Menopause Symtoms. It's Not that Bad. You Still Can Enjoy

Menopause is the condition when a woman has stopped having menstrual periods for over a year; this means that she is not considered fertile anymore. This phase regularly occurs around the age of 50. It may occur earlier when, due to a disease, a woman lost her ovaries. There are cases when women get to the menopause when younger (about 40 or so). When women suffer menopause when they are less than 40 years old, it is considered a premature menopause. This only occurs in about 1% of all women. Another concept you'll hear is "Perimenopause". This is a term that it's used when women start having menopause symtoms before the actual menopause phase. This period of perimenopause normally appears months or even years before women suffer the actual menopause phase.

Menopause Symtoms

Menopause symtoms vary. Some women don't even experience symptoms; they just get irregular menstrual periods for months before their actual menopause. What most women DO experience are hot flashes and/or night sweats. Some experience vaginal dryness, problems to sleep or mood changes. Some women might experience bladder control problems, headaches, fatigue, depression, heart palpitations, muscle pains. Other menopause symtoms may include discomfort during sex; this is due to the vaginal dryness mentioned before. However some women enjoy sex even more since pregnancy risk is not an issue any more. All women are unique so are their particular menopause symtoms. Menopause symtoms start to appear when levels of estrogens and other hormones decrease in women bodies. Every woman is born with a determined number of eggs in their ovaries. When the number of these eggs decreases to almost nothing, estrogen and other hormones levels decrease too. Hormone replacement therapy has been the most popular treatment to reduce menopause symtoms. However, recent studies have shown long term risk when follow this treatment which have lead patients and doctors to look for new alternatives. Herbal remedies have become very popular an effective. For example, the herb black cohosh is been very effective to treat hot flashes and night sweats. Don't forget to try good vitamin supplements which have reported good results in reducing the suffering of menopause symtoms.

Victor C.'s mother was suffering Menopause and she looked so bad that he started to look for a way to make her feel better during this phase. See what he found in order to help his mom by visiting: http://www.the-best-on-line.com/menopause/menopausesymptoms.html

Menopause Symtoms

Am I Doing Anything That could Cause an Early Menopause?

Am I Doing Anything That could Cause an Early Menopause?

Your lifestyle can definitely influence when your body will begin manifesting symptoms of menopause, how easy or difficult your menopausal transition might be, and your postmenopausal health. Beginning with your overall health, factors such as diet, stress, physical activity, smoking, drinking, and environmental toxin exposure can also affect when your menopause begins and how smoothly you make the transition. Here's a brief rundown:

* Your overall health, which is definitely influenced by your lifestyle, can determine how well your body adjusts to the changes it's undergoing during menopause and afterward. The ovaries are glands that interact with various other glands located throughout your body, creating the endocrine system. Secretions from the glands stimulate and support every part

of your body. When one of these glands stops producing hormones, it affects all the rest. The body then attempts to rebalance itself naturally. If your body does not need to expend energy overcoming existing health problems, then it can adjust more easily to the changes of menopause.

* Negative stress can be detrimental to the body at any time, but unmanaged stress can increase hormone imbalances leading up to and during menopause, magnifying emotional and physical discomforts you may already be feeling. Ongoing unmanaged stress sends your body into an extended fight-or-flight mode, causing the adrenal glands to continually kick in, providing extra survival energy. Adrenal exhaustion can result, leaving your body unequipped to handle emotional and physical exertion of any kind. Moreover, the adrenal glands are then unavailable to convert androgens into estrogen when the ovaries are unable to do so. Since the adrenal glands play specific roles within the complicated endocrine system, loss of adrenal function at a time when you most need it affects your entire body. This can have a destructive effect on your menopausal transition, as well as your future health, especially your skeletal and cardiovascular systems. Chapter 7 offers many suggestions for how you can reduce the impact of negative stress on your health.

* Women who regularly consume substantial amounts of alcoholic beverages go through menopause earlier than those who do not. Excessive alcohol consumption is detrimental to any woman's overall health.

* Studies suggest that smoking cigarettes affects a woman's estrogen levels, in addition to the other damage it inflicts on the body. Reports also indicate that smokers go through menopause one to two years earlier than nonsmokers or ex-smokers. The longer a woman has smoked and the number of cigarettes she smoked daily seems to move her closer to an early menopause. Women who live with smokers and are exposed to passive cigarette smoke also seem to enter menopause earlier, as do women whose mothers smoked. Smokers are also at higher risk for developing health problems during their postmenopausal years, including osteo-porosis and cardiovascular diseases and disorders. We are only beginning to understand how exposure to toxic substances affects a woman's health, but the news is not good. Contact with chemicals in soil and water is being linked to higher risks of developing breast cancer, endometriosis, and osteoporosis, as well as being generally detrimental to a woman's overall health. Avoiding pesticides and chemicals, including those contained in household cleaning products, is better for your body and for the environment.

* Although the reasons are not clear, studies have shown that women who live at higher altitudes enter menopause years* earlier than women who live at lower altitudes.

Author Info... Annabel Cruz is a researcher that studies Natural healing by combining both Western and Eastern ways. Feel free to use this article on your website or ezine as long as the following information about author/website is included. http://www.bestpuerariamirifica.com

Surgical Menopause

If you?re facing menopause as a result of a surgical procedure, you?re not alone. As a matter of fact, approximately 36,000 women under the age of 45 undergo total hysterectomies each year, causing them to enter into ?surgical menopause.?

Unlike natural menopause ? even early menopause ? which is gradual, surgical menopause results in a sudden (and permanent) drop in estrogen and androgens, which can often contribute to extremely severe menopausal symptoms. Those symptoms include hot flashes, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, depression, migraine headaches, vaginal dryness and cardiovascular symptoms. Many women have reported hot flashes so severe, their ability to function as they should was significantly affected.

While lifestyle changes can assist many women experiencing these symptoms, most will require hormone therapy, which can also protect you from an increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. In addition to estrogen/progesterone therapy, testosterone therapy may also be needed if you have very little energy, are extremely tired and experiencing a loss of sexual desire. Surgical menopause significantly reduces your body?s production of androgens, which can severely affect your sexual drive and function. Also, the drop in estrogen may result in vaginal changes, such as dryness, which can make intercourse quite painful and uncomfortable.

If you feel that you would benefit from testosterone therapy, discuss this option with your health care provider. Typically, testosterone is dispensed in the form of pills, patches, creams and gels. There is also an estrogen/testosterone product available for women, which researchers believe is extremely beneficial for treating sexual dysfunction.

To reduce the risks of heart disease and osteoporosis, be sure to live a lifestyle that is ?heart healthy.? In other words, try your best to maintain a healthy weight by eating a healthy diet, which includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. Also, get in the habit of exercising regularly, including both cardiovascular and weight training as part of your workout. It?s a good idea to exercise for approximately 60 minutes, at least three days per week. A healthy lifestyle will ensure that you?ll remain young, healthy, energetic and happy.

Susan Megge is the founder of http://www.40isbeautiful.com, a website designed to assist women as they approach and experience menopause. Susan, a health and fitness expert started experiencing symptoms of menopause several years ago and researched various avenues to deal with these symptoms naturally.

Medical Facts About Menopause

Approximately two million American women enter menopause every year. Menopause indicates the end of woman?s reproductive life.

Menopause causes some huge hormonal changes that are blamed for everything from dry skin to mental illness.

The average age of menopause in U.S. is 51. The huge majority of women enter it between 44 and 56. However, approximately one percent of women experience it before age 40.

Perimenopause is the transition that starts when your menstrual periods begin to become irregular. It ends 365 days after they stop totally. Perimenopause typically lasts from 2 to 8 years.

Technically speaking, menopause is just one day. It is the last day of your final period. However, menopause is confirmed after you have missed 12 consecutive periods.

Going through menopause does not mean goodbye to sex. Sex can be painful because there is a loss of vaginal elasticity and a drop in lubrication.

Hot flashes are more common in early postmenopause than in perimenopause, but they go away sooner or later.

Hormone-replacement therapy is not bad. Doctors can?t agree how long it is safe to take hormones. Lots of experts say forever; others say a year or 2; and a handful say never.

There is no scientific evidence that bioidentical hormones are the safest kind of hormone-replacement therapy.

Menopause is not responsible for depression, anxiety, severe memory lapses or erratic behavior.

A great number of menopause symptoms can be caused by other medical problems. You need to have a systematic checkup.

Alex Fir shares a wealth of information on his website Help for Menopause. If you want to learn more about menopause relief visit his site now.

http://www.helpformenopause.info/menopauseinformation

Menopause And Your Attitude ? Does It Make A Difference?

If you?re experiencing symptoms of perimenopause or menopause, such as hot flashes, weight gain or difficulty sleeping, there?s a good chance that you?re also noticing you?re frequently moody or feeling somewhat depressed. Your moods during this transitional period may be affected by a decline in your hormone levels, as well as life events that can be common ? yet unsettling ? during midlife. It?s been well documented that taking care of yourself, as well as maintaining a positive attitude will help you ease into menopause with few bumps in the road.

I have found this to be especially true for myself and others I?ve interviewed for this piece. Allow me to take a few moments to briefly summarize my experiences since I?ve entered midlife and began noticing symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. A few years ago I started waking up during the night, drenched in sweat. I knew without a doubt that I must have had cancer or some other medical condition; I was too young to be experiencing ?night sweats? associated with menopause and middle age. So, off I went to the doctor, describing my symptoms and explaining that I would face whatever illness I had with confidence and bravery. If I must endure radiation, chemotherapy or some other type of treatment I would willingly do so in order to stay on this earth and witness the upcoming events of my children and future grandchildren. Well, no need to worry; I was simply experiencing what so many other women go through as they enter midlife and the transition into menopause.

No big deal, right? I could handle sleep interruptions, waking up soaking wet. Then, the next symptom popped up, although it was probably gaining momentum without my notice. I was fat; my midsection looked like it came straight out of a cartoon. Once again, I quickly got into ?solution? mode and decided to tackle the stubborn and unwelcome fat that had become my midsection. Fortunately, I eliminated the extra weight gain and was able to lose several inches, regaining what resembles somewhat of a youthful and toned physique.

I decided this ?midlife thing? wasn?t so bad, but then life events have come into my world, thus testing my resolve to get through menopause with a positive and uplifting attitude. You see, I was so very proud to witness my oldest daughter graduate from college; she would be experiencing life and all of its glory, getting a good job and becoming an independent, successful and confident young woman. It was soon discovered that she and her fianc? (also a college graduate) were expecting a child. Prior to my grandson?s birth I was living with a constant worry for the happiness of these two young people ? hoping they would be mature enough to handle the responsibility of a child, marriage and all that goes with these life-changing events. Fortunately, my daughter, son-in-law and grandson are a beautiful family and excitedly expecting a new addition. So, yes, I was able to get through this particular time in my life. I didn?t sink into a deep depression, even though my hormone levels and life situation could have easily triggered such a downward spiral. I continued taking care of myself, eating well, exercising and always trying to see the positive side of situations; after all, constant worry doesn?t fix anything, right? As long as I have my health and my family, nothing can be that terrible.

Again, my ability to remain positive would be tested over and over again. As I write this particular piece, I?m at the gym on this beautiful morning working out, riding a stationary bike. Normally, I would be on the elliptical, but my leg is in a cast. Still, I keep going. Also, under normal circumstances I would be at the gym in the evening, but ? oh yeah ? I was forced to leave my job (I?ll save that story for another article). Still, I keep going. My husband is working out with me this morning and it?s nice to spend some time together. You see, he can be here right now because he?s currently without a job too (laid off due to a sluggish economy here in the Midwest). Still, I keep going.

As you can see, I?ve recently faced many life events that should keep me a little bit down, at the very least. But why? I have good health, despite my menopausal symptoms (as well as my cast), I have a wonderful family and I look forward to my future and all of the challenges and joys that will come my way. My husband is somewhat miffed about the fact that my glass always seems half full, and I guess I question why his is just plain empty. Much research has proven that there really is power in positive thinking. I'm living proof that having a positive attitude can assist women in having the ability to experience this next phase of their lives with confidence and good health, likely reducing many symptoms that can result from entering the menopausal years. I challenge you to look at life a little differently ? with much hope and anticipation. I do believe you?ll begin to feel a greater sense of well being, which may make a tremendous difference in how severe your symptoms of menopause will be.

Susan Megge is the founder of http://www.40isbeautiful.com, a website designed to assist mature women as they approach and experience menopause. Susan started experiencing symptoms of menopause several years ago and researched various avenues to deal with these symptoms naturally.

Early Menopause And Your Emotions

Learning that you?re going through premature menopause can be devastating and it?s not unusual to suddenly fall into a period of depression upon receiving this unwelcome news.

Even if you weren?t planning on having children, learning that you?re suddenly infertile is an experience that can wreak havoc on your emotions. Somehow you feel as though you?re less of a woman or perhaps no longer sexy; as if a very integral part of you has died.

You try to share your feelings with friends or family, but early or premature menopause is something that few others understand. Like suffering a miscarriage or the death of a parent, unless someone has gone through it, they just can?t comprehend how emotionally devastating and upsetting early menopause can be.

Because early menopause is often unexpected, women who experience it are more at risk for depression than are older women who are approaching or experiencing symptoms of menopause. Women who are faced with early menopause as a result of surgery are often even more devastated due to the fact that they?ve not only gone through a major surgery, but a big part of who they believe they were is suddenly gone.

No matter what the reason for early menopause, all women who experience it ? both mothers and career women ? feel a profound loss and a significant amount of grief, shock and disbelief. These feelings won?t disappear right away; as a matter of fact, there?s a healing process that most women must go through before they begin to accept the fact that they?re experiencing menopause prematurely and much sooner than they would have preferred.

One woman I interviewed for this project says ?Once I learned to accept what I had become, I realized there was nothing I could do about it. I finally decided that I would do the best I could to remain young and feel good. What choice did I have?? So, certainly, you will mourn and it will take time, but eventually you will get through this and you will feel better. As a matter of fact, each day will bring less feelings of despair and time will bring you back to your old self ? determined, strong and capable; perhaps even more so than before.

One of the first steps to returning to the old you is by looking in the mirror and seeing how you really are still yourself. Your youthful appearance is still intact; as a matter of fact, all of you is still intact. Yes, your reproductive system is not working the way it should, but you?re still a wonderful, young and vibrant woman with so much potential and so much to offer.

Susan Megge started experiencing symptoms of menopause several years ago and researched various avenues to deal with these symptoms naturally. This led to her discovery of the significant role that exercise plays in making menopause a very manageable, and even wonderful time in a woman's life. http://www.40isbeautiful.com/Early_Menopause.html

Menopause And Your Diet

It seems like just yesterday that you were planning a tropical vacation or preparing for a high school reunion. Preparations for such events included watching your caloric intake two or three weeks to ensure that you would be svelte and sexy for the occasion. And now? Well, you?re noticing symptoms of menopause. As a result your mid-section is expanding, and stubbornly refusing to respond to your efforts to shed its spare tire.

Your added weight is a perfectly normal symptom of menopause and you need not be concerned ? that is, as long as you?re willing to take the necessary steps to drop the extra fat surrounding your waistline. You see if you keep the weight on and let it continue to accumulate, you?ll put yourself at risk of developing heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and many other chronic illnesses associated with obesity.

So, what?s the solution? Believe it or not, it?s actually just common sense and really very simple. You can eliminate menopausal weight gain, as well as other symptoms associated with menopause by eating healthy, controlling your caloric consumption and consuming the proper nutrients.

As your estrogen level declines, your body will naturally look for other places from where to get needed estrogen. Since your fat cells are capable of producing estrogen, your body works harder to convert your consumed calories into fat. Some foods are metabolized too quickly, thus causing unhealthy spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels, which results in additional fat accumulation. Because of this, you?ll want to avoid these foods, which include white rice, potatoes and white bread. Instead, add wholegrain bread, oats, rye and wheat germ to your diet.

You?ll also want to eliminate fried foods; instead bake or broil when you cook. Baked and broiled foods aren?t just healthier, but they can actually be more appealing to the taste buds. When cooking with oils, avoid using processed cooking oils. Alternatively, use unprocessed oils, such as extra virgin olive oil, canola, wheat germ and flaxseed oil.

When you feel like having a snack, reach for nuts, seeds (pumpkin and sunflower), dried fruits and fresh fruit. Try to stick with melons, bananas, oranges and lemons, as these fruits are high in potassium, which is an excellent source to help balance sodium and water retention. You?ll also want to increase your daily intake of vegetables, including salad (preferably made with romaine or bib lettuce, which contain more nutritional value than does iceberg lettuce), yam and dark leafy vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli and cabbage. Peppers and tomatoes aren?t just beneficial to your health and diet, but they?re quite tasty and can add a lot to your recipes.

Soy foods are fast becoming a popular choice to reduce symptoms of menopause. Soy foods include soybeans, calcium-fortified soy milk, soy yogurt, tofu and others. I?ll admit that I haven?t yet indulged in soy-fortified foods, but it?s said that the benefits of their consumption are quite significant.

I highly recommend that you drink more mineral and bottled water, and reduce your intake of caffeine and alcohol. This will significantly reduce the incidence of hot flashes.

Of course, you?ll be tempted to stray from healthy eating once in awhile, which is okay ? as long as you make it an occasional treat and not a regular practice. If you stick to the guidelines I mentioned, you will notice a reduction in many menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes, bloating, water retention, fatigue and mood swings.

Obviously, by consuming foods low in calories and fat you?ll also notice that you?re better able to control the weight gain associated with menopause. By adding a regular exercise program to your lifestyle, not only will you control your weight, but you?ll lose a significant amount of weight, as well. Fortunately, the foods that I?ve outlined will no doubt give you the energy needed to actively exercise each day. If you include weight training you?ll build muscle, become lean and toned (for real ? even at our age!) and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

When we were young girls we didn?t aspire to experience menopause. As a matter of fact, I can say with confidence that not one ten-year-old girl has ever muttered the words ?When I grow up I want to be menopausal.? The fact is, if we?re lucky enough to experience life, menopause is just a natural part of being a woman. It?s not the end, but rather a very beautiful beginning of self confidence, maturity, beauty and an active lifestyle ? that is, if you choose to make it so.
Susan Megge is the founder of http://www.40isbeautiful.com, a website designed to assist mature women as they approach and experience menopause. Susan started experiencing symptoms of menopause several years ago and researched various avenues to deal with these symptoms naturally.

The ten secrets to a happy menopause

Menopause is a passage that happens in every woman's life. Whether one chooses to live it as an opportunity for renewal and changes or an ordeal is entirely up to us. There is little known tricks and tips that can help every woman live a better and more happy menopause. After all, this period of a woman's life can be a perfect time to start or continue a fulfilling existence.

Every woman will experience menopause. This period of her life characterized by the end of her menses and other related symptoms does not have to be an unpleasant one, on the contrary. Menopause often happens between the age of 45 and 55 and last anywhere between one to ten years. Some women will experience early menopause due to hormone imbalance or surgical removal of her ovaries.

A woman should always rely on the expert opinion of a competent doctor and/or nurse especially during her menopausal years. Besides assuring herself of competent medical care, there is a list of things she can do to ensure herself of a happy menopause:

1) Menopause is a time to be selfish! After all, most women will have invested so much time and energy to forward their career and family by the time they reach menopause. Taking time for yourself is a nice return of the pendulum and a wise decision. In fact, a happy woman will be able to enjoy more life and participate more actively in other's life as well. I am giving every menopausal woman permission to be selfish right here, right now.

2) The menopause years are a great occasion to renew friendship or make new ones. There is nothing more fulfilling than spending a "night out with the girls" for a woman in her menopausal years. She has more free time to enjoy those special bonding. It is a known fact that laughter is the best anti-aging cream there is so all those fun nights out will be worth the while.

3) Menopause is also a very good time for a woman to ask herself what she always wanted to achieve but never got around to do. Now that she has more free time, the menopausal woman can ask herself what is left on her accomplishment list that she would really enjoy doing.

4) Menopause is an essential time to review an important checklist: your health. Have you been neglecting your health, eating fast food, sleeping less than you need to, not exercising properly? The easiest will be to book an appointment with your health care provider and make sure that you can re-start exercising. A moderate exercise is always recommended to begin with. Walking is a perfect example of a good exercise you can do daily. You can also get a dog or even better borrow your neighbor's so you don't have the burden of taking care of it!

5) In your complete health check, you will need to address if you need supplements like calcium, vitamins. One thing is certain is that everyone needs to incorporate drinking water as a daily habit.

6) Your menopausal years might also be a very good opportunity to travel. You can ask yourself if there is a trip you always wanted to do. If money is an issue, you can get very creative about putting aside the necessary founding and get going sooner than you think.

7) With your children out of the nest, you might end-up with a free room in your house or apartment. Instead of letting this room get crowded with unnecessary clutter why not make it your project to create your "special room"? Again, this project does not need to be costly. With a little imagination, you can put a futon, nice cushions and candles and there you have your perfect room. What will it be: a little reading room? A sewing room? An exercise room? etc

8) Menopause is also a very good time to revive your romantic flame. Whether you have been with the same person for a long time or are looking for your soul mate does not matter. These years can be the special occasion to let love into your life wide open and start enjoying all the happiness you deserve.

9) Menopause is also a good time to revise your personal finances. Are they stable? Do you have enough to go by? Consulting with a financial advisor might be a very wise move.

10) Most importantly, menopause is the best time to pamper yourself and reward yourself for all that you have done so far. It might be a good time to start a great project that you always wanted to do. Such project could be coming on a medical mission and bond with people who have tremendous needs. If you are concerned about finding the money to bring such a project to completion, I can tell you that when I go on medical missions, many menopausal women come along. How did they get the necessary money you ask? They just raised the money or asked their local charity association (Lions, Knight's of Columbus, etc). Do not worry, you don't need a medical degree to be very helpful, you just need a big hearth!

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor, a certified hypnotherapist and a neuro-linguistic practitionner . To consult her site on menopause go to: http://www.bestmenopause.com. She is the author of the powerful hypnosis for childbirth program Hypno-Beginning? (www.hypno-beginning.com) . She has also created the amazing Alpha-Power? program (www.myalpha-power.com) for best mental and physical health with hypnosis. You can consult her other complete and professional web sites on hypnosis for well-being at: www.aperfectharmony.com and www.a-1hypnosis.com . To see pictures of her medical missions go to : http://www.mymedicalmissions.com .

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