

There is no direct influence of race, number of children borne, the use of contraceptives, or the first time you begin menstruating on when you would reach menopause. However smoking is thought to be a factor for early menopause.

The different terms used in menopause are perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause. Perimenopause is known as when the actual changes are taking place. Menopause is the time when these changes are all completed. Postmenopause lasts for the rest of a woman’s life and it is after menopause.

When you reach menopausal age you may notice certain changes in your period. The flow of your period, the length of time of your period, the occurrence may vary, also a more common occurrence would be hot flushes owing to the changes in the levels of your estrogen. Hot flushes are where you would suddenly feel rather warm during the day or even during the night.

The reduction in the hormone estrogen during menopause causes two conditions. One is Osteoporosis - as this hormone helps in the control of bone loss. Therefore, loss of estrogen means more bone is lost than is replaced causing the bones to become weak and as a result being more vulnerable to breakage. The other is heart disease - the reduction in the production of estrogen plus the fact of age could lead to this condition. It is best if one talks to ones doctor in order to maintain a healthy life during this period. Generally what he would recommend is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

Hormone treatment is of two kinds HRT or ERT, Hormone Replacement Therapy and Estrogen Replacement Therapy, respectively. HRT involves the hormones Estrogen plus Progesterone whilst ERT as the name implies, only Estrogen. However, ERT can only be undergone by women who have had a hysterectomy as an unlimited quantity of estrogen could give rise to uterine cancer. HRT is only recommended for women who have completely have had their periods stopped as during their period estrogen is still being produced. Hormone treatment is actually not a direct treatment for menopause but it is a preventive treatment for other health conditions. It must be noted that there could be several side effects to this treatment. However, this could be overcome by changing the dosage.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Menopause

Menopause signals the end of a woman?s childbearing days. It is marked by the end of a woman?s monthly period. This is primarily because of the ovaries? inability to produce eggs. Contrary to popular notion, women do not have a wellspring of eggs. Their ova also run out. Menopause is also caused by the decrease in the secretion of the female sex hormones, progesterone and estrogen.

Like all natural processes, menopause does not just occur without any warning signs. In fact, the body prepares for it, knowing instinctively that a woman cannot cope with the changes abruptly. The preparation of the body is a very gradual process that can take years. This is what the scientific and medical community calls Perimenopause.

Peri-menopause or what is called premenopause is the period in a woman?s life when her body is starting to ready itself towards menopause. This often occurs during the mid-40s; although some may experience some signs and symptoms in their mid-30s.

Perimenopause is not just a short period of time, In fact, it can last for as long as two to eight years depending on the person. Some clinicians even say that it can last for as long as 15 years!

Up until now, there is still no explanation why some women have longer periods of pre-menopause than others. Because there is no specific year span when it occurs, women and even their doctors often overlook the symptoms of premenopause and its effects in the body.

Unlike during menopause where levels of progesterone and estrogen go on a nosedive, hormonal levels during premenopause are erratic. Levels rise and fall. Because of these changes, women may experience disruptions in their monthly menstrual cycles. Menstruation may suddenly extend for a few days or shorten to just a couple of days.

Shortened cycles are the result of the drop in estrogen levels, leading to the shortening of the follicular phase. Cycles can shorten to 24-26 days. This means that there will more frequent monthly cycles than before. On the other side, women may also experience infrequent monthly flow because of the lengthening of the menstrual cycle.

Women in premenopause may also find it hard to conceive although it is not impossible. This is because there are menstrual cycles when women do not ovulate.

Like in menopause, declining levels of the female hormones may result in the experiences of a host of symptoms that are often seen during menopause; symptoms like hot flashes, where women will experience abrupt changes in their body temperatures; incontinence; vaginal dryness because of the decrease in lubrication and elasticity; breast tenderness; mood swings and see-saw of emotions; sleeping problems and other potential complications such as bone loss and osteoporosis.

Symptoms of course vary from one person to another. Some may experience all of them while others may not feel a thing. In fact, some women?s menstrual cycles will just stop without ever experiencing any symptoms at all. This is the reason why premenopause is so hard to detect.

Because of the appearance of these symptoms, many believe that when detected, women undergoing premanopause must begin hormonal therapy in order to balance or combat these problems.

Declining levels of hormones may become such a problem that some doctors may even recommend surgical interventions such as hysterectomy, a procedure wherein the uterus is removed. This however only happens to a very small percentage of women. If your doctor recommends this, try to get a second opinion, as this is not a small thing. Other doctors may provide you with alternatives to it.

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: http://www.bestmenopause.com/peri-menopause.html http://www.aperfectharmony.com or http://www.a-1hypnosis.com

We need to take a quick look at what Perimenopause and Menopause is and then by doing so we will be better equipped at handling what may come our way. Or if already there, you may have a better understanding of what is going on with your body. You may be forgetful, emotional, tired and experiencing strange heart palpitations. These can all be due to Menopause. Let?s look at some more symptoms.

To put it simply during Perimenopause the hormones in a women?s body changes. Menopause means the end of your menstrual cycle. For some that may be exciting while for others a start of a nightmare. Periods cease because there are such low levels of estrogen and progesterone being produced and eventually they stop all together. With the cease of periods you can also no longer have anymore babies.

The average age for menopause to start is 51 but women can experience menopause either before or after or in an incidence when their ovaries need to be removed. Perimenopause is what your body goes through as it sets in for ?the change?. It marks the end of your baby producing years. For every woman how long it lasts is different. It may be a couple of months or a good few years.

A first sign of perimenopause is when your menstrual cycle starts to change. They may become more frequent, less frequent, you may experience a heavier cycle or a lighter cycle, and you will just generally notice a change.

The most common symptom that you will experience is that of Hot Flushes. These flushes will come suddenly and in waves and may be accompanied with feelings of nausea, dizziness and headaches. The hot flushes don?t always last very long and they leave you feeling clammy and uncomfortable. In some women it is just mildly irritating while in others it causes havoc with their day and sleeping at night becomes a constant feat as they are never comfortable enough due to having to deal with night sweats. Night sweats have been known to leave the individual and the bed sheets soaked in perspiration.

Some women experience terrible mood swings and depression. This may be caused due to sleep disruptions that come with having to endure night sweats. It may also be due to a change in the hormonal balance in a women?s body. Either way if it is something that you not feel you have control over you must seek medical assistance. The problem is that because mood swings and depression are so rife it is not often attributed to being just one of those things that come with periimenopause.

Depression can be very debilitating so the quicker you are able to get to the root of it and have access to the love and support you need then the better it is for you and those around you that love you very much. It needs to be remembered that a women has a lot of other factors to deal with at this time of perimenopause, her children leaving home and her having to deal with an ?empty nest? is just one of them.

You may need to urinate more often and you may feel pain when you do. This is due to the lining of the bladder becoming thinner. Low estrogen levels in your body may also leave you to be more susceptible to urinary tract infections and the muscles that control the bladder may become weaker. Leakages may occur when coughing or sneezing but there are ways to prevent this from happening when you consult your doctor.

Bones become weaker and osteoporosis may set in. The statistic is that more women are likely to develop osteoporosis than men are because their skeletal frame is generally just smaller. As your bones become weaker, and because of the loss of calcium, due to your body absorbing less, they become brittle and are more susceptible to breaking. Estrogen seems to play an important part in the health of ones bones, as estrogen levels decrease so the bone mass decreases. Hip fractures occur more in older women and it is very difficult and sometimes not very probable that they will recover from it.

Due to a decrease in estrogen the walls of the vagina become thinner, loosing its elasticity and then becomes painful if lining becomes inflamed, rough and dry. This may also cause sexual intercourse to be painful and /or uncomfortable. The thinning of the vaginal walls also makes your body more susceptible to vaginal infections.

Weight gain during menopause is also common and the area where the most weight is put on is around the waist. Some have stated that studies have shown that a lack of estrogen in the body leads to weight gain while others state that it is more to do with the change in lifestyle. Yet that does not explain why there is a redistribution of fat from the thighs to the stomach. Maybe weight gain has got to do with a bit of both. A proper diet and lots of exercise will help. Remember however that ones metabolism does get slower as you get older.

Being a women menopause and so perimenopause is just one of those things in life that we all have to deal with at one time or another. It is how we deal with it that makes all the difference.

Article By Michelle Ludick http://www.bhealthy247.com Are you too tired of feeling icky and yuky all the time? Well hop over to http://www.bhealthy247.com to see how you can change that for you and your family.

Numerous studies have been conducted concerning alternative treatments for menopause and hot flashes, and evening primrose is one of the natural products that have been studied. According to surveys, control of hot flashes is the number one reason that women seek treatment during the years leading up to and following menopause.

Because so much scientific research has been conducted concerning the safety and effectiveness of non-hormonal treatments for control of hot flashes, several research groups have gone to the effort of compiling the published data. You might call these the ?studies of the studies?. You might wonder why all of this is necessary. There are several reasons, but the primary one is that hot flashes respond to placebo. The majority of studies confirm that women taking placebo experience about a 20% reduction in hot flash symptoms. So, researchers interested in promoting a specific product can honestly say things like ?women using product X reported a reduction in hot flash symptoms.?

A recent search for studies published at Pub Med, a service of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, concerning menopause and hot flashes and evening primrose returned 20 results. Evening primrose oil is claimed to provide a variety of health benefits, including the control of hot flashes, but finding contemporary medical literature to support these claims is difficult.

In 1994, researchers at the Keele University in England enrolled 56 menopausal women suffering from hot flashes at least three times a day to complete a six month study of the effectiveness of evening primrose for control of hot flashes. Only 35 women completed the study. 18 of them took 500 mg of evening primrose oil with 10 mg of vitamin E twice a day, while 17 took a placebo. After analyzing the dairies of the participants, researchers concluded that evening primrose offered no benefit over placebo in treating menopausal hot flashes. On the average, the women taking placebo experienced 0.7 less hot flashes per day, while women taking evening primrose experienced 0.5 less per day.

One of the ?studies of the studies? was completed in 2002 by researchers at Columbia University in New York. These researchers used a number of different sources to accumulate information relating to menopause and hot flashes, and evening primrose was again mentioned. In total the researchers selected 58 different studies that were randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. They came to the following conclusions. Dong quai, evening primrose oil, vitamin E and acupuncture do not affect hot flashes.

On the other hand, the researchers believed that black cohosh showed promise for the control of hot flashes, but they were wary to recommend it, because safety data concerning the herb had not been accumulated at that time. Since then, studies have shown that black cohosh has no negative side effects and has no estrogen like affects on breast or uterine cancer cell lines. Black cohosh is currently recommended by most practitioners, whereas evening primrose is not believed to be effective. For more information about menopause and hot flashes, and evening primrose and black cohosh, please visit the Menopause and PMS Guide.

Patsy Hamilton was a health care professional for over twenty years before becoming a freelance writer. Currently she writes informational articles for the Menopause and PMS Guide. Read more at http://www.menopause-and-pms-guide.com

Women with menopause are prime candidates for hair loss. Statistics show that about 50 percent of women experience some hair loss while going through menopause, and about 66 percent worry about thinning hair or bald spots during post-menopausal stages. This is a natural stage in a woman?s life that starts between the age of 30 and 70 but typically starts during the mid 40s or mid 50s. Symptoms of menopause usually manifest themselves about three months after a woman enters the stage.

The exact cause of hair loss in women is not clear to medical researchers, but they have linked it closely to the reduced production of female hormones, estrogen, which leads to androgenetic alopecia. A woman also naturally produces testosterone, which is the male hormone. But before she enters menopause, the level of testosterone produced by the body is kept in check by estrogen. As she enters menopause, the higher level of testosterone combines with an enzyme called 5 alpha reductase. The combination of these two substances creates dihydrotestosterone or DHT. When DHT reaches the hair follicles, the woman starts to experience hair loss.

Anemia, thyroid disorders, fungal infections, and stress can also cause hair loss in a woman who is in menopause.

Estrogenic treatments, such as soy isoflavones or hormone replacement therapies can be taken in an attempt to remedy the problem. Just as the symptoms take 3 months to show any manifestation, treatments would need to be taken for about 3 months to determine if it is working or not.

Though it may not seem evident, women may experience hair loss just as much as men, but the effects are not the same. It is very rare for a woman to have bald spots; hair loss usually produces a thinning effect, which makes styling very challenging.

How a woman reacts to hair loss differs from one to another. It may cause her to feel less feminine, which can lead to depression and, in severe cases, anxiety. If conditions lead to deterioration in quality of life, it is recommended that professional assistance is sought to address the problem.

Some tips for women experiencing hair loss: cut the hair in short layers as this adds more fullness and body; use soft brushes instead of combs; using mousse or gel instead of hair spray can add body to the hair without harming it.

Hairloss provides detailed information on Hair Loss , Hair Loss Products , Hair Loss Treatments , Hair Loss Remedy and more. Hairloss is affiliated with Natural Hair Loss Treatments .

For women whose migraines have been triggered by their monthly period, the menopause can bring an improvement in the headaches ? but unfortunately, they don?t tend to disappear altogether.

Statistics The type of menopause seems to affect how the migraines react.

A study showed that in women who had a spontaneous (natural) menopause

? 9% said their migraines got worse

? 24% said that nothing changed ? 67% saw an improvement

Almost the reverse was true for women who had had their ovaries removed by surgery, leading to an abrupt ?forced? menopause

? 33% said that their migraines improved

? 67% said that their migraines got worse

Perimenopause

Sadly, for some women, the beginning of their menopause also means their migraines getting worse. For others, it can mean that they start having migraines for the first time in their lives.

This period of time is called the perimenopause and it is when the levels of estrogen and progesterone start going up and down in a fairly haywire fashion.

Menopause itself is considered to have begun once you have had no period for a year.

How do I know if I?m in the perimenopause?

Symptoms may include:

* A worsening of existing migraines or headaches

* Migraines or headaches starting when there were none before

* Hot flashes (or power surges as some like to call them!)

* Night sweats

* Being emotionally labile (up and down)

* Memory loss

* Loss of interest in sex

* Mood swings

* Feeling tearful
* Feeling angry and / or depressed What can I take to help with the horrible symptoms of menopause?

* Hormone replacement therapy (see your Doctor)

* Estrogen supplements (again, see your Doctor)

* Black cohosh

* soy isoflavones

* Fennel

* Vitamin E
* Red clover extract Please note: Anyone who has suffered breast cancer and who is taking tamoxifen should avoid these products as most of them work by utilizing plant estrogens. These are contra indicated in people who have suffered an estrogen-receptive breast cancer. If in any doubt, please consult your Doctor. What can I take for the migraines? One of the other bizarre things about menopause is that painkillers or treatment that you have taken in the past may no longer work for you. This really is a case of trial and error. See your Doctor and find what works for you now. This is a time when many women may turn to alternative, natural and complementary medicines. As we have seen, migraine can be triggered by the change in the level of hormones. As the menopause continues, these levels start to settle down and that can cause a decline in the frequency and severity of migraines. However, in all people between the ages of 55 and 60, when menopause is generally finished, there are still more females than males who suffer from migraines. This would suggest that there is something other than the hormone fluctuation that is the trigger, but what that other trigger may be, we don?t yet know.

Other important information concerning how headache treatments may help can be found by visiting Headache.HealthHows.com

Ideally, all women should begin to have biannual mammograms, or breast x-rays, at the age of forty years. The reason for this is that mammograms can detect breast cancer before a palpable lump has developed and increase the rate of early detection. Early detection of breast cancer can increase survival rates. At the very least, you should have a mammogram at the time of menopause, if you are over forty and especially before beginning hormone replacement therapy. This is because if you have a tiny, undiagnosed cancer in your breast, hormone replacement therapy could stimulate its growth. Thus, it is important to rule out the presence of breast cancer before initiating hormone therapy and a mammogram is the most accurate means of doing this. Your physician will examine your breasts very carefully for signs of cancer, but even the best doctor in the world can miss a tiny cancer because it is just too small to feel. A good-quality low-radiation-dose mammogram can reveal tiny cancers, as small as one to two millimeters in size, long before you or your doctor would be able to feel it. In Sweden, studies have proved that routine breast cancer screening of women aged 45 years and over with regular mammograms can reduce deaths from breast cancer by up to 60 percent.

In addition to mammograms, a menopausal woman should have a bone mineral density test to measure the strength of her bones. This will allow your doctor to assess whether you are showing signs of osteoporosis and, if you are, to recommend treatment to try to rebuild bone, or at least to slow bone loss. Ideally, you should have this test done when you reach menopause at regular intervals thereafter. Other tests that should be performed include a complete blood count to check for anemia, as well as blood tests to test your liver function and measure your levels of follicle stimulating hormone, estrogen, blood sugar and cholesterol. If you have a past history of thrombosis (the formation of clots in the blood vessels), then blood should be taken for a clotting factor profile.

All post menopausal women should see their doctors annually. If you are using only natural therapies, such as herbs and nutritional supplements, then the frequency of follow-up visits will vary, depending on your symptoms. However, an annual check-up should still be done. Using natural therapist is more of a self-help enterprise than hormone replacement therapy is. Unless you are working with a nutritionally oriented physician, you may prefer to visit your local health food store or a naturopathic physician for advice regarding adjusting your dosage of vitamins, for example.

If you decide to try hormone replacement therapy, you will probably make this decision during your second visit to the doctor, at which time you and your doctor can discuss the results of all your tests. You may start treatment immediately, or you may feel you need time to think about it, to seek a second opinion, or to sort out your feelings about hormone replacement therapy. The most pressing reason to begin estrogen replacement without delay would be your bone mineral density test, which would mean that you are at high risk of developing osteoporosis.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Menopause

An annual checkup is important for a menopausal woman even if you do not want hormone replacement therapy or other prescription treatments. If you are more interested in natural health care alternatives, you may want to find a doctor who specializes in, or at least is knowledgeable about these areas. Some women prefer to visit both a doctor and a natural therapist, so that they can have the best of both worlds. This is a good idea, although unfortunately it may be a quite financially challenging to some.

Women who do not experience unpleasant symptoms pf menopause may be reluctant to consult a doctor, or may think there is no reason to, since they do not need or desire to have any form of “treatment”. It should be emphasized that menopause is not a disease; and it is important not to medicalize it by taking an overly interventionist approach. However, the risk of certain serious diseases rises rather sharply at this time of life, so regular physical examinations become more important than ever for the maintenance of your good health.

Whatever your situation, a good doctor should take your individual perspective and needs into account. In addition, because the change menopause produces in your body is gradual, both you and tour physician should be aware that your needs and feelings may change over time. There is no need to rush into any form of treatment or to feel pressured by a doctor; the goal is to stay in tune with your body and work with your physician to optimize your health.

It is advisable that you consult a gynecologist or a doctor who has a special interest in women’s health when you first experience premenopausal symptoms. If you are one of those lucky women who experience no premenopausal symptoms, you should visit your doctor once you realize that menopause is taking or has taken place. Your first visit should be around 30 to 40 minutes long, thus allowing time for a full history and medical examination.

Before deciding what medical treatment, if any, is appropriate for you, your doctor must take a medical history and perform all physical checkup and a battery of tests. At the time of menopause, your ovaries, adrenal glands and fat tissue may still produce enough sex hormones to keep you feeling well. In 10 years after menopause, your levels of sex hormones will gradually decline and at some point, you may feel a desire to try hormone replacement therapy. Your doctor would then want to know if there are any risk factors in your family history that could influence the decision to begin hormone replacement therapy. For instance, if you have a strong family history of breast cancer - if first-degree relatives have had the disease and especially if it was diagnosed before menopause - your doctor would be more conservative about giving you estrogen replacement. Conversely, if you have a family history of osteoporosis or cardiovascular disease, your doctor would be more likely to advise you to take estrogen replacement on a long-term basis, as this would reduced your chances of following in your relative’s footsteps.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Menopause

Each and every menopausal woman has hormonal requirements, which may be two to four times higher than other women. Thin women tend to have higher needs because they tend to have very little production of estrogen from their fatty tissue. Furthermore, it is the thin, fine-boned menopausal woman who has a greater risk of osteoporosis and may need to take a greater amount of estrogen to prevent this.

Modern-day hormone replacement therapy has become so safe and effective in the prevention of many problems that every menopausal woman should be aware of its benefits. As long as no medical risk is identified, this form of treatment is an option about which you are entitled to make your own informed decision. However, it is true that menopausal women differ in their for hormone replacement. Some women say that they can’t live without it - they feel ancient, decrepit and lifeless without estrogen in their bodies - while others hardly seem to notice when their ovaries finally stop producing estrogen. There are also some menopausal and postmenopausal women who actually feel worse on hormone replacement, no matter what different forms and dosages are tried. Menopausal women should not be made to feel they must take hormone replacement or else terrible things will happen to them. Rather, they should be given the information they need to make an informed decision. The benefits of hormone replacement therapy vary for different individuals.

More than half of American women have a hysterectomy by the age of sixty-five. Hormone replacement therapy is simpler for women who have had a hysterectomy. In these cases, most experts agree that progesterone tablets are not necessary. An exemption here is the woman who has a past history of endometriosis, a disease in which cells from the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) are found growing outside the uterus and grows instead in the abdominal cavity. Endometriosis can be reactivated by estrogen replacement unless sufficient progesterone is taken to balance the estrogen therapy. Women with a past history of endometriosis should take low-dose progesterone tablet continually along with estrogen. If a woman has no past history of endometriosis, she can take estrogen by itself in the form of estrogen tablets, patches, or injections.

If the ovaries are spared during hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) in a woman not yet approaching menopause, they will usually function normally for many years after the operation. On the other hand, menopause may arrive two or three years earlier than it would have otherwise. It is not uncommon for a woman to find that after hysterectomy, her ovaries do not work as well as they did before. She may complain of symptoms of estrogen deficiency. This is because the removal of the uterus causes a reduction in the blood supply to the ovaries and thus the ovaries no longer secrete adequate amounts of sex hormones. If this happens, a woman can accurately be called premenopausal.

If the ovaries are removed during hysterectomy, then the arrival of menopause is abrupt and often severe symptoms of estrogen deficiency occur. This is particularly evident in younger women. Thankfully, estrogen replacement in the form of tablets, patches, can stop unpleasant menopausal symptoms.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Menopause

Menopause happens to every woman. There is no way to avoid it, but there are ways to cope with the changes. Menopause is a transition in a woman’s life when the ovaries stop producing eggs. This may happen over night or could take years before the process is completed. This is the time when the body stops producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Symptoms and the onset of menopause occur differently in every woman so it is difficult to say what each woman will experience and when. The normal age at which a woman begins menopause is anywhere from 40 to 55 depending on the woman. A study has been done and it has shown that woman who are malnourished tend to start menopause at an earlier age then women who are well-nourished. Another factor in when menopause will begin is when the woman began having menstruation. Women who start menstruation earlier tend to have menopause occur later in life.

The symptoms of menopause also vary from woman to woman. The most common symptoms include hot flashes, missed period, sleep disruption, mood swings (changing mood), vaginal dryness, hot flashes and a low sex drive. These changes are caused by a change in your estrogen levels.

To combat symptoms of menopause, women have many options. There are two types of hormone therapy the first being hormone therapy replacement (HRT) is a combination of progesterone and estrogen and the second, estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). HRT is an excellent way to help alleviate the symptoms of menopause, but it has its downfalls. Studies have shown that HRT does slightly increase your chances of breast cancer, heart attack and stroke. If you are at high-risk for any of these consult your health care provider before using HRT.

With ERT, there are three different types of replacement therapy. The first method is by using the hormone estrogen by itself as a cream, vaginal or oral pill. The second method is similar to the way you use the birth control pill. You take estrogen pills or use the patch daily, but you also use progesterone for a set amount of days out of the month. The final one is continuous therapy, which is estrogen plus the use of progesterone pills taken a few times a day.

ERT has risk factors and side effects including premenstrual symptoms (PMS) such as bloating and tender breasts. There also is an increased risk for breast cancer, coronary artery disease, blood clots, gallstones, uterine fibroids and stroke. There is a possibility of weight gain while on treatment.

If a woman decides against hormone therapy, there are a number of different alternative practices she can use. Some alternative methods include starting an exercise routine, staying away from beverages and foods containing caffeine, avoiding alcohol and staying clear of spicy foods, all of which will help decrease hot flashes. An alternative to hormone therapy for hot flashes would be to use Paxil or Prozac. They have been known to help also. For vaginal dryness there are several over the counter lubricants that can be used.

There are many different ways to help ease the transition of menopause. The best option is to speak with your health care provider and give them a family history of any disease or illness. This will help you make an educated decision on what treatment is best suited for you.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Menopause

One of the creepiest feelings associated with menopause, without a doubt, is skin crawling. In fact, during menopause, a number of skin/nerve related conditions might be experienced, including itchy or dry skin, tingling feelings, and skin sensitivity. These conditions are all normal, but there are also a number of treatments available for menopausal women who are experiencing pain or problems with their skin.

Flashback for a moment?probably around the time you were in middle school. Whether you were a member of the cheerleading squad or you spent most of your time in the library matters not; most girls this age battle a common problem: acne. It is no coincidences that this trouble starts to occur around the time girls first start menstruating. When this begins, the hormones in a young girl?s body are rapidly changing, and the skin reacts in a somewhat negative way. Hormone levels in an adult woman?s body are no different. As menopause begins, your skin reacts to the changing levels in your body, and the results can be sometimes unpleasant.

The prickly crawling feeling that many women experience is called formication. Women usually experience this one to two years after their last period and during the end of perimenopause and the beginning of menopause. While doctors are still largely unsure of its cause, formication goes away on its own in a relatively short period of time for most women. Many speculate that the cause of this is an overworked, hot liver, which happens when your hormones are changing rapidly, as they are at the onset of menopause.

However, itchy, dry, sensitive skin can last much longer and become painful if it goes untreated. For treatment, see a dermatologist. Often times, the same remedies that worked when you were a teenager also work now?moisturizing your skin, washing sensitive areas like your face very gently and with special washes, using prescription acne medications, washing your pillowcases often, and using less oily makeup.

Unlike formication and sensitive skin, tingling in the extremities might be a cause to worry. Although many menopausal women experience tingling in their feet, hands, legs, and arms, they can also be signs of more serious problems, like diabetes, vitamin deficiency, depletion of calcium, depletion of potassium, or blood vessel/circulation problems. Be safe?always see a doctor if you experience the tingling for an expended period of time.

Seeing a doctor is simply your best bet in the end for any type of menopausal problem, skin related or not. He or she can suggest a number of treatment options, including medication, natural remedies, therapy, diet change, exercise programs, and alternative treatment options. Testing for menopause is difficult?your hormones during this time period change rapidly from day to day?but what doctors can do is rule out any other medical reasons for the skin problems you are experiencing. Sometimes menopause can be confused with the onset of a serious disease or disorder, so if you have any doubts in your mind, talk to a health care professional about your crawling, dry, itchy, or tingling skin sensations.

About the Author :

Kathryn Whittaker has an interest in Menopause. For further information on Menopause please visit “http://www.natural-menopause-relief-secrets.com/menopause.html” http://www.natural-menopause-relief-secrets.com/menopause.html or “http://natural-menopause-relief-secrets.com/blog/2006/11/16/skin-crawling-sensat tions-and-menopause/” http://natural-menopause-relief-secrets.com/blog/2006/11/16/skin-crawling-sensat tions-and-menopause/. -
All women at some time in her life, and if they live long enough, will experience the decrease of her hormone production. The levels will drop below those required to continue her menstrual periods. This decline is called menopause and women often look forward to it as it means the end to their monthly discomfort such as bloating, bleeding and inconvenience, not to mention the worry of unplanned pregnancies. However, other women find menopause a very stressful period in their lives and many women are eager for it to be over. They find that the decline in their hormones affects their sex drive, accompanied by mood swings and hot flashes, not to mention heart and bone problems. Menopause can come on quite rapidly to a gal, for instance, if it is caused by breast cancer treatment it can lead to uncomfortable side effects and infertility. Some women connect the menopause with an illness rather than an ordinary process of the female body. And very often menopausal symptoms interrupt a woman’s day to day quality of life. For some women, menopause can be a rapid onset, for instance, if it is caused by breast cancer treatment it can lead to uncomfortable side effects and infertility. Some women connect the menopause with an illness rather than an ordinary process of the female body. And very often menopausal symptoms interrupt a woman’s day to day quality of life. There is a wide scope of treatment recommendations for women going through menopause that cover an extensive range of lifestyles. Such recommendations include such things as complementary therapies and conventional styles of medicine. However, the most productive therapies do tend to possess certain side effects although their benefits may surpass them. You should begin with the simplest, mildest treatment for your menopausal symptoms that maintain the broadest benefit and the least number of side effects. Slowly you can then progress to stronger forms or doses of management if necessary. Exercise is an excellent example of a healing measure that comes with minimum drawbacks. This is because the heart and bones are strengthened while your weight is under control. Other benefits are your sleep and energy levels should upgrade. Your sex drive will rev up and your skin will glow. Estrogen treatment is at the powerful end of the treatment spectrum. Doctors almost always automatically recommend Estrogen for Women with menopausal symptoms as long as they are free from breast cancer. However, numerous women are apprehensive about taking estrogen as the studies on long term effects are not fully verified and studies suggest there is a strong likelihood that it can be linked to breast cancer. Carlie Edwards publishes online articles & useful information for Women. For info on Menopause visit “http://www.menopause.resourcetips.com” Menopause Symptoms For a variety of related topics visit “http://health-and-beauty-worx.com” Health-And-Beauty-Worx.Com

Tags: menopause symptoms, early menopause