menopause symptom

The sign and symptoms of menopause for women

2008-09-17T01:47:00.000-07:00

The average age for women who experience menopause periods are around fifty years of age. Some women will experience menopause at early age from as early as forty or early while late menopause periods are around sixty. Menopause occurs in women one year the final time of their menstrual periods and during that time sign and symptoms of menopause will often appear.

The sign and symptoms of menopause for women are hot flashes which can cause them sleep disturbance due to sweat. Having irregular periods and having heavy bleeding because of the changes of menstrual cycles. Finding vaginal dryness when having sex, mood swing and stress. Notice their hair became tinning and increased in abdominal fat and loss of breast fullness.

Menopause signals the end of fertility of a women

2008-06-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

Menopause signals the end of fertility of a women and the normal or average age of a women who experience menopause is around the age of fifty. Most women who enter the menopause periods will experience many consecutive months without a periods. The average months when a women enter menopause without a periods is around ten to twelve months. Menopause is defined as a result of the normal decline in ovarian function.

Symptoms of menopause most women experience is breast tenderness can be result to pain and swelling, Feeling muscle and joints aching and weakness in the muscle and joints. Cold or tinging feet and hands, allergies to food and medicine, anxiety, depression and chronic fatigue. women will find the dryness of the vaginal result to loss of sex drive. Most women will experience weight gain, sagging skin and bloating.

Others menopause symptoms are hot flushed where a women begin to sweat profusely and had to wake up from their sleep and dry their sweat and always would like places that is very cold. Feeling mood swing most of the time and low esteem. Hair start to loss or became tinning, dryness in skin and changes and always feel itching in the skin expectially around the vaginal area. Loss or problem of concentration or memory always tent to forget very easily.

The many symptoms of menopause in women

2008-04-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

When women reaching the age of menopause periods, there are many common symptoms that were appeared at the beginning, such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, irregular periods and loss of libido. This are cause by the changing of female hormonal levels in the women reproductive systems. This symptoms of menopause will continue in women until she reach the age of fifty or more but some women will experience this symptoms for their whole life.

Others symptoms of menopause periods for women are fatigue, sleeping disorders such as wakening up to urine, weight gain and feeling difficulty in concentrating in works but some women will experience hair loss, memory loss, mood swing, depression, anxiety. During the menopause periods some women will experience pains such as breast tenderness felling soreness in one or both breast, felling muscle pain, joint pain and felling skin itchy due to the changing of women hormone systems.

Women who reached the age of menopause periods is best to take supplements such as vitamins, eating good food nutritions like eating more fruits and vegetables, organic foods, taking herbals drinks or foods. Take plenty of rest and doing daily exercises. This healthy styles can help women overcome menopause symptoms and fighting pain and memory loss.

Problems associated with menopause

2008-02-12T21:54:00.000-08:00

Menopause is a condition that is expected to become a serious health issue in the years to come. Therefore the sensible use of HRT in healthy menopausal women to treat vasomotoe systoms and to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, is warranted. However we must remember that taking HRT after menopause is solelt to maintain good health and to prevent disease. and cannot be used to treat existing disease.

Menopause receives very little attention because most women feel it is a phase of life that every woman must go through, that they have to ive with sagging breast, shrinking bladders and bone aches. Some woman may also develope facial hair due reduction of estrogen and the consequent effect of androgen on hair follicles. Futher into menopause, connitive decline sometimes sets in , leading to Alzheimer's and dementia.

HRT may increase joint pain

2007-10-25T02:01:00.000-07:00

Women on hormone replacement therpy because of joint aches may experience an increase in pain after stopping treatment warn an expert. This is because estrogen appears to have ubiquitous effects on the female anatomy, where its deficiency may lead to vasomotor and psychosomatic symptoms associated with menopause.

The experts said musculoskeletal aches were common in women of menopausal age and this was reflected in studies conducted in many countries and there is a difference in women of difference cultural backgrounds. Study also said the figture of women complaining of musculoskeletal aches seem to hover around the fifty percent region.

Estrogen replacement in menopause women

2007-10-25T00:46:00.001-07:00

A study survey that women on menopausal needs estrogen not just to alleviate vasomotor systoms, but also to prevent a decline in heart and brain health. A professor from university in Australia said doctors and many women perceived hormone replacement as a mean of reducing vasomotor systoms like hot flush and night sweat, But menopause was not merely about these symptoms. He also said that estrogen deficiency had many undersirable effects, the least of which may be vasomotor symptoms.

The doctor also explained that difference parts of the female body had difference forms of estrogen receptors-alphaand beta-receptor. Alpha-receptors mediate faclitatory actions, It was therefore important to understand that although estrogen was mainly thought of as a hormone of the reproductive system, it was a fairly ubiquitous hormone in terms of its effect.

Estrogen attached to the alpha-receptors in the blood vessels, stimulating a cascade of events and mediating the release of nitric oxide, which is a potent dilator of arteries. When the supply was reduced as in menopause, a reduction of blood flow through the arteries ebsued. Estrogen also restores revascularization of arteries adding to its cardiac protection properties.

Using of HRT in healthy menopausal women

2007-08-15T02:18:00.000-07:00

Menopause is acondition that is expected to become a serious health problem to women in years to come. Using of HRT in healthy menopausal women to treat vasomotor symptoms and to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases. Taking HRT after menopause is to maintain good health and having a good sexual relation with your sponge. Beside taking HRT is possibly to prevent disease and HRT is not to be used for treating existing disease.

When the women's health initiative released its study finding associating long term HRT use with increases risk for heart disease and breast cancer, a storm ensued not only among women on HRT but the medical community as well. Although the dust has somewhat settled and the study results looked at objectively, there is still much to do to clear the air about HRT>

Problem associated with menopause

2007-08-15T02:09:00.000-07:00

Manopause receives very little attention to most malaysian women because most women feel it is a phase of life that every women have to go through when they reach the time. Some women may women may delevelope facial hair due to the reduction of estrogen and the consequent effect of androgen on hair follicles. Others will experience with sagging breasts, shrinking bladders and bone aches.

Some women will experience family problems with husband , like having difficuities engaging sexual activities, beause the women will suffer vaginal pain as a result of vaginal dryness and the narrowing of the vaginal area.

Not only does menopause affect the women, it also indirectly affects her family and friends, Colleagues and family of the women will face the after effects of hot flushes and not enough of sleep ans this will cause relations to be strained. In oder to prevent stress in menopause women, and people around them, these women should be treated for symptoms and given counseling to be able to understand and better to handle the conditions.

Menopause through hormone replacement therapy

2007-07-09T01:46:00.000-07:00

With the approval of the world's first low dose hormone replacement therapy with drospirenone, in Malaysia, Menopause women and healthy care professionals have a new treatment options.

During the survey by an independent third party research agencyconducted between end of 2006 and the beginning of the year 2007. The survey involved few hundred gynaecologists and a round a hundred general pratitioners in Australia, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. On average the surveyed doctor assessed pre-hypertensive Bp ( 130-139mmHg ) in more than half of their menopause patients.

This show that the high risk of hypertension or high BP increases significantly at menopause and needs to be addressed by healthcare parctitioners. the same survey also found that 91% of gynaecologists surveyed had a positive impression of an HRT product with added benifits for BP management. About seven over three about 73% of all gynaecologists viewed an HRT with positiveimpacy rate on BP as a signinificant treatment breakthrough or having some major advantages, as compared to other exiting HRT.

Are there any risks associated with the menopause

2007-06-13T02:18:00.000-07:00

Women most ask themself whether there are risks associated with the menopause. In menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, urogenital atrophy, reduced energy and drive, can significantly impair a women's health and sence of well being. Postmenopausal women frequently experience diminised quality of life and self- esteem. These physiological symptoms can result in a variety of phychosocial symptoms, such as sexualdysfunction, decreased libido, sleep deprivation, mooddisorders, anxiety and depression.

Osteoporosis is one of the long term effects of the menopauseand deficiency associated with an increased intensity in bone resorption but decreased bone formation. This leads to overall bone loss, reduced bone quality and reduced load- bearing strength resulting in an increased risk of bone fracture.

A number of large clinical studies have shown that oestrogen is effective in preventing and even partially reversing post-menopausal bone loss, and this in turn reduces the incidence of vertebral and hip fractures. The incidence of cardiovascular disease increasesignificantly in womem at the time of the menopause and oestrogen depletion is likely to play a role in this increased risk.

Systoms associated with the menopause

2007-06-13T02:08:00.000-07:00

The menopause is a natural and irreversible process. When a women goes through the menopause usually in her fiftys, she will experience a number of biological changes. Typically, this will; involve a rapid decline in ovarian function and significantly reduced production of sex hormones known as principally oestrogens. The resulting amenorrhoea, permanent cessation of menstruation signals the end of a women's ability to have children.

The menopause symptoms which are most associated with the menopause are first its give a signs of menopause, the beginning of the peri-menopausal periods which the usually the start of irregular menstrual periods. This irregulars periods can last from a few months or to a few years.

This also associated with hormonal change can have a profound effect on the neuoendocrine system and can induce hot flushes, night sweats, palpitations, insomnia, loss of energy and libido(sex drive), mood changes, anxiety and irritability. In many women these systoms have significant effects on daily life and on their overall quality of life.

Menopause is a natural part of a woman's life

2007-04-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

Menopause is a natural part of a woman's life when her body quits producing certain hormones and ends of getting pregnant. It is a time when your body needs special care. To overcome menopause symptoms, go for regular exercise, maintain a healthy diet and take vitamin to supplement your body. Depression and anxiety is the most commom cause of menopause in women. To overcome menopause and depression, expand your social life, like joining a groups of people for morning and evening yoga or tay chi excerise or getting yourself a hobby like dancing, singing or friends gathering.

The symptoms of menopause for women are mostly night sweat and hot flashes, weight gain, mood swing mostly feel angry for a small things, feeling stress and depression, insomia and always forgetfulness.

Menopause is a natural life process for a women

2007-03-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

Menopause is a natural life process for a women when its ovaries no longer produce enough estrogen to stimulate the lining of the uterus and vagina. Women who experience menopause symptom at the first stage is having a irregular or missed periods and they will also notice that the periods is not the same as before, some with heavy bleeding then before and some bleeding is lighter then before. Menopause is a sign to let the women knows that they will no longer get pregnant and also the end of the menstrual periods. Most menopause symptom will occur in women somewhere between the age of 40 to 55.

Menopause symptom that most occurs in women and one of the most common sign is hot flash. The symptoms of hot flash is a sudden reddening of the face accompanied by a feeling of intense warmth in the face and body. Other common menopause symptoms include depression, fluid retention, insomnia, mood swings, nervousness, night sweats, painful intercourse, anxiety, urinary changes, thinning of vaginal tissues, vaginal dryness and weight gain.

Woman who experiences vaginal bleeding after menopause should see their physician or doctor as sometimes treatments hormone can cause vaginal bleeding.

Health rish and H.R.T.

2007-02-15T00:28:00.000-08:00

The drug that is current treating menopause popularly known as H.R.T ( Hormone Replacement Therapy). Treated as the medical for making a woman healthy, looks young and beautiful and to inproved their sex lives. Besides H.R.T. was touted as preventing bone loss, heart disease, cancer and wrinkles and even stroke.

Now the finding, woman on H.R.T.can end up with breast cancer and heart disease, a disease that H.R.T is supposed to prevent. Today H. R. T. has been condemned as the greastest hormone hoax for women.

menopause symptoms in women

2006-12-13T23:07:00.000-08:00

Menopause is permanent ending of menstruation in women and also the ending of women of having children. Not all women menopause symptoms are the same. Some women will have no menopause symptom at all while some will only have a few symptoms. Others will have a severe or even a disturbing symotoms.

If menopause occurs in women at the average of 50 years is normal. After the age of 55 years is considered late for women and women having menopause before the age of 40 years is considered too early or premature.

Menopause symptoms in women are hot flashes, night swests, Vaginal dryness, anxiety and Depression, problem in menory, Sleep disturbing, periods of menstrution changes, Urinary problems, Weight gain, thinning of the skin around the cervix, breast tenderness and drops of hair. As early mention not all women has the same symptoms.

Menopause symptom can be cure

2006-11-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

Menopause symptom can be cure and has treatment. Medical health care is providers as menopause is not a disease. Menopause can offer a variety of treatments for hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms that become troublesome. Many medications prescription exist to prevent and control high cholesterol and bone loss, which can occur at menopause. Some women do not need therapy, or they may choose not to take medications at all during their menopausal years.

All perimenopausal and postmenopausal women should see their health care provider annually for a full physical exam. This exam should include a breast exam, pelvic exam, and mammogram. prescription medications, and lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, help control hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, including high cholesterol and bone loss.

Studies have been conducted on menopause and find soy can decrease women chances of suffering with menopausal symptoms, or make the symptoms less frequent.

hot flash in women with Menopause

2006-10-10T02:25:00.000-07:00

Menopause is a natural life process for women and not an illness that occurs when the ovaries no longer produce enough estrogen to stimulate the lining of the uterus and vagina. One of the first symptoms most women see in menopause is irregular or missed periods. Menopause is when women no longer menstruate or get pregnant. It generally occurs to women somewhere between the ages of 40 and 60. One of the most famous signs of menopause is the hot flash, a sudden reddening of the face accompanied by a feeling of intense warmth. Hot flashes can be accompanied by other symptoms like dizziness, heart palpitations, or faintness and can be last about ten minutes. Other common menopause symptoms include depression, fluid retention, insomnia, mood swings, nervousness, night sweats, painful intercourse, anxiety, urinary changes, thinning of vaginal tissues, vaginal dryness and weight gain. Some women experience very few changes during this time, while others report noticeable symptoms.

Soy foods include soybeans, calcium-fortified soy milk, soy yogurt, tofu and others. are fast becoming a popular choice to reduce symptoms of menopause.

Dealing with symptoms of early menopause

2006-10-02T23:50:00.000-07:00

Dealing with symptoms of early menopause can be emotionally difficult. Early or premature menopause is defined as menopause before the age of 40. Fortunately, lifestyle changes and other remedies can significantly reduce the physical symptoms of early menopause. Once you’ve conquered the physical signs it’s quite likely that you’ll begin to feel like your old self again and, as a result, you’ll become more optimistic and emotionally healthy. This is probably why many women choose to make lifestyle changes that have proven to effectively reduce the severity of symptoms associated with early menopause, perimenopause and menopause. For instance, it’s extremely beneficial to avoid triggers that have been known to cause hot flashes, such as hot beverages, spicy foods, alcohol, hot weather and warm rooms.

In some women, early menopause symptoms may be due to failure of the ovaries and is called premature ovarian failure. It is thought that such failure is due to hormonal, autoimmune or genetic processes, which result in a depletion in the number of viable eggs in a woman’s ovaries. This depletion may be complete, or, in approximately ten percent of women who have premature ovarian failure, partial. These women have a reduced but possible chance of becoming pregnant. Recent research has shown that female twins may be up to four times more times more likely than other women to undergo spontaneous early menopause. Either or both twins may be affected.
Early menopause can be extremely distressing, particularly when it occurs in younger women who may not yet have had children

In addition to preventing these conditions, exercise will eliminate the weight gain associated with menopause and will also provide you with energy that you thought may not ever come back. Exercise has also been proven to reduce the occurrence of hot flashes.

Menopausal women troubled by hot flashes

2006-09-21T02:48:00.000-07:00

The principle cause of hot flashes is vasomotor instability, it is important to understand what external causes may also precipitate them. If aware of the conditions under which you are most likely to experience hot flushing. In many women alcohol, coffee, soft drinks, and spicy foods trigger hot flashes.

For some women hot flushing may include the sensation of skin "crawling," dizziness, heart palpitations, or faintness. These uncomfortable sensations are not experienced by everyone; some women only experience the feeling of enveloping heat which soon goes away and which they find quite tolerable. For others, this symptom can be quite embarrassing or even debilitating. Flushing can last anywhere from several seconds to ten minutes or more.

Hot flashes are due to motor instability. The most common theory is that the body's thermostat in the hypothalamus is undergoing great hormonal fluctuations. Although the pituitary hormones we spoke about earlier, FSH and LH, are still produced at regular intervals, the ovaries no longer respond. Poor diet and stress are closely linked to the onset of hot flashes, although the ovary is the prime culprit in causing them. It has also been postulated that the unnatural estrogenic substances caused by the pollutants in our environment, called xeno-estrogens, may be precipitating "ovarian dysfunction, a circumstance not anticipated by Mother Nature." This is perhaps why women in industrialized countries experience hot flashes so much more than women in third world countries.

Menopausal women are troubled by hot flashes for a period of five years or more. Some women experience them for 10 to 20 years, although their intensity and duration generally diminish with time. Only a small percentage of women have hot flashes for more than twelve years. This symptom, like other menopausal symptoms, can be predicted in part by examining how they affected our mothers. They are also usually more severe in women that do not sweat easily, who are very thin, or who experience surgical menopause.

menopause symptom : reverse weight gain

2006-09-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

What you can do to prevent or reverse weight gain
There's no magic formula for avoiding weight gain as you get older. The strategies for maintaining a healthy weight at any age remain the same: Watch what you eat and get moving.

The most effective approach to reversing weight gain after menopause includes a combination of the following:

Increase your physical activity. Aerobic exercise boosts your metabolism and helps you burn fat. Strength training exercises increase muscle mass, boost your metabolism and strengthen your bones.

You can become more physically active even without starting a formal exercise program. Just spend more time doing the things you love that also get you moving. Do more gardening and dancing. Take longer walks or try out a bike. Make it your goal to be active for a total of 30 minutes or more a day on most days.

Increased physical activity, including strength training, may be the single most important factor for maintaining a healthy body composition — more lean muscle mass and less body fat — as you get older.

Reduce calories. Pay attention to the foods you're eating and slightly reduce the amount of calories you consume each day. By choosing a varied diet composed mainly of fruits and vegetables, you can safely cut back on calories and lose weight. Be careful not to cut back too drastically on calorie intake, or your body will respond by conserving energy, making extra pounds harder to shed.

Because your metabolism slows as you get older, you need about 200 fewer calories a day to maintain your weight as you get into your mid- to late 40s. This shouldn't be a problem if you eat only when hungry and only enough to satisfy your hunger.

Decrease dietary fat. Eating large amounts of high-fat foods adds excess calories, which can lead to weight gain and obesity. Limit fat to 20 percent to 35 percent of your daily calories. Emphasize fats from healthier sources, such as nuts and olive, canola and peanut oils.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/menopause-weight-gain/HQ01076

menopause symptom : Weight gain after menopause

2006-09-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

Most women gain weight as they age, but it's not inevitable. How can you minimize weight gain after menopause? Step up your activity level and enjoy a healthy diet.
Have you noticed a few extra pounds padding your waistline? You may be in the throes of midlife expansion — a familiar complaint among women in their 40s and 50s. During this time either you gain weight or you find that maintaining your usual weight has somehow become more difficult. You also discover that the weight you gain tends to accumulate around your abdomen, rather than your hips and thighs.

But you don't have to accept weight gain as inevitable. Take steps to prevent weight gain before it starts. And if you've already begun adding to your waistline, it's never too late to reverse course through proper diet and exercise.

Causes of middle age weight gain
For most women, increases and shifts in weight begin during perimenopause — the years leading up to menopause. On average, women gain about a pound a year during this time.

But changing hormone levels associated with menopause aren't necessarily the cause of weight gain. Aging and lifestyle factors play a big role in your changing body composition, including:

Exercising less. Menopausal women tend to exercise less than other women, which can lead to weight gain.
Eating more. Eating more means you'll take in more calories, which are converted to fat if you don't burn them for energy.
Burning fewer calories. The number of calories you need for energy decreases as you age because aging promotes the replacement of muscle with fat. Muscle burns more calories than fat does. When your body composition shifts to more fat and less muscle, your metabolism slows down.
Genetic factors may play a role in weight gain as well. If your parents and other close relatives carry extra weight around the abdomen, you may be predisposed to do so, too.

Weight gain can also have serious implications for your health. Excess weight increases your risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure and insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. These factors also put you at increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

There's also evidence that weight gain during the menopausal years increases breast cancer risk. Women who gain in excess of 20 pounds after menopause increase their breast cancer risk by nearly 20 percent. But women who lose weight after menopause can reduce their risk of breast cancer by that much and more — women who lose 20 pounds after menopause reduce their breast cancer risk by as much as 23 percent. Even smaller amounts of weight loss after menopause lead to a modest risk reduction.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/menopause-weight-gain/HQ01076

menopause symptom : Getting relief from menopause symptoms

2006-09-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

Hot flashes, night sweats, these are just some of the symptoms of menopause. So what can women do to get relief? I talked with a leading expert about what works.

by News Channel 8's Jocelyn Maminta
When Yael Borofsky entered into another stage of her life six years ago frustration set in.

"The worst symptoms for me are the hot flashes."

And Yael is still going through menopause.

"All of a sudden something goes over you, the next thing, water runs down your body."

Dr. Mary Jane Minkin says, "A lot of people say, gee, well I've gone more than a year without my period, which is the technical definition of menopause, why am I still getting hot flashes unfortunately they can persist for a while."

Dr. Mary Jane Minkin at Yale School of Medicine is a leading expert and author of several books on menopause. Dr. Minkin says when it comes to seeking relief, treatment should be based on each patient's needs.

"For example, if a woman has been on hormone replacement therapy for a year or two and she's feeling terrifically, she may want to say, okay, can I cut down my dose and see how I feel and you know taper off, and see how she does." says Dr. Minkin.

Hormone replacement therapy comes in different forms -- in pills, patches and creams, and despite recent controversial studies Dr. Minkin says they are safe to use.

"The one thing that women really need to realize is that short term therapy is quite safe."

But what about natural remedies such as black cohosh?

"We don't know it's exact mechanism of action because it's not estrogen, but it does seem to help women with hot flashes."

It helped Yael Borofsky with her hot flashes.

"It has reduced the hot flashes tremendously and I can live with it. If I can continue living this way I will be very happy."

Dr. Minkin tells me 20 percent of women do not experience hot flashes at all. However, for another 20 percent of women it will be severe. The rest fall somewhere in between.

by News Channel 8's Jocelyn Maminta

menopause symptom : Self-care for hot flashes

2006-09-05T23:06:00.000-07:00

Self-care for hot flashes
According to The Boston Women's Health Book Collective's Our Bodies, Ourselves for the New Century, women can do several things to prevent or reduce hot flashes:

Eat enough calcium and other nutrients necessary for calcium absorption.
Limit caffeine (coffee, tea, alcohol, chocolate), alcohol, sugar, hot drinks and soups, and spicy foods.
Every day eat at least one food rich in phytoestrogens, a form of estrogen that is found in soy products (soy milk, soy yogurt, soy nuts, tofu, miso, tempeh), legumes, and certain vegetables and fruits (squash, yams, carrots, papayas).
Some women find vitamin B-complex helpful.
Some women find vitamin E helpful (wheat germ, corn and soybean oil; brown rice and millet; legumes; corn; almonds). The evidence is inconclusive however, and some researchers warn that women who have breast cancer should NOT take vitamin E supplements.
Stay active: Physical activity can relieve hot flashes, stress, and depression, and can improve sleep.
Reduce stress: Hot flashes may increase in frequency and intensity during stressful times.
menopause symptom

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by Healthcommunities.com, Inc.

menopause symptom : Menstrual changes

2006-09-05T23:02:00.000-07:00

Menstrual changes
Many women experience irregular periods due to the changing hormone levels and the decreased frequency of ovulation (egg release). The changes may be subtle at first and then gradually become more noticeable. Common changes include the following:

Short cycles (less than 28 days)
Bleeding for fewer days than usual
Heavier than usual bleeding
Lighter than usual bleeding
Missed periods
Although menstrual irregularities are expected during menopause, menstrual changes can also be caused by conditions such as fibroids or pregnancy. Women who experience heavy bleeding (usually with clots), periods that come more often than every 3 weeks, spotting between periods, or bleeding after intercourse should see their physician or other health care provider.

After menopause, women no longer menstruate. Any woman who experiences vaginal bleeding after menopause should see her physician or other health care provider. Hormone treatments can sometimes cause vaginal bleeding to resume.

Hot flashes
As many as 85% of women experience hot flashes during menopause. Hot flashes are vasomotor symptoms that cause a warm or hot flushed sensation that usually begins in the head and face and then radiates down the neck to other parts of the body. There may be red blotches on the skin. Each hot flash averages 2.7 minutes and is characterized by:

Sudden increase in heart rate
Increase in peripheral bloodflow, which leads to a rise in skin temperature
Sudden onset of sweating, particularly on the upper body
Hot flashes can occur before, during, or after menopause. They can begin when a woman's cycles are still regular or, more commonly, as menopause approaches and her cycles become irregular. They usually last for less than a year following the last menstrual period, although some women continue to experience hot flashes 5 to 10 years after menopause.

Hot flashes can occur once a month, once a week, or several times an hour. They can happen any time of day or night. If they happen at night (i.e., night sweats), they can interrupt sleep and drench clothing and sheets. Loss of sleep can eventually lead to irritability and fatigue.

by Healthcommunities.com, Inc.

menopause symptom : Exercise Suggested 2

2006-09-05T22:59:00.000-07:00

"It certainly can't hurt," she said.

Small studies have also suggested the pluses of exercise.

One by the American College of Sports Medicine showed strength training helped reduce hot flashes and headaches by 50 percent. Another published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing found exercise boosted overall health-related quality of life measures in menopausal women.

And a third in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found exercise slowed the progression of hardening of the arteries, which is linked to lower levels of estrogen in women during menopause.

Exercise can lower the risk for cardiovascular disease in general and strengthen muscle to prevent fractures another risk factor that grows as estrogen levels decline, said Barbara Bushman, a professor of health and physical education at Missouri State University and author of "Action Plan for Menopause."

At the very least, staying active can temper secondary effects of menopause like insomnia and weight gain, said Cedric Bryant, chief scientist for the American Council on Exercise.

"You may not be able to totally eliminate (the symptoms), but it seems you can certainly alleviate them," Bryant said.

With exercise touted as a magic bullet for boosting everything from mental acuity to mood, it's no surprise that it may help during menopause, said Alysia Mastrangelo, a professor of physical therapy at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

Yet many women now going through that transition may have grown up in a time when a premium wasn't placed on physical activity, Mastrangelo said. "This is a group that historically doesn't exercise."

Experiences vary greatly, however, and some say exercise doesn't seem to curb their hot flashes at all. Marilyn Matrazzo, a 56-year-old resident of Colonie, an Albany suburb, said she's not sure her daily workouts help temper her hot flashes. But she persists to maintain a general sense of well-being.

"It helps everything I just have more 'oomph' during the day and sleep better," she said.

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menopause symptom : Exercise Suggested for Menopause Symptoms

2006-09-05T22:12:00.000-07:00

ALBANY, N.Y. Jun 8, 2006 (AP)— Once at the mercy of hourly hot flashes, Margaret Corino has been keeping them at bay with regular trips to the gym.

When the 58-year-old woman skips exercise, the waves of heat "shoot back up again," she says. Corino, who lives in Johnson City, west of Albany, says her workouts have reduced hot flashes to just a couple a day.

Though the research is still thin, many health experts say even moderate exercise can help relieve the problems of menopause in some women, including anxiety, insomnia and night sweats.

Menopause, which typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, is when a woman stops menstruating. Symptoms can range from mood swings, to hot flashes, headaches and trouble focusing.

The National Institutes of Health is conducting a wide-ranging study of several issues related to menopause, including depression, cognitive and sexual function. NIH-backed research so far only suggests a link between physical activity and decreased symptoms of menopause no proof exercise is a cure.

For example, women who exercise may report fewer hot flashes simply because they are less preoccupied with such symptoms, said Sheryl Sherman, a doctor with the National Institute on Aging, an arm of NIH.

While experiences vary from woman to woman, some say even a little boost in physical activity goes a long way.

Just a week after starting a walking routine, 54-year-old Joan Newman saw a dramatic decline in hot flashes. "After that, every chance I got, I walked around the campus," said Newman, an administrative assistant at Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo.

She says her daily walks reduced hot flashes from hourly to five or six a day.

Dr. Lila Nachtigall, a spokeswoman for the North American Menopause Society, said it is critical for women to get exercise at this time of life despite the lack of conclusive evidence that exercise relieves menopausal symptoms.

As estrogen levels fall, it's easier for women to gain weight, Nachtigall said. Exercise also promotes an overall sense of well-being that helps women handle troublesome symptoms better, she said.

By CANDICE CHOI

menopause symptom : The Menopause Diet

2006-09-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a more natural way to treat the weight gain of menopause, slim down, prevent those nasty menopause symptoms and increase your sex drive...you've come to the right place! There is no better way to lose the weight, regain the passion in your life, naturally treat your menopause symptoms and take control of your health than with The Menopause Diet!

The newly revised The Menopause Diet plan will help you regain the vitality and shape of your youth without the need for pills or surgery. Learn how to naturally manage the symtpoms of menopause while preventing the damage from uncontrolled blood sugar that can lead to heart disease, strokes and cancer.

Written by retired surgeon and medical researcher, Larrian Gillespie, The Menopause Diet is the first book to deal with the #1 complaint of women entering menopause - weight gain -, providing scientific proof that women must eat differently from men if they want to stop the weight gain of menopause and keep it off. This book will explain why women may be digging their grave with their own teeth when they eat a high carbohydrate, low protein diet and how stress and lack of sleep can make you fat.

Copyright © 2002-06 Healthy Life Publications

menopause symptom : Healthy Living Choices

2006-09-01T00:27:00.000-07:00

Hormone replacement therapy's risks and side effects have made many women reluctant to take hormones. Research has shown that as many as 20 percent of women who start on combined hormone therapy stop within nine months because of cancer risks or the intermittent bleeding it often causes. In a 1997 survey by the North American Menopause Society, at least 70 percent of respondents said they used vitamins, diet, exercise, or weight control as an alternative to hormones. While healthy living choices won't cure the more severe symptoms of declining estrogen levels, such as hot flashes, they will boost your overall physical health and improve mood.

Diet
A nutritious diet can help prevent obesity, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and some forms of cancer. The emphasis is on fresh fruits and vegetables -- get at least five servings per day -- and six daily servings of whole grain products.

Fat
Federal health recommendations suggest limiting total fat intake to less than 30 percent of calories and saturated fat to less than 10 percent of calories. But Harvard nutrition experts say the best scientific evidence, including data from the Nurses' Health Study, shows that what's important is not how much total fat you eat but what kind of fat. Steer clear of saturated fats in meats and dairy products as much as possible. Avoid trans fatty acids (partially hydrogenated oils) found in stick margarine, vegetable shortening, and many commercially prepared baked goods. Instead, substitute lower-fat dairy products and vegetable oils. Choose polyunsaturated fats (liquid vegetable oil, fatty fish, soybean oil) and monounsaturated fats (olive oil, canola oil). Read food labels and avoid foods with partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredients list.

The good news is that fatty snacks such as nuts and seeds are healthful because they contain polyunsaturated fats -- so long as you don't eat so much that you gain weight. You can also choose whole grain bread, pasta, and rice rather than white bread, pasta, and rice.

Calories
The message here is to balance your calorie intake with your energy output. In other words, try not to eat more calories than you burn each day. Obesity is an epidemic in the United States and other industrialized countries largely due to sedentary lifestyles and the wide availability of high-calorie convenience foods in large portions. Excess weight is linked to higher rates of heart disease, breast cancer, diabetes, and arthritis.

It's a good idea to figure out how many calories you need to maintain your current weight. Then determine whether your current weight is within a healthy range, using the Body Mass Index chart in the next section.
menopause symptom

© Copyright 2006, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved

menopause symptom : Aging Gracefully

2006-09-01T00:17:00.000-07:00

Aging Gracefully
The following tips can help smooth the transition through your midlife years and help you find satisfaction, new meaning, and new interests in the process.

Shift gears and attitude. Embrace the idea that older women can be fit, active, and attractive through midlife and beyond. Age has its benefits. Explore them through an existing support group, or start one of your own.
Become an educated consumer. Maybe you've never had time to keep up with health and medical information. Now is a good time to read up on what you've been missing. Check the Internet, libraries, books, and newspapers. Ask your doctor or a local women's health center for a recommended reading list and Web site addresses with reliable information.

Develop new interests. Refocus your career or take more time to pursue your other interests by reducing your work hours. Take a class or join a club.
Plan for your financial future. If you haven't saved much for retirement, make it a priority. Understand your company pension or retirement savings plan. Protect your savings by diversifying your investments. Seek help from a reputable financial planner.
Share your experience and wisdom. Mentor younger women in your professional field. Do volunteer work. Teach an adult education class.
See the world. Not only does travel open your eyes to new places and cultures, it can add a new, exciting element to a marriage that may have become routine. If your budget or time is limited, visit places closer to home.

Be computer savvy. Never got into the computer world? Computers and the Internet are not going away, and you may be losing a great opportunity to stay in touch with your children, grandchildren, friends, and relatives.
Take up a new sport. Have you always wondered why so many people are fascinated by hitting a small ball into a hole? Find out. Take up golf, tennis, or any other physical activity you've been curious about. All activity is good for your heart, muscles, and bones, and you might meet some new friends, too.
Dust off old dreams. Did you put away your paints or guitar to raise children? Get some new art supplies or sheet music and explore your talent all over again.
menopause symptom

© Copyright 2006, Meredith Corporation.

menopause symptom : Living With Menopause

2006-09-01T00:12:00.000-07:00

Look at menopause as an opportunity to assess your life and your health and to take steps to plan the future you want. Here, some advice, including screening tips for various diseases and conditions.The Long Life Ahead
The average lifespan for women in the United States is approaching 80 years. Some women will spend four decades in their postmenopausal years. With this in mind, you can look at menopause as an opportunity to assess your life and your health and to take steps to plan the future you want.

Diet, exercise, and proper medical care, as outlined in this report, are important steps toward a lifetime of good health. But good health is more than just the absence of disease. Midlife women can enhance their quality of life by maintaining social support, reducing stress and anxiety, and taking time to relax and pursue activities they enjoy. One of the most important things to remember about menopause is that it is a different experience for every woman who reaches it.

Menopause Messages
A few take-home messages about menopause include:

Keep in mind that menopause is part of a process that can take years to complete. Symptoms can begin in your 30s and continue well beyond your last menstrual period.
When periods become irregular, see your physician to rule out such medical conditions as thyroid disease, uterine cancer, or depression. Symptoms of these conditions can mimic those of menopause.
Keep in mind that you may be going through other transitions at this time as well: children leaving home, career status changing, marital problems, or the aging process itself. Talk with friends or consider counseling if these events become overwhelming.
If you have troublesome symptoms, talk with your doctor about prescription medications, including hormone replacement or non-hormonal medications. You can also try over-the-counter products marketed for menopausal symptoms, but inform your doctor so both of you can be alert for side effects and drug interactions.
Age 50 is a reference point many health organizations use in recommending additional screening tests for diseases of later life, including cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Ask your doctor what screening tests are appropriate for you. Download a chart on 50+ screening tests. (Downloading requires Adobe Acrobat software.)

© Copyright 2006, Meredith Corporation.

menopause symptom : Exams and Tests

2006-08-28T02:45:00.000-07:00

Blood testing: To determine menopause in women, a health care provider may check the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level through a blood test.

Bone testing: The standard for measuring bone loss, or osteoporosis, associated with menopause is the DEXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) scan. The test calculates bone mineral density and compares it to the average value for healthy young women. The World Health Organization defines osteoporosis as more than 2.5 standard deviations below this average value. A condition known as osteopenia indicates less severe bone loss (between 1 and 2.5 standard deviations below the average value).

The DEXA scan is usually performed before a doctor prescribes medications for osteoporosis to rebuild bone mineral density. The test is a special x-ray film taken of the hip and of the lower bones in the spine. The scan is repeated in 1 1/2 - 2 years to measure response to treatment.

Simple bone screening can also be done in ultrasound machines that measure the bone density of the heel. This is merely a screening device. If low bone density is detected, follow-up with a complete DEXA scan may be required.
Heart risk testing: Postmenopausal women may be at risk for heart disease. A doctor can measure cholesterol levels with a simple blood test. If cholesterol levels are high, the doctor can advise women about ways to decrease their risk of heart disease.

Menopause Treatment
Menopause is not a disease that has a definitive cure or treatment. Health care providers, however, can offer a variety of treatments for hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms that become bothersome. Many prescription medications exist to prevent and control high cholesterol and bone loss, which can occur at menopause. Some women do not need therapy, or they may choose not to take medications at all during their menopausal years.

Copyright© 2003-2006 by WebMD

menopause symptom : When to Seek Medical Care

2006-08-28T02:42:00.000-07:00

All perimenopausal and postmenopausal women should see their health care provider annually for a full physical exam. This exam should include a breast exam, pelvic exam, and mammogram.

Women should learn about the risk factors for heart disease and colon cancer from their health care professional and consider being screened for these diseases.

Women who are still menstruating and are sexually active are at risk of becoming pregnant (even if their periods are irregular). Birth control pills containing low doses of estrogen can be useful for perimenopausal women to prevent pregnancy and to relieve perimenopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes. Doctors may check the FSH level of women aged 50 years to determine if they have reached menopause.

Over-the-counter medications, prescription medications, and lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, help control hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, including high cholesterol and bone loss.

Copyright© 2003-2006 by WebMD.

menopause symptom : Menopause Causes

2006-08-28T02:33:00.000-07:00

Menopause occurs when a woman's ovaries run out of functioning eggs. At the time of birth, most females have about 1-3 million eggs, which are gradually lost throughout a woman's life. By the time of a girl's first menstrual period, she has an average of about 400,000 eggs. By the time of menopause, a woman may have fewer than 10,000 eggs. A small percentage of these eggs are lost through normal ovulation (the monthly cycle). Most eggs die off through a process called atresia.

Normally, FSH, or follicle-stimulating hormone (a reproductive hormone), is the substance responsible for the growth of ovarian follicles (eggs) during the first half of a woman’s menstrual cycle. As menopause approaches, the remaining eggs become more resistant to FSH, and the ovaries dramatically reduce their production of a hormone called estrogen.

Estrogen affects many parts of the body, including the blood vessels, heart, bone, breasts, uterus, urinary system, skin, and brain. Loss of estrogen is believed to be the cause of many of the symptoms associated with menopause. At the time of menopause, the ovaries also decrease their production of testosterone—a hormone involved in the libido, or sexual drive.

Copyright© 2003-2006 by WebMD

menopause symptom : Heart Menopause Related Symptoms

2006-08-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

Heart menopause: Heart symptoms associated with menopause. One of the most prevalent premenopausal symptoms is heart palpitations. Menopause relief, for perimenopause symptoms like heart palpitations, is difficult to find. Although actual relief is hard to come by, there are many natural and medical medicines that can be tried.

Heart palpitations are not usually a sign of pain, but they are a sign of a hot flash, which is one of the early menopausal symptoms. Heart palpitations are an irregular heartbeat that can occur anytime but often occur in women going through menopause or about to go through menopause. They are not painful but can be felt.

Sometimes heart palpitations are also felt as the sensation that the heart is skipping a beat or it is beating too many times. They may increase the heart rate up to 200 beats per minute when accompanying a hot flash.

The causes of heart palpitations during menopause are the fluctuation hormones in the woman's body. These constantly changing levels of estrogen and other hormones can cause the heart to try to adjust and are also associated with the cause of hot flashes.

When to Call A Doctor

Heart palpitations will usually go away in a couple of months, but should be discussed with your doctor immediately. There are many other causes of heart palpitations that have nothing to do with menopause and can be extremely dangerous. Some of the many causes of heart palpitations include:

* Stimulants - Too much alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, decongestants, or diet pills will stimulate the heart to race and will feel like heart palpitations.

* Anemia - The body is not producing enough red blood cells.

* Hypoglycemia - Blood glucose levels drop too low to provide energy for your body to operate correctly.

* Thyroid Conditions - Overactive thyroid can produce an increased heart rate.

* Heart Disease - Several different heart problems including heart disease can be associated with an increased heart rate or palpitations.

If you are experiencing heart palpitations for the first time, it is important to share that information with your medical provider. They can do the proper test to ensure that your heart sensations are only related to perimenopause and not to something more serious.

Preventing Heart Palpitations

It may not be possible to totally prevent your palpitations, but these ideas may lessen them:

* Limit alcohol and caffeinated beverages

* Do not smoke

* Exercise regularly after discussing with your doctor

* Avoid stimulant medications - cold medicines, herb supplements

* Decrease stress

* Keep blood pressure and cholesterol under control

* Avoid activities that tend to activate or increase your palpitations

Keeping track of when your palpitations occur can help you reduce their frequency and will help identify possibly triggers. Make sure and share your heart palpitation journal with your doctor at your visit to inquire about their recommendations to decrease the frequency of your palpitations. Even if you have previously talked with your doctor regarding your heart palpitations, it is still important to inform him at each visit that they are continuing.

By Mike Jerry

menopause symptom : You Deserve To Get Relief from Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

2006-08-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

It seems like the late 30's or early 40's should be when women can have the time of her lives. The kids are probably gone, or at least a little grown up, and the career choices have been made. Unfortunately, your hormones will soon begin changing and you may soon start gong into menopause. While menopause should be a reason to celebrate (no more monthly cycles), many women experience irritating side effects when there is less of the hormone estrogen in the system. The most common side effect is hot flashes (or hot flushes, as some call them when they cause flushing or redness of the skin).

Only 15% of women do not suffer from hot flashes, for the rest of us, the flashes can last from five to fifteen minutes at a time. Medical professionals have not determined how to tell how long (in months) they will continue. Because the body is trying to compensate to the lower estrogen levels, as soon as it figures out the proper adjustment, the hot flashes will stop.

One way medical science has decided to compensate is with Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), which calls for a prescription of Estrogen pills, or a skin patch, to help estrogen levels go back to where they once were. Unfortunately, once you stop taking the pills, your body has to try to compensate again, and the hot flashes will reoccur. However, it is sometimes possible to decrease the dose of estrogen gradually, allowing the body to adjust more slowly.

But there are there natural alternatives for chemical HRT. And it's sad that less than two percent of doctors even mention alternative therapies (maybe because the pharmaceuticals make more money on the Estrogen Replacement Therapy). Thousands of women have tested natural therapies and agree that they work! There are a few natural things you should consider if you're not ready to put another chemical into your body.

Natural Care for Hot Flashes or Night Sweats

When hot flashes occur at night, you will experience night sweats (or worse yet, cold sweats). In the worst cases, sweating can get excessive and soak bedding and nightgowns. Here are a few things that you can do stay as comfortable as possible.

During the day, dress in layers so you can remove items, and put them back on when the hot flash is finished.

At night, wear cotton underwear and gowns that will absorb perspiration. These keep you cooler than synthetic garments.

Most importantly, start keeping a record of your daily routine and try to determine when you are most likely to get a hot flash. Certain foods or drinks can cause an increase in the amount and severity of the hot flash. Watch out for alcohol (especially red wine), caffeine, sugar, fatty dairy products, salt, spicy foods, saturated oils and monosodium glutamate (added to prepared foods to enhance flavor).

Last but not least, there are some herbs that contain healthy compounds that have proven to be affective. One of the main herbs is Black Cohosh, which is a thoroughly researched herb containing phytoestrogens and is approved by the German 'Kommission E" - a body similar to the FDA. You can find Black Cohosh in the appropriate portions in MellowPause.

In the case of severe menopausal symptoms, it is recommend that MellowPause be taken together with Dong Quai, which has been used for many centuries in traditional Chinese medicine.

In time this too shall pass. Menopause usually ends by the age of 51; but hot flashes may, if you're lucky, end much sooner than that.

By Evelyn Grazini

menopause symptom : Reducing Menopause Symptoms

2006-08-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

Let's be frank: for most women, menopause is a really an awful experience.

You have all of the discomforting symptoms, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, weight gain, etc.

And emotional issues alone would be enough to send most into a spin, but this coupled with the physical pains and effects make it almost unbearable at times.

The first thing you need to do is relax.

Get out your flannel pajamas.

Take deep breaths.

Calm yourself down.

High stress only increases your symptoms. Those who learn and practice deep belly breathing on a regular basis have been shown to reduce their rate of hot flashes by 50%. Fifty percent! It's worth a try at least, isn't it?

Here's how:

• Make sure you're comfortable.

• Surround yourself with quiet.

• Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose for five counts and expand your belly.

• Breathe out slowly for five counts.

• Repeat this for 15 minute sessions whenever you need to.

• When hot flashes hit, practice this for at least three minutes.

Next, don't just sit there and suffer, get off the couch and stretch.

Take a walk around the block. If you're feeling adventurous, head to a yoga class or a spin class and get your heart rate up above normal.

Hot flashes and night sweats decrease for those who do. Even if you don't feel up to it, try to work your way to an exercise DVD or program on TV once or twice a week.

Daily exercise will really decrease your symptoms. And besides the menopause symptoms, 30 minutes of a medium intensity workout four to five days a week can balance out the increased risk of heart disease that is another effect of menopause.

Remember, through all of this you need to make sure that you are properly hydrated. Make sure you're drinking a lot of water.

Also, eat soy, take black cohosh, and indulge in regular aromatherapy and massage – all in your pajamas – and fight the effects of menopause.

By Mike Herman

menopause symptom : Taking the Edge Off With Supplements

2006-08-14T00:44:00.000-07:00

What is progesterone?

Progesterone is one of two main hormones, the other being estrogen. Progesterone is made by the ovaries of menstruating women, in small amounts in the adrenal glands in both sexes and in the testes in males. In the ovaries, progesterone is the precursor of estrogen. Progesterone is carried in the blood stream, where it is either used or excreted by the liver. One of the main functions of progesterone is to promote the survival and development of the embryo and fetus. Any drop in progesterone level or blockage of its receptor sites can result in the loss of the embryo.

In the third trimester of pregnancy progesterone levels are very high. Many women notice increased energy and a sense of well being. At birth progesterone levels drop suddenly causing in some women postpartum depression. Natural progesterone supplementation can be used at this time to raise progesterone levels to remedy depression and as a thermogenic to help burn off fat that occurred during pregnancy. Slow thyroid glands also can be boosted with progesterone. (See the article on Estrogen - Progesterone Balance for more benefits of progesterone.)

Herbal Supplements have also shown good success in relieving hormone imbalance symptoms. Black Cohosh has been used by many women as an alternative to HRT with out complications. Black Cohosh acts like estrogen in that it suppresses the effects of L.H. (luteinizing hormone) which are hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, heart palpitations, and vaginal dryness. The most popular ways to take black cohosh is by capsule or liquid extract. Black cohosh should not be taken by pregnant women unless it is used at the end to induce labor.

Dong quai (angelica) does not contain estrogen as some believe. What it does do is act as an adaptogen by contracting and relaxing the uterine muscles, enhances metabolism, improves liver function (which improves the excretion of hormones), aids in utilization of vitamin E, stabilizes heart rhythm, lowers blood pressure by dilating blood vessels and has a mild sedative activity.

Osteoporosis is a major epidemic in the United States. Many doctors prescribe estrogen (HRT) for prevention of bone loss and tell their patients to get a calcium supplement from the local drugstore, not instructing them on the most absorbable kinds. The patient usually leaves with the least absorbable of the most important mineral for bone strength.

Many women have quit taking estrogen due to a 2002 study showing that HRT can cause heart attacks and breast cancer. More and more women are turning to natural supplements to combat osteoporosis. (The best place to find natural supplements is at a natural supplement store. Go to the experts for such critical information on the best supplements for bone health.)

It is becoming increasingly clear that calcium alone is not enough for bone strength.

Vitamin K is required to synthesize osteocalcin, a protein found uniquely and in large amounts in bone. Frequent use of antibiotics can destroy vitamin K producing bacteria in the intestines. Vitamin K deficiency can occur in those who do not eat enough vegetables.

Vitamin D is required for intestinal calcium absorption. Reduced plasma vitamin D levels are common in elderly women.

Magnesium is deficient in 80-85% of American woman. This major mineral participates in a number of biochemical reactions that take place in bone.

Manganese is required for bone mineralization and for synthesis of connective tissue in cartilage and bone. At least half of the manganese in a typical diet is lost when whole grains are replaced by refined flour.

Folic acid is important in bone health due to its involvement in the metabolism of homocysteine, a potentially toxic compound. Studies have shown that people with high levels of homocysteine developed severe osteoporosis at an early age, possibly due to an adverse effect of homocysteine on bone. It appears that menopause is associated with a requirement for folic acid, probably to keep homocysteine levels in check.

Boron has shown to increase serum concentrations of the estrogenic hormone,17B-estradiol without the side effects of HRT. In fact, the levels of 17B-estradiol in boron-supplemented women were the same as in women receiving estrogen therapy.

Other nutrients that are used for bone strength are silicon, vitamin B-6, zinc, Vitamin C and copper. Since a typical American diet contains only about 50% of the RDA (2mg/day) for copper, deficiency of this trace mineral may be quite common.

By Fred Fishburne

menopause symptom : Reducing Menopause Symptoms

2006-08-14T00:40:00.000-07:00

menopause symptom : Symptoms and Treatment

2006-08-14T00:38:00.000-07:00

Menopause or 'change of life' occurs in most women around the age of fifty. It is a natural process the woman's body goes through whereby the monthly cycle of ovulation comes to an end. Although age fifty is the normal age, there are some women who go through menopause in their fortys or even earlier.

It is estimated only about fifteen percent of women will have severe menopausal symptoms, while twenty-five percent will go through the menopause period with no problems at all, leaving about sixty percent to experience the normal symptoms of menopause.

Sometimes the symptoms associated with menopause can be frightening to a woman; such as memory loss, difficulty concentrating and mental confusion. Many times they feel they are going crazy. For instance, they go to a cabinet in the kitchen and do not remember what they were wanting from that cabinet. Am I losing my mind?

Hot flashes are probably the most common symptom experienced by most women. They will become extremely hot and uncomfortable even though everyone else in the room claims they are not hot.

Mood swings and emotional outbursts are also common during this time. Other family members sometimes feel they are living with a powder keg, ready to explode at any time. It doesn't seem to matter what other people might say or do that triggers the tears and outbursts. Anything can cause emotions to stir up.

Anxiety and depression are normal during this time. Changes going on in the body can cause one to feel ill at ease. This is also the time of life when the kids are growing up and leaving home, and a woman could experience the 'empty nest syndrome', which could contribute to the depression.

Unable to sleep at night is very frustrating and possibly leads back to the mood swings, anxiety and depression. Losing sleep causes irritability and makes a person grouchy. Loss of sleep makes a person tired during the day and unable to function properly. Sleep loss is a common symptom of menopause.

Weight gain can be experienced by women during this time. Some women think they can eat their way through menopause. This, plus the hormonal imbalance can cause women to gain weight very easily.

Once looked upon as a dreaded experience, nowadays there is treatment for menopause that can help either lessen the symptoms or completely eliminate them. There are several hormone replacement drugs. There are risks involved in these hormone therapy treatments which should be considered before using them. These risks include an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, breast cancer and blood clots. Also, estrogen may increase the risk of uterine cancer.

The conventional doctors' theory is that menopause symptoms are caused by a drop in estrogen production; thus, their solution is estrogen replacement with synthetic hormones. However, many naturalist practitioners feel too much estrogen is the problem.

The naturalist feels, since menopause is a natural transition in a woman's body, that natural solutions should be used, such as vitamins and herbs. Vitamin E has been found to reduce the discomfort of hot flashes. The vitamin E therapy has been used since the 1940s. Soy product replacement in the diet is also beneficial in relieving the symptoms.

Herbs such as cohosh, motherwort, common chickweed, elder flower and violet are used with success in treating the symptoms.

The post-menopausal years can still leave women with some of the menopausal symptoms that carry on through the end of their life. Some women are plagued with the hot flashes and weight gain for the rest of their life.

Michael Russell

menopause symptom : The Menopause And HRT

2006-08-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

The menopause affects women in many different ways. For some it begins in their early forties to mid fifties which is the usual age women experience the menopause. It occurs when ovaries stop producing eggs- a physical process but which often involves psychological factors. These can include a loss of purpose in life, feelings of sadness that the productive part of life is over, leading to a sense of depression.

Menstruation may also stop suddenly with no change in the cycle. Sometimes the cycle becomes irregular and periods become less heavy and frequent. At other times periods can occur more often or follow the usual cycle but with some periods missing altogether. The average time for the length of the menopause is between two and three years although this can vary. There are cases where women have experienced the menopause in their mid thirties which is relatively rare.

Symptoms vary tremendously caused by the lack of oestrogen. This can result in hot flushes, night sweats and a frequent need to pass urine. Some people suffer from extreme mood swings, anxiety and insomnia which can affect the whole family. Stress can exacerbate the symptoms which is why mothers find themselves shouting and screaming at their husbands and children due to mood swings becoming ever more volatile. Another result of the menopause is the loss of bone mass which can cause osteoporosis, manifested in later life by fractures of the wrists, hips and spine.

However the outlook isn't all bad. Lots of women feel fitter, more vigorous after the menopause and relish the relief from the inconvenience of the monthly periods. Some women exhibit very few symptoms apart from occasional night sweats. For those women who suffer excessively it is worth considering the benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

The use of HRT is still very controversial and some women are totally opposed to its use under any circumstances. Used properly, HRT can provide dramatic relief for women who find symptoms of the menopause almost intolerable. One of HRT's greatest benefits lies in the fact that it reduces the risks associated with osteoporosis such as fractures of brittle bones in postmenopausal women. Hip fractures can be particularly dangerous in older women and whilst not wanting to sound alarmist, can result in disablement and even death. Consequently, HRT can, at times, be termed as life-saving.

There are, of course, disadvantages in the use of HRT and these need to be carefully weighed against the advantages. Only after considering all the pros and cons can a woman make an informed decision concerning the use of HRT. Some studies show there is an increased risk of heart disease and strokes connected with HRT whilst other studies claim that HRT reduces these risks. One point not in doubt is that HRT isn't suitable for women with a history, or family history, of breast cancer or cancer of the uterus.

Before taking HRT all women need to discuss the matter thoroughly with their doctor and undergo a complete medical examination. Once a doctor has recommended HRT, women should have regular medical check-ups. If a woman notices any unusual symptoms since beginning HRT such as headaches, pains in the back of the leg, dizziness etc. she should inform her doctor immediately. He will then decide whether to continue or stop the therapy.

Alternative treatments are available including acupuncture, homoeopathy, aromatherapy and certain herbal medicines. Therefore, if HRT is found to be unsuitable, all is not lost. There are several avenues to be explored in the search for relief from debilitating menopausal symptoms.

by Michael Russell

menopause symptom : Managing Menopause through Diet

2006-08-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

Coping with menopause can be a real challenge. There are just so many different feelings and symptoms that women can experience. In fact, like puberty and childbirth, most women find menopause to be one of the most life-altering periods of their life. And it’s no mystery why. As well as the many physical symptoms women can go through, there is an emotional side to menopause that can easily be overlooked. It is, after all, the transitional phase in which a woman’s reproductive life comes to an end. And for many women this can be deeply upsetting. It brings to an end their propensity to bear children, and reminds women of the inevitable passing of time.

What many women don’t know is that you can manage, and in some cases minimise, the symptoms of menopause through diet and proper eating. The golden rule to diet during menopause is to make every meal an opportunity to eat healthy, fresh foods that will really nourish your body. Ideally your diet should already be a balanced and diverse one that incorporates plenty of whole grains, low-fat proteins and unlimited amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables. If your eating patterns are poor or lacking, menopause is the time to revamp them. Use this moment in your life to usher in a new phase of nutrition and conscientious self-care. Not only will it help your body weather the unexpected and sometimes unpleasant symptoms of menopause, it will stand your health in good stead for the rest of your life.

Since many women report weight gain during menopause, do not be tempted to go on a restrictive or radical calorie reduced diet to combat this problem. It will only deplete your energy reserves, slow your metabolic rate and potentially cause dietary deficiencies. Instead, make sure you eat three regular and wholesome meals a day, as well as a few nutritious snacks, such as fresh fruit or raw vegetables, yoghurt, seeds or nuts. Eating regular smaller meals helps boost your metabolic rate, which in turn will help fight any natural metabolic slowing during menopause.

Drinking plenty of water (ideally 8 glasses or more per day) and avoiding caffeine, alcohol and sugary drinks will help you manage hot and cold flashes. Avoiding spicy foods can also help minimise the impact of hot flashes.

Many women say they feel like they are on an emotional rollercoaster during menopause, and indeed some even experience more serious problems such as depression. Again, a focus on a healthy balanced diet can alleviate these symptoms. For example, it is well established that regular moderate exercise helps people cope with depression. Moreover, when people are depressed, serotonin levels in the brain tend to drop. Foods that are high in carbohydrates can help lift serotonin levels, thereby helping to reverse this trend. If you are experiencing depression or mood swings make sure to include foods that are high in complex carbohydrates such as whole grain breads, cereals and brown rice in your diet.

Another common complaints for menopausal women are headaches and migraines. If these are a problem for you, avoid caffeine, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, chocolate and peanuts since these are all known ‘trigger’ foods for migraines. All menopausal women should try to include soy products and fish oils into their diets since they both have fantastic health properties. Soy in particular contains qualities that are similar to female hormones that can potentially help balance the normal hormonal changes that occur during menopause. A good multivitamin is also a sensible idea to supplement your diet. But remember, no multivitamin is a substitute for nourishing, wholesome eating habits!

Don’t let menopause rule your life. By adopting a healthy and balanced diet, you can control the signs of menopause and reinvigorate yourself for the next phase of wellness. So use food as your medicine during menopause – you’ll reap the benefits both through menopause and beyond!

By Kathryn Whittaker

menopause symptom : How to Relieve Menopause Symptoms

2006-08-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

Menopause begins in your early 40s as your ovaries gradually produce less and less of the hormone estrogen. Your periods become erratic - sometimes skipping a month or alternating between light and heavy.

The next period of time is the transitioning to actual menopause. During this time you may continue to have erratic periods, and the more serious symptoms begin. Hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings and insomnia are some of those.

The final and actual onset of menopause usually occurs in your early 50s and is represented by the absence of your period for a full 12 months. It's those in between years that can wreak havoc in your life.

Why Are Natural Menopause Treatments Better?

Menopause is a natural occurrence in a woman's reproductive life. So why not treat it in a natural way? Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the standard treatment for menopause among healthcare providers - however there remains considerable controversy about the benefits and risks associated with standard HRT drugs.

For the past several decades, conventional medicine has treated hot flashes and other menopausal discomforts with estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). But because ERT is dangerous for women with a history of cancer, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) - which combines estrogen with a synthetic progesterone - is often used instead. But many women don't want to take the potential increased risk of cancer associated with ERT, or they dislike the cyclical bleeding & significant side effects often caused by HRT.

Recent publicity concerning the health risks of synthetic hormone replacement therapy has led many women to seek more natural solutions. And with good reason. In areas of the world where soy and other estrogenic plants are part of the diet, breast cancer rates are much lower and menopausal symptoms are almost non-existent. Synthetic hormone replacement is not common because it is not needed.

In the U.S., where pharmaceutical companies make $8 billion a year on synthetic hormones, breast cancer, heart attacks and strokes are increasing dramatically among menopausal women. Dr. John Lee, author of "What your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause", blames the increases on synthetic hormones. He says that the pharmaceutical companies are well aware of the problems. "The whole thing is madness," he says, "and it's driven by greed." A few simple and natural solutions can clear up the menopausal problems and eliminate the health risks associated with the synthetic hormones.

Try adjusting your diet to include vegetables and fish that are high in Omega-3 as they contain nutrients that can help your body deal with menopause naturally. Conversely, there are foods that can make your menopausal symptoms worse. Caffeine, sugar, fatty dairy products, salt, alcohol and saturated oils can aggravate the symptoms.

Exercising regularly can also help alleviate menopausal symptoms. Scheduling at least 30 minutes of exercise three times a week will relieve hot flashes. You will be able to think more clearly and reduce your risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.

Finally, there are several herbs proven to help relieve menopause symptoms:

Vitamin E (as d-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate)

Vitamin E is an antioxidant. Can it prevent hot flashes? There were studies done in the late 1940's showing it to relieve hot flashes and postmenopausal vaginal dryness. More recent studies are lacking. There are other benefits. We know from the Nurses Health Study that women who took vitamin E over a two-year period reduced their risk of fatal heart attacks by 40%. Vitamin E is also being studied for its effect on Alzheimer's disease and cancer. Combining vitamin E with other antioxidants such as selenium, chromium, beta-carotene, and vitamin C may offer a synergistic effect. That means they work better together than separate.

Soy (Glycine max) (seed)

Soy contains natural plant estrogens called phytoestrogens. In fact, no other food has a higher phytoestrogen content than soy. Although phytoestrogens are weaker than human estrogens they behave similarly in the human body. In the body, phytoestrogens balance a woman's estrogen level by attaching themselves to the body's estrogen receptor sites. When attached, phytoestrogens can decrease estrogen levels in perimenopausal women and increase estrogen levels in postmenopausal women. In addition to relieving menopausal symptoms, research shows that soy helps promote heart health. Many doctors and researchers soy to relieve many menopausal symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness and other discomforts.

Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) (root)

The primary use of black cohosh extract is for alleviation of menopausal symptoms. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology guidelines on the use of botanicals for the management of menopausal symptoms support this use for up to six months, especially in treating the symptoms of sleep and mood disturbance, and hot flushes. Studies demonstrate efficacy in patients taking black cohosh extract similar to that of estrogen in the treatment of neurovegetative menopausal symptoms.

Damaiana (Turnerna diffusa) (leaf)

This yellow-flowering shrub typically grows in climates that are hot and humid, including Central and South America, and in the state of Texas. Damiana has historically been used as an aphrodisiac and has been claimed to induce euphoria. It is indicated to alleviate depression and relieve anxiety and induce relaxation. Damiana could lead to relaxation and could calm anxiety. Those suffering from sexual dysfunction resulting from stress or emotional troubles could benefit from supplementation with this herb.

By Kathy Burns-Millyard

menopause symptom : Late Onset Symptoms

2006-08-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

Vaginal Symptoms

Vaginal symptoms tend to begin some years after the cessation of menses. Postmenopausal women (the term for women who have completed their menopausal transition) may experience vaginal dryness, itching, or irritation due to the lack of estrogen. Pain with intercourse (dyspareunia) can also result from the loss of estrogen. However, these types of vaginal symptoms can be due to other causes as well, and should be evaluated by a physician.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is the deterioration of the quantity and quality of bone that causes an increased risk of fracture. The density of the bone (bone mineral density) normally begins to decrease in women during the 4th decade of life. However, that normal decline in bone density is accelerated during the menopausal transition. As a consequence, both age and the hormonal changes due to the menopause transition act together to cause osteoporosis.

The osteoporosis process can operate silently for decades. Some osteoporosis fractures may escape detection until years later. Patients may not thus be aware of their osteoporosis until suffering a painful fracture. The symptoms are then related to the location of the fractures.

For an extensive review of osteoporosis, its treatment and prevention, please read the Osteoporosis article.

What are the treatment options for menopause?

Menopause treatments can be divided into two categories (based on those symptoms that are present in a given woman at a specific time); (1) treatment of early onset symptoms, and (2) treatment of late onset menopause symptoms.

Treatment of Early Onset Symptoms

Irregular Vaginal Bleeding

Prior to treatment, a doctor excludes other causes of erratic vaginal bleeding. Women in menopausal transition tend to have considerable breakthrough bleeding when given estrogen therapy. Therefore, oral contraceptives are often given to women in menopause transition to regulate menstrual periods, relieve hot flashes, as well as to provide contraception. Oral contraceptives are considered safe in healthy, non-smoking women. The list of contraindications for oral contraceptives in women going through the menopause transition is the same as that for premenopausal women.

Hot flashes and night sweats

The choice of medication for treating hot flashes depends on whether a woman is still having periods or not. For women experiencing unpredictable bleeding and hot flashes during menopause transition, oral contraceptives are commonly used (even up to 50 years of age) because they are successful in controlling both erratic perimenopausal bleeding, vaginal bleeding, and hot flashes. For women without periods, hot flashes can be treated with either oral (by mouth) or transdermal (vaginal ring, patch, newer FDA-approved prescription gel) forms of estrogen. Both oral and transdermal estrogen therapies are available either as estrogen alone, or estrogen combined with progesterone and are effective in reducing the frequency and severity of hot flashes. Generally, available treatments decrease hot flash frequency by about 80 to 90%. For more, please read the Hormone Therapy article.

Mood Symptoms

Even though moodiness, irritability, and tearfulness are commonly attributed to menopause, studies are underway to determine which of these symptoms are actually due to menopause versus other conditions such as medical depression. Even though many women experience improvement in irritability with oral hormone therapy, hormone therapy alone will not be adequate treatment for a woman suffering from true medical depression (a true depression may require antidepressant medications that are different from medications for menopause). Accordingly, women who are experiencing significant mood symptoms should be evaluated by their doctors to exclude depression and other medical illnesses.

?996-2006 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved.

menopause symptom : Early Onset Symptoms

2006-08-06T21:23:00.000-07:00

Irregular Vaginal Bleeding

Irregular vaginal bleeding may occur during menopause. Some women have minimal problems with abnormal bleeding during perimenopause whereas others have unpredictable, excessive bleeding. Menstrual periods (menses) may occur more frequently (meaning the cycle shortens in duration), or they may get farther and farther apart (meaning the cycle lengthens in duration) before stopping. There is no 搉ormal?pattern of bleeding during the menstrual transition, patterns vary from woman to woman. It is common for women in perimenopause to get a period after going for several months without one. There is also no set length of time it takes for a woman to complete her menopausal transition, as all women are different. It is important to remember that all women who develop irregular menses should be evaluated by her doctor to confirm that the irregular menses are due to menopause and not as a sign of another medical illness.

Hot flashes & night sweats

Hot flashes are common among women undergoing menopause. A hot flash is a feeling of warmth that spreads over the body. A hot flash is sometimes associated with flushing and is sometimes followed by perspiration. Sometimes hot flashes are accompanied by night sweats (episodes of drenching sweats at nighttime). The cause of hot flashes is not yet understood. Recent research theory suggests that women with hot flashes seem to start sweating at a lower environmental temperature than women without hot flashes. There is currently no method to predict when hot flashes will begin and how long they will last. Hot flashes occur in up to 40% of regularly menstruating women in their forties, so they may begin before the menstrual irregularities characteristic of menopause even begin. About 80% of women will be finished having hot flashes after 5 years. Sometimes (in about 10% of women), hot flashes can last as long as 10 years. There is no way to predict when hot flashes will cease, though they tend to decrease in frequency over time. On average, hot flashes last about 5 years. For more, please read the Alternative Treatments for Hot Flashes article.

Mood Symptoms

There is considerable controversy about exactly which behavioral symptoms are due directly to menopause. Research in this area has been difficult for many reasons. First, mood symptoms are so common to begin with, that it is sometimes difficult in a given woman to know if they are due to menopause symptoms. Also, women who have been diagnosed with depression in the past may be sensitive to a recurrence of depression toward the time of menopause, but the menopause isn抰 really 搕he cause?of the depression, strictly speaking. To further complicate matters, mood swings could actually be linked with the sleep disturbance triggered by menopausal night sweats. Researchers are now trying to determine what factors can influence mood symptoms during menopause. Factors that have been suspected and are being analyzed for their impact on menopausal mood symptoms include education level, exercise level, familial support system, and history of depression.

?996-2006 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved

menopause symptom : What is menopause?

2006-08-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

Menopause is the time in a woman's life when the function of the ovaries ceases. The ovary, or female gonad, is one of a pair of reproductive glands in women. They are located in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus. Each ovary is about the size and shape of an almond. The ovaries produce eggs (ova) and female hormones such as estrogen. During each monthly menstrual cycle, an egg is released from one ovary. The egg travels from the ovary through a fallopian tube to the uterus.

The ovaries are the main source of female hormones, which control the development of female body characteristics such as the breasts, body shape, and body hair. The hormones also regulate the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Estrogens also protect the bone. Therefore a woman can develop osteoporosis (thinning of bone) later in life when her ovaries do not produce adequate estrogen.

Menopause does not occur overnight, but rather is a gradual process of transition. This transition period (known as perimenopause) is different for each woman. Scientists are still trying to identify all the factors that initiate and influence this transition. Women in perimenopause transition typically experience abnormal vaginal bleeding such as erratic periods or abnormal bleeding patterns. Eventually a woman's periods will completely stop as she completes this transition into menopause.

The average age of onset of menopause process is 51 years old. But there is no single method to predict when a woman will enter menopause. The age at which a woman starts having menstrual periods is also not related to the age of menopause onset. As a rough "rule of thumb" women tend to undergo menopause at an age similar to that of their mothers.

When does a woman know she is in menopause?

A woman is in menopause if she has had no menstrual periods (menses) for 12 months and has no other medical reason for her menses to stop. That means she has to be evaluated by her doctor to exclude other medical causes of missed menses.

Are hormone levels or other blood tests helpful in detecting menopause?

Because hormone levels may fluctuate greatly in an individual woman, even from one day to the next, hormone levels are not a reliable indicator for diagnosing menopause. Even if levels are low one day, they may be high the next day in the same woman. There is no single blood test that reliably predicts when a woman is going through menopause, or menopausal transition. Therefore there is currently no proven role for blood testing regarding menopause except for tests to exclude medical causes of erratic menstrual periods other than menopause. The only way to diagnose menopause is to observe lack of menstrual periods for 12 months in a woman in the expected age range.

What are the medical words that are used to describe the stages of menopause?

Menopause is defined as absence of menstrual periods for 12 months. The menopause transition starts with varying menstrual cycle length and ends with the last menstrual period. Perimenopause means 揳round the time of menopause.? It is not officially a medical term, but is sometimes used to explain certain aspects of the menopause transition in lay terms. Postmenopause encompasses the entire period of time that comes after the last menstrual period.

What are the symptoms of menopause?

The symptoms of the menopause transition can be divided into early and late onset symptoms. Early symptoms include irregular vaginal bleeding, hot flashes, and night sweats. Late symptoms include vaginal dryness and irritation and osteoporosis.

by Carolyn Janet Crandall, MD, FACP

menopause symptom : Perimenopause

2006-08-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

Estrogen doesn't disappear suddenly. Even though American women don't reach menopause until about age 51, the effects of declining estrogen may be noticeable as early as age 35 in the form of declining fertility and irregular periods. This time of early symptoms caused by hormonal changes related to aging ovaries is known as perimenopause. Some experts also refer to this time as the menopausal transition. Perimenopause varies greatly from one woman to the next. It may last only a few months or several years. Symptoms may be mild or severe. Only a small percentage of women have no symptoms at all. The earliest sign of perimenopause can be declining fertility; for someone planning a pregnancy, this can be a major issue. Even for those who aren't planning a pregnancy, early symptoms of menopause such as fluctuating periods or hot flashes well before age 50 can be bewildering.

How do you know if irregular periods, hot flashes, or insomnia are caused by perimenopause or a medical condition? At the present time, there is no reliable test to tell if you're entering perimenopause. Your doctor could measure your FSH level to see if it is elevated. But during perimenopause, estrogen levels rise and fall erratically and so do FSH levels. Results from an FSH test can vary from day to day, so a single test won't provide clinicians with a clear picture of what is happening. But a mildly elevated FSH level on day 3 of the cycle has been shown to correlate with diminished fertility -- a harbinger of menopause.

There may not be a clear-cut test for perimenopause, but many women are very sensitive to and aware of changes in their bodies. Is your menstrual cycle noticeably different in a consistent pattern from a few years ago? Is your cycle shorter or your flow heavier? Some women also notice that their hair and skin and vagina become dryer. Weight gain may tend to go to the midsection rather than the hips and thighs. Insomnia and persistent changes in mood or memory may also coincide with the hormonal fluctuations of perimenopause. Science hasn't clarified why, but some women have reported feeling so forgetful that they wonder if premature Alzheimer's disease has struck. The first appearance of some of these symptoms can be alarming for women who aren't aware that perimenopause can begin years in advance of menopause. Recognizing these changes as a normal part of aging will help you and your physician manage them effectively and plan for a healthy future.
Symptoms of perimenopause
Irregular periods

Declining fertility

Thickening in the waistline

Hot flashes

Heart palpitations

Insomnia and disrupted sleep

Mood changes

Irritability

Memory and concentration problems

Vaginal dryness

Dry skin and hair

Thinning hair

Decreased sexual response

© Copyright 2006, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved

menopause symptom : The Biology of Menopause

2006-08-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

Menopause is a process, and it differs for every woman. Learn about the stages through which most women pass, and what you can probably expect.

What Is Menopause?
For many women, menopause is the first sign that life is finite. Medical experts agree that a woman has reached menopause if she hasn't had a period for 12 consecutive months and there's no underlying medical condition causing her to stop menstruating. Generally, women in Western nations can expect to have their last menstrual period at about age 51. In women who smoke, menstruation may stop a year or two earlier. But it varies widely. Some women have their last period when they're still in their 30s or not until their 60s. Premature menopause, which takes place before age 40, can result from chemotherapy, radiation treatment, or premature ovarian failure, which sometimes runs in families. Surgical menopause through removal of the ovaries, uterus, or both can happen at any age.

The Biology of Menopause
When you are born, your ovaries contain 1 million to 2 million egg-containing follicles. But over time, the number declines steadily as you ovulate or the follicles simply disintegrate. When the follicle supply is depleted, your ovaries halt production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which have regulated your periods through the years. During the time preceding menopause, ovulation and estrogen production become erratic, causing periods to become irregular. At the same time, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which triggers estrogen production in the ovaries during the childbearing years, acts as kind of an early warning signal when estrogen falls below usual levels. When estrogen levels drop, FSH rises, trying to stimulate your ovaries to produce more estrogen and maintain your menstrual cycle. FSH can be an indicator that the menopausal transition has begun. But day-to-day hormone levels are not a reliable indication of where you are in the menopausal transition. Other signs of menopause are physical symptoms that result from fluctuating estrogen, including hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings, and others.
How declining estrogen affects your health
You might think of estrogen primarily as a female hormone because of its important role in menstruation and reproduction. However, its effects are by no means limited to the reproductive system. Estrogen receptors -- bits of protein that estrogen molecules connect with to exert the hormone's effects -- are found in cells of the liver, digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels, bone, skin, and central nervous system. Estrogen stimulates the production of proteins that help to maintain the healthy functions of these tissues and organs. Therefore, estrogen has a role in determining the composition of lipids in the blood, the density of bones, the regulation of body temperature, the ability to recall information from memory, and the elasticity of skin and arteries. Estrogen's decline at menopause puts women at increased risk for chronic illnesses that are linked with all of these tissues and organs.

© Copyright 2006, Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved

menopause symptom : Alternative names Perimenopause; Postmenopause

2006-08-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

Menopause is the transition period in a woman's life when her ovaries stop producing eggs, her body produces less estrogen and progesterone, and menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping altogether.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Menopause is a natural event that normally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.

Once menopause is complete (called postmenopause), you can no longer become pregnant.

The symptoms of menopause are caused by changes in estrogen and progesterone levels. As the ovaries become less functional, they produce less of these hormones and the body responds accordingly. The specific symptoms you experience and how significant (mild, moderate, or severe) varies from woman to woman.

In some women, menstrual flow comes to a sudden halt. More commonly, it tapers off. During this time, your menstrual periods generally become either more closely or more widely spaced. This irregularity may last for 1 to 3 years before menstruation finally ends completely.

A gradual decrease of estrogen generally allows your body to slowly adjust to the hormonal changes. When estrogen drops suddenly, as is seen when the ovaries are removed surgically (called surgical menopause), symptoms can be more severe.

Symptoms Return to top

The potential symptoms include:

Hot flashes and skin flushing
Night sweats
Insomnia
Mood swings including irritability, depression, and anxiety
Irregular menstrual periods
Spotting of blood in between periods
Vaginal dryness and painful sexual intercourse
Decreased sex drive
Vaginal infections
Urinary tract infections
In addition, the long-term effects of menopause include:

Bone loss and eventual osteoporosis
Changes in cholesterol levels and greater risk of heart disease
Signs and tests

Blood and urine tests can be used to measure hormone levels that may indicate when a woman is close to menopause or has already gone through menopause. Examples of these tests include:

Estradiol
FSH
LH
A pelvic exam may indicate changes in the vaginal lining caused by changes in estrogen levels. A bone density test may be performed to screen for low bone density levels seen with osteoporosis.
Treatment

Menopause is a natural process. It does not require treatment unless the symptoms, such as hot flashes or vaginal dryness, are particularly bothersome.

One big decision you may face is whether or not to take hormones to relieve your symptoms. Discuss this thoroughly with your doctor, weighing your risks against any possible benefits. Pay careful attention to the many options currently available to you that do not involve taking hormones.

If you have a uterus and decide to take estrogen, you must also take progesterone to prevent endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus). If you do not have a uterus, progesterone is not necessary.

copyright U.S. National Library of Medicine,

menopause symptom : Natural Remedies For Perimenopause

2006-07-30T01:14:00.000-07:00

More and more women are seeking natural alternative treatments for symptoms of menopause, for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most compelling reason for many is the association between conventional hormone replacement therapy and a number of serious health risks, including an increased risk of breast cancer and blood clots, although the link has by no means been proven, and the issue is currently the subject of serious debate among women’s health experts. Many women have experienced unpleasant side effects resulting from conventional HRT, including nausea, headaches and vaginal bleeding. Many women simply feel apprehensive at the thought of taking drugs which have been manufactured synthetically.

The whole notion of returning to old fashioned herbal treatments and folk remedies has a certain comforting, romantic appeal. Some of the herbal medicines which are being rediscovered have been used to treat a range of ailments for literally thousands of years. There is a commonly held belief that medicines derived from natural sources are necessarily free from the risk of negative side effects, harmful interactions and allergic reactions. This is simply not true. Whatever kind of medication you choose to take, it’s essential that you fully understand how it works, what dosage level is appropriate for you, and what objective research has been done on its effectiveness and its potential hazards. Your doctor is the best person to provide you with professional, individual advice and attention. Information you find online and in women’s health publications is a useful supplement to your doctor’s advice, and it’s wise to read as widely as you can to get an overall picture of the issues. Your health is the most important thing you have, and while you are free to make your own choices about treating menopause symptoms, it’s vital that you make these choices with your eyes open.

Most experts believe that all of the common symptoms of menopause are caused by the dramatic decline and fluctuations in the body’s levels of estrogen and to some extent progesterone, and the imbalance between them. Approaches to alleviating symptoms generally focus around restoring these hormone levels. Natural treatments are typically made from extracts of plants containing substances which are very similar to the estrogen and/or progesterone produced by the ovaries. The effectiveness of these treatments relies on the assumption that these phytoestrogens and plant progesterones have a similar effect in the body to the body’s own natural hormones. Some herbal treatments work by stimulating glands to produce natural hormones more effectively, rather than restoring the hormones artificially.

Another approach is to treat each symptom individually. There is a range of natural treatments which focus specifically on alleviating common symptoms such as hot flashes, depression, libido problems, vaginal dryness and fatigue.

Estrogen treatments.

Soy

By far the richest source of phytoestrogens (sometimes called “isoflavones”) is soybeans, and foods made from soy extracts. Soy can be consumed in the form of tofu, soy cheese, meat substitute products such as soy burgers, breads and muffins made with soy flour, and soy drinks, sometimes known as “soy milk”. Some studies have shown that consuming soy beverages or breads made with soy flour twice daily can reduce the severity or the number of hot flashes, but results have been inconclusive and inconsistent. Soy powders and pills contain much higher levels of phytoestrogens than soy foods, and may have a more significant effect in alleviating menopause symptoms than soy foods, but little is known about the potential hazards. Consuming soy extracts and soy foods may have a range of other health benefits, including reducing the risk of osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease, and lowering cholesterol. Some studies suggest that phytoestrogens may actually help to reduce the risk of breast cancer by blocking the overproduction of natural estrogen in the body.

Herbs containing phytoestrogens

Red clover has been used in Asia for thousands of years to treat skin conditions, asthma, bronchitis, kidney stones, joint disorders and breast inflammation. It is thought to work by improving circulation and stimulating urine and mucous production, or “purifying the blood”. Red clover has been recently discovered to contain high levels of phytoestrogens, and its usefulness in the treatment of menopause symptoms is being investigated. Some studies have shown the herb to be very effective in reducing hot flashes and improving bone density and strength, while others have been inconclusive.

Dong Quai is an important herb used in Chinese medicine, and has been used to treat PMS, menstrual irregularities and menopause symptoms for thousands of years, although its effectiveness has yet to be clinically verified by Western health practitioners. It is also believed to dilate blood vessels, and is used to treat high blood pressure and circulatory problems.

Black Cohosh

Black cohosh is commonly believed to contain phytoestrogens, although clinical studies to confirm this have been far from conclusive. It is a perennial plant native to North America, and is also known as black snakeroot, bugbane, rattleroot and macrotys. The plant has a long history of usefulness as a medicinal treatment, first by Native American people and more recently by alternative health practitioners, and has been used to treat a range of gynecological ailments including menopause symptoms, infertility, inflammation of the uterus and ovaries, and to induce lactation, bring on menstruation, and alleviate labor pains. It has also been used to treat rheumatism, fever, coughs and colds, hives and backache. Some studies have shown that taking pills made from black cohosh extract is very helpful in providing short term relief from a range of menopause symptoms including hot flashes, depression, mood swings and anxiety. However, little is known about the effects of taking the treatment in the long term, and some negative side effects have been reported, including headaches, stomach and gastric discomfort and weight gain.

Maca

Peruvian Maca root is believed to work by stimulating glands in the body to produce their own estrogen and testosterone. Maca has been cultivated in the Andes region for perhaps thousands of years, and has been used as a treatment to increase energy, enhance libido and increase fertility. Maca root is claimed to provide a range of benefits, including alleviating PMS symptoms, reducing depression and stress, increasing athletic ability and creating a general sense of well being. It is also claimed to be effective in treating a wide range of menopausal symptoms, including mood swings, depression, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, hot flashes, reduced libido, sleep disturbances and breast tenderness. Objective clinical research into the effectiveness and the potential hazards of taking Maca root supplements is very scant.

Progesterone treatments.

An alternative view of the causes of menopause symptoms places more emphasis on the role of progesterone, and the imbalance between progesterone and estrogen. “Estrogen dominance” is a recently identified syndrome, and is believed by a small number of doctors to be the cause of severe PMS and menstrual problems in early adulthood, and a range of severe symptoms as menopause approaches. Advocates of progesterone treatments believe them to be free from the health risks and side effects associated with estrogen based treatments.

Natural progesterone cream

Natural progesterone creams usually contain extracts from Mexican wild yam, which contains a substance which is believed to be similar to the progesterone produced in the body. The creams are applied to the parts of the body where the skin is thinner, such as the breasts, inner thighs, inner forearms or stomach, and are believed to pass through the skin and circulate through the body. Many women have found natural progesterone creams to be very effective in treating menopause symptoms, but there is no evidence to show that the creams lower the risk of breast and uterine cancer, or are free from the risk of side effects as is sometimes claimed.

Chaste tree berry

Chaste tree berry, sometimes known as Chasteberry or Vitex agnus castus has been used since ancient Greek times to treat a range of ailments. It is believed to stimulate the production of progesterone, and has been shown to be very effective in alleviating severe PMS and a range of menopausal symptoms

About The Author
Lynn Donn is the webmaster for http://www.menopause-symptoms-perimenopause.com Her website includes helpful articles on perimenopause and menopause symptoms including hot flashes and night sweats. Site offers suggestions on how to ease symptoms of menopause and perimenopause naturally using black cohosh, soy and natural progesterone cream etc.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynn_Donn

menopause symptom : Soy Pasta Can Relieve Menopause Symptoms

2006-07-30T01:11:00.000-07:00

Menopause is a natural part of a woman's life when her body quits producing certain hormones. Symptoms of menopause can include:

night sweats/hot flashes
weight gain
mood swings
forgetfulness
insomnia

Studies have been conducted and concluded that women in Asian cultures show a lower incidents of these menopausal symptoms. This has been attributed to the dietary differences in cultures, including consumption of soy products like soy pasta. The following paragraphs will take a closer look at how soy pasta noodles can help relieve the symptoms of menopause, as well as include a simple soy pasta recipe. Menopause Studies

Many human studies have been conducted on menopause and soy in order to determine the effectiveness of an increased soy diet and menopause. Many of these studies have concluded by adding soy to your diet, including soy pasta, soy pasta noodles, soy milk, soy cheese and other soy products, women can decrease their chances of suffering with menopausal symptoms, or make the symptoms less frequent. These studies not only revealed a significant link between soy consumption and menopausal symptoms, but they also concluded that while soy is not a replacement for Hormone Replacement Therapy, it is a viable option for women who do not want to take hormone therapy. Homemade Pasta (Soy) Recipe

Adding soy pasta to your diet twice a week, you can help reduce or even eliminate your menopausal symptoms. This healthy pasta absorbs flavor, and is good for you! The following soy pasta recipe will help you learn how to make simple soy flour pasta from scratch! Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of soy flour
.25 ounces of dry yeast (2 1/2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons of sugar
3/4 cup of warm tap water
3 tablespoons of oil

First you must mix the flour, soy flour, and salt together in a bowl. After that, mix half the flour mixture with the yeast and sugar. Set the rest of the flour mixture aside.

Now add the water and oil to the yeast mixture and beat on low speed for about 1 minute. Slowly add as much as the flour mixture left over as you can.

Put the dough on a floured board and knead. Cover the soy pasta dough with a damp towel for about 7-10 minutes. Roll and cut.

About The Author:
Fabien Ponson invites you to read some more articles about soy products on the website All Soy Products.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fabien_Ponson

menopause symptom : List of Menopause Symptoms

2006-07-30T01:09:00.000-07:00

Menopause is not a disease or an illness. It is permanent ending of menstruation in women. Menopause marks the end of a woman’s natural ability to bear children.

Menopause symptoms are as different as women themselves. Some women do not have any symptoms during menopause or only have a few symptoms. Other women develop disturbing and even severe symptoms.

In the western world about 12 percent of woman do not experience symptoms of menopause and about 14 percent experience intense physical or emotional problems. The average age of US women in whom menopause occurs is 51 years.

For most women, menopause is a normal occurrence. If menopause happens in a woman younger than 40 years, it is considered premature. Menopause is considered late if it occurs in a woman older than 55 years.

Here is an almost complete list of menopause symptoms.

Hot flashes

Night sweats

Sleep disorders

Changes in menstruation

Mood swings

Depression and anxiety

Irritability

Difficulties in concentrating

Mental confusion

Memory problems

Decline in libido

Vaginal dryness

Urinary problems

Thinning of the skin around the cervix.

Breast tenderness

Tiredness

Hair loss and hair thinning

Headaches

Cardiovascular disease

Osteoporosis

Weight gain.

Keep in mind that most women will only have a few symptoms from this list of menopause symptoms. Symptoms can be noticed for several months to years before the last menstrual period and can continue for several years after.

Alex Fir shares a wealth of information on his website http://www.helpformenopause.info. If you want to learn more about menopause symptoms visit Help for Menopause today.

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Menopause

2006-07-28T00:46:00.000-07:00

Menopause is a natural biological process. The first menopause symptom will appear when your ovaries start making less estrogen and progesterone. The age at which this begins will vary. Some women begin experiencing menopause symptoms in their 30s. Others may not begin until they reach their 50s. Every woman is unique and every woman will have their own unique journey through menopause. For some, it is fast and easy. For others, it will go on for years and can be very difficult. You should consult with your physician when you first begin experiencing signs of menopause.

The first stage is perimenopause. This is when you will first experience menopausal symptoms. It usually begins with irregular periods. They may become heavier or lighter. You may miss a few periods or your periods may become unpredictable. This is caused when your hormone levels begin to rise and fall unevenly. It may last for several years. This is when you will probably first start experiencing hot flashes or night sweats too. As you continue through menopause, your symptoms may increase or decrease. Another common symptom is sleep disturbance, which is usually caused by night sweats. Lack of sleep can also lead to mood swings and irritability and can also affect your overall health.

Many women also gain weight during menopause, particularly in the abdomen. So it is particularly important that you eat healthy and exercise.

You will probably begin to notice changes in your skin too. Wrinkles will become more apparent. Due to the hormonal fluctuations, you may also experience acne. Your body will continue to produce testosterone and you may develop hair on your upper lip and chin.

Health Risks

During menopause you can lose bone density at a rapid rate, making you at greater risk for osteoporosis. It is very important to incorporate calcium into your diet – at least 1500 mg per day. Be sure to eat foods rich in calcium and take a calcium supplement. The body can only absorb 500 mg of calcium at one time, so be sure to take a calcium supplement of 250 mg – 500 mg twice a day rather than 1000 mg once a day. You also need Vitamin D as this aids the body in absorbing the calcium. Weight-bearing exercises, including weight lifting, walking and jogging are good for strengthening bones too.

Your risk for cardiovascular disease also increases as your estrogen levels decrease. Be sure to eat a healthy diet that is low in saturated fat and high in grains, fruits and vegetables. You also need to be sure to get at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise daily.

If you are not already getting annual mammograms, you need to begin having them done every year. This is particularly important if you are on hormone replacement therapy. Be sure to have an annual physical and screening every year.

Treatment for Menopause Symptoms

There are many treatment options available for menopause symptoms. Some women prefer not to have any treatment as their symptoms are mild enough to tolerate. Others have symptoms so severe that they need medication to treat their symptoms. One popular treatment is hormone replacement therapy. Some menopause symptoms are treated with anti-depressants. Another alternative is herbal menopause treatment.

Discuss your options with your doctor and decide on the method that is best for you and your symptoms. By Sue McQueen

Herbal Treatment for Menopause Symptoms

2006-07-26T22:31:00.002-07:00

Because of the risks of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), many women are using herbal remedies for relief from the symptoms of menopause. If you take any kind of prescription medication, you should consult with your physician before taking any herbal products to be sure there will not be any adverse interaction with the prescribed medication. All women are different and have different needs and the severity of symptoms due to menopause will vary for everyone. You will need to find what works best for your body. Listed below are some of the most commonly used botanicals for the treatment of menopause symptoms.

Soy is a great source of isoflavones (plant-derived, estrogen-like compounds similar to forms of your body’s own estrogen). Adding soy protein to your diet is also great for your cardiovascular health. Because of their estrogen-like behavior, isoflavones can help reduce hot flashes. Red clover is another great source of isoflavones.

Black cohosh is another herbal treatment for hot flashes. It is used extensively in Europe and is becoming more and more popular in the U.S.

Dong quai and evening primrose oil are herbs that help relieve PMS symptoms and menopausal symptoms.

Chaste tree balances female hormones and is an effective treatment for some women.

Ginseng increases stamina and vitality and helps relieve stress.

Valerian and passionflower are great for sleep and stress relief.

Hormone balancing creams can also be effective in relieving menopausal symptoms. These are applied topically to soft tissue areas. By Sue McQueen

List of Menopause Symptoms

2006-07-26T22:31:00.001-07:00

Menopause is not a disease or an illness. It is permanent ending of menstruation in women. Menopause marks the end of a woman’s natural ability to bear children.

Menopause symptoms are as different as women themselves. Some women do not have any symptoms during menopause or only have a few symptoms. Other women develop disturbing and even severe symptoms.

In the western world about 12 percent of woman do not experience symptoms of menopause and about 14 percent experience intense physical or emotional problems. The average age of US women in whom menopause occurs is 51 years.

For most women, menopause is a normal occurrence. If menopause happens in a woman younger than 40 years, it is considered premature. Menopause is considered late if it occurs in a woman older than 55 years.

Here is an almost complete list of menopause symptoms.

Hot flashes

Night sweats

Sleep disorders

Changes in menstruation

Mood swings

Depression and anxiety

Irritability

Difficulties in concentrating

Mental confusion

Memory problems

Decline in libido

Vaginal dryness

Urinary problems

Thinning of the skin around the cervix.

Breast tenderness

Tiredness

Hair loss and hair thinning

Headaches

Cardiovascular disease

Osteoporosis

Weight gain.

Keep in mind that most women will only have a few symptoms from this list of menopause symptoms. Symptoms can be noticed for several months to years before the last menstrual period and can continue for several years after. By Alex Fir

When Early Signs of Menopause Strike Women

2006-07-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

Signs of menopause could strike women with as early as in their late 30’s. And although the average onset of menopause would normally occur when a woman has reached 51 years, there are women of 40’s and 50’s who were already confronting early signs of menopause process.

Menopause signs – How do they afflict women?

Menopause occurs when the ovary of the woman has ceased functioning. Female hormones are the active glands when female body characteristics are developing. These hormones are sourced from the ovary. When the ovary has stopped functioning, this means that there will be no more hormones that could regulate the development of the body and as well as regulating menstrual cycle or pregnancy, thus, the onset of menopause - with which a gradual process of body transition would be experienced.

What are the early signs that a woman is entering her menopausal stage?

The very common sign that a woman is already undergoing the first phase of her menopause is when she is already experiencing irregularity in her menstruation cycle, without appearances of other medical reasons for this experience. It should not be confused, however, that women who have fluctuations with their hormone level production are undergoing menopausal transition. By medical definition, menopause process is attributed to the absence of menstrual cycle in 12 months period.

Before your last menstrual period, you will start experiencing the very first sign of menstruation transition: varying menstrual cycle lengths. This is called “perimenopause”. At this point, you will already be experiencing different early signs of menopausal symptoms. These signs could be distributed to your physical, psychological, and sexual aspects.

The fluctuation and falling of your hormone production may last for several years, depending on the ovarian function or activity that women may go through. Signs leading to menopause symptoms may procure intermittent changes in the woman’s daily and nightly activities.

The following signs are manifestations of menopausal symptoms:

Physical signs of your menopausal cycle are hot flashes, palpitations, insomnia, night sweats, headaches, and joint aches. These signs are often the results of your body’s temperature control.

Psychological signs, on the other hand, are the results of the hormonal changes, in which different levels of emotional stress are experienced. You may encounter mood swings, from irritability to anxiety; from the difficulty in concentrating or forgetfulness; and from the difficulty of coping to easy feeling of stress and pressured moments.

You will also experience a gradual change with your sexual habit. You may have discomforting moments during your intercourse. This is the cause of vaginal dryness – an occurrence because of low estrogen level. Your interest in sexual activities may gradually decrease.

After the last month of your menstruation period comes your “postmenopausal” stage. During this time, in which it encompasses all of the period after perimenopause, you will be experiencing severity of the discomfort you earlier have gone through. These can include urine infection (may lead to discomfort on your passing urine), frequent passing urine whether at daytime and nighttime, leakage of your urine, vaginal dryness and even itching or burning, and vaginal discharge.

As your estrogen level gets affected by the fall of collagen production, the protein needed in maintaining your skin, tendons, hair and nails, you may also see marking changes from those body parts. Skin dryness, hair thinning, and growth of unwanted hair may occur although some of these occurrences can be attributed to ageing. By Micheal Rona

Information about Pre Menopause

2006-07-23T23:37:00.000-07:00

For women in their thirties menopause is the last word they want to hear and the last thing they want to think about. No one wants to admit that they’re at that stage of their life yet, even if it is just the "pre" menopause stage. It doesn’t ever feel like it should be happening yet, especially when most people still have babies or small children at that age. And yet, you can tell your body doesn’t feel 100% normal. You’re not eating any differently but you started gaining wait, your breasts are sore, and your periods are becoming irregular. You’re skin is dry and your sex drive just isn’t what it used to be. You’re irritable, tired, and getting headaches. So what’s the deal, what is happening?

Pre-menopause is something that all women either know about or have at least heard about, but no one seems to have a name for it or be able to recognize it when it rears its ugly head. Millions of women are going through pre-menopause or have experienced some kind of symptoms, but don’t think there’s any possible way it’s menopause because they’re still in their early thirties.

Symptoms that come along with pre-menopause are basically the same as those that go with menopause: PMS, endometriosis, fibroids, tender and sore breasts, fatigue, irritability, depression, foggy thinking, sudden weight gain, having a hard time conceiving or carrying a pregnancy to full term, memory loss, migraine headaches, light or very heavy periods, spots, bleeding in between periods, and cold hands and feet. While it is a pretty long list, chances are you won’t have every single symptom, but instead just a select few.

All of these symptoms are caused by hormone imbalances, mostly from having too much of the hormone estrogen and not enough of the hormone progesterone. These symptoms are not just scientific and medical; they also have a lot to do with and are more evident in women who are out of touch with their bodies and feelings. Basically, stress heightens the symptoms.

When women have the prescribed pre-menopausal symptoms doctors will usually administer estrogen supplements. Unfortunately, if estrogen doesn’t clear up symptoms, doctors will often perform hysterectomy’s or try drugs for depression such as Zoloft of Prozac unnecessarily. Other than getting pills, women can utilize a healthy diet and regular workout and exercise regimen to help with these early pre-menopause symptoms and an easier life transition.

Pre-menopause is the mixture of a body beginning to cross yet another age marker, and symptoms that every woman will notice around 10-15 years before actually going through menopause. It’s kind of like a dress rehearsal for the big show. By Kathryn Whittaker