Instant Relief From Early Menopause Symptoms And Heart Palpitations

Do you know menopause symptoms and heart palpitations go hand in glove? Although Menopause isn't a disease, it can complicate your health if you are careless or do not know menopause. It can cause a health problem known as heart palpitation or rapid heart beat.

If you haven't experienced it then you won't be able to imagine what it feels like for your heart to skip a beat as one of early menopause symptoms.

A major problem precipitated by menopause is a prolapsed heart. When you become menopausal it is advisable to regularly consult with your physician to check for a partial deformity of your heart valve. Know that this heart condition causes prolapsed heart during menopause.

Heart palpitation is one of early menopause symptoms in which the heart races repeatedly as if it will not stop. This condition is extremely uncomfortable and frightening. It is brought about by the heart experiencing premature contractions which make it beat twice as quickly, pumping more blood to the heart. You have to know menopause in order to be able to control it.

The moment you begin to feel early menopause symptoms, you should avoid stress, and the anxiety that comes from irregular menstruation. It is one of the early menopause symptoms.

Other symptoms, are tinnitus or ringing in the ear, sleeplessness or insomnia, depression and panic attacks from ordinary household noises. Like the yelling by children. Hot flashes, night sweats and dry vagina are also early menopause symptoms. If you know menopause you will be able to handle most of these problems without suffering unduly.

Know that relaxation, exercise and sleep are good for you during early menopause symptoms and menopause proper. These will help keep your hormones from going wild, especially your cortisol. It can go up twenty fold when you are stressed. A raised cortisol level is dangerous for your heart. It makes it beat faster. This action overworks your heart and causes you discomfort. It is one of the early menopause symptoms.

Research has also shown that increased cortisol hastens both diabetes and high blood pressure in menopausal women. To know all these is to know menopause.

The bottom line for you, therefore, is to know how to rearrange your lifestyle as soon as or even before early menopause symptoms appear.

You must also appreciate nutrition. It is crucial at middle age because it will help your body to produce more hormones to augment your depleting hormone levels. Hormone depletion is the cause of early menopause symptoms and menopause proper.

Exercise will also help you burn calories and strengthen your bones to keep osteoporosis at bay. Osteoporosis is a result of thinning and spongy bones due to calcium deficiency.

Well written guides on how to get instant relief from early menopause symptoms are available online in ebook forms. They will teach you to know that Menopause is a manageable middle age crisis, and how to control it.

Menopause does not, in 90% of cases, last all through the remainder of your life. Most women graduate from menopause at age 51 or there about. How much you suffer from early menopause symptoms and the duration of your menopause will also greatly depend on your knowledge and lifestyle.

Just prepare yourself to know menopause and you will go through it without undue suffering.

Neshah writes for your sound health, get instant menopause relief resorces at any of the these links: http://tinyurl.com/26hy5, http://tinyurl.com/ylycdg or http://tinyurl.com/y44u41

Menopause And Depression

Many women experience bouts of depression as they approach menopause. As a matter of fact, midlife can be considered a period of increased risk for depression in women, the majority taking place in the years during the transition through the menopausal years. This period of time is associated with gradual declines in estrogen levels, which may be linked with the onset of depression.

It can be confusing when trying to determine if you?re suffering from depression, simply going through menopause or experiencing both. This is because many symptoms of menopause and depression are very similar, such as interrupted sleep patterns, fatigue, hot flashes, mood swings, anxiety and difficulty concentrating. It?s important, however, to talk with your doctor if you think you may be suffering from depression; don?t play guessing games with your health because if left untreated, depression can lead to additional episodes, which have the potential to be more severe. Untreated depression can also result in physical complications, such as heart attack and the loss of bone density.

If your doctor thinks that your depression is as a result of declining hormone levels as you?re approaching or experiencing menopause, there?s a possibility he will suggest hormone replacement therapy, which includes estrogen. It?s important to discuss both the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy, including potential benefits to your overall mood. Recent studies have shown that the risks of hormone therapy include heart attack, stroke and breast cancer, and some professionals believe that these risks may outweigh the benefits women can receive from this course of treatment. That being said, estrogen therapy remains the most effective treatment for many menopausal symptoms.

Short term therapy (12-20 weeks) has also proven to combat depression in women experiencing menopause. Especially effective are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on negative thoughts and behaviors that tend to worsen depressed mood and teaches better ways of thinking and behaving, and Interpersonal Therapy, which helps individuals to communicate more effectively with others to help eliminate stressors.

Fortunately, the benefits of exercise in depression are well documented. Exercise helps with the treatment of depression by releasing the body?s mood-elevating compounds, reducing the depression hormone cortisol, providing a feeling of accomplishment and enhancing self esteem. I personally exercise approximately an hour most days of the week, but even exercising as little as ten minutes per day has been found to have beneficial effects for many women experiencing menopausal depression.

You may also want to consider a prescription medication to help you cope with the symptoms you?re experiencing. Discuss this possibility with your doctor because there are several effective and well-tolerated antidepressant medications now available. These medications have been proven to be an essential part of treatment for women who are moderately to severely depressed.

It?s also important to simply take care of yourself by eating a well balanced diet, decreasing your intake of refined sugar, caffeine, alcohol and chocolate. Are you getting enough sleep? Sleep deficiencies can make depression worse, so if you must, develop relaxing bedtime rituals, such as taking a hot bath or reading a good book.

Finally, just give yourself a break. Not only are you experiencing symptoms of menopause, but midlife also brings about life events that can be stressful, adding to the risk of depression, irritability and moodiness. Perhaps your children are leaving home, you?re caring for an elderly parent or have recently experienced the loss of a loved one. All of these events will undoubtedly add stress to an already busy life. Take time for yourself, eat a healthy diet, exercise and know that you?re a strong and capable woman and you will get through this.

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. This led to her discovery that menopause can be a very manageable, and even wonderful time in a woman's life.

Menopause-Related Acne

Menopause has many interesting, seemingly unrelated symptoms. Women can experience any combination of mood swings, insomnia, hot flashes, extreme night sweats, achy joints, headaches, irritability, anxiety, trouble concentrating, and even acne. Some women avoid menopause-induced acne, but for at least one in ten menopause sufferers, pimples and blemishes are a genuine problem. Some women have avoided pimples since they were teenagers, yet suddenly the have a face full of them. The truth is, though, teens and menopausal women have a number of things in common. Acne is typically a result of hormone swings, which occurs extensively throughout puberty and menopause. It can be very frustrating for women to endure the added embarassment of blemishes when they're struggling to deal with all of the other symptoms of menopause.

Menopausal acne occurs for much the same reason that acne occurs during any other life stage. The skin contains millions of sebaceous glands. These glands produce oil, scientifically termed sebum. Skin cells are constantly regenerated. Old ones die, are sloughed off and quickly replaced. When body hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA run rampant, the sebaceous glands become sensitive and start producing more sebum than necessary. More skin cells begin to die. As a result, not only do you have a surplus of facial oil, you also have a surplus of dead skin cells. Your body cannot rid itself of the unwanted oil and dead cells fast enough. Facial skin follicles get clogged with oil and dead cells.

White heads occur as a result of bacteria. Excess sebum builds up under the skin, naturally-occuring bacteria and the oil combine, creating an inflamed area filled with white puss. Blackheads also occur as a result of the combining of bacteria and oil with the addition of air that has leaked in. As a result, the material caught in the pore turns black. Menopausal acne identical to other acne, however. Both the follicles and sebaceous glands on the face contain an enzyme. This particular enzyme can turn estrogen into the hormone androgen testosterone. This has the ability to increase oil production even further. This leads to even more breakouts than a woman probably had as a teenager.

Menopausal acne can be extremely frustrating. There are, however, ways to alleviate it. Begin by examining your diet. It is important to eat foods that are high in fiber and calcium. It is also recommended to cut back on your fat and carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates can turn insulin into androgen testosterone. This androgen too can increase the skin's sebum production. Additionally, you might want ensure that you are consuming eight to ten glasses of water each day.

In addition to dietary changes, you might want to consider the addition of dietary supplements. There are so many widely-available herbs vitamins, and minerals that can help alleviate the body's excess oil production. Studies suggest that it is beneficial to add Vitamin B and Vitamin C to your diet. In addition to diet and supplements, you should cleanse your skin a minimum of twice daily. Regular exfoliation rids the skin of those dead cells. Also, it is beneficial to use a toner to close open pores.

William Miller enjoys writing for several popular online magazines, on health and fitness and women's health topics.

Skin Changes During Menopause

During the course of the natural menopause process, many women notice surprising changes in the texture and appearance of their skin. Most women begin noticing a generalalized all-over drying of the skin. They also start to notice wrinkles forming where the skin has begun drying.

It is common to turn to estrogen based hormone replacement therapy to treat these and other menopause-related skin problems. The side effects from this type of therapy, though, can lead to further problems. If a cream form of estrogen is used on the affected areas, it can act as a moisturizing agent. However, this cream is unavailable n the United States so most doctors are unable to prescribe it. Progesterone cream has also been successful as a moisturizer, but most doctors believe the side effects outweigh any benefits of prescribing it to their patients. However, there are a number of anti-aging, non-prescription creams that are gaining popularity, and most of them are very effective. It is helpful to keep in mind though, that aging skin is a part of growing older. To some degree, accepting it instead of fighting it may help you retain abetter overall self-image. If you do attempt to use something like estrogen cream, you may have to live with side effects such as general weight gain or darkening skin.

If your skin loses its tone or the wrinkles appear rapidly, it may be an indication of collagen loss. This can result in more serious problems, like collagen loss in the bones. This may indicative of osteoporosis. If you suspect that this is the case, you should consult your physician immediately.

As your skin ages during menopause, you are more prone to developing broken capillaries or spider veins that are visible to the naked eye. One of the best available means to prevent these is full body moisturization. You can begin by increasing your daily regular water consumption. It is also beneficial to supplement your diet with raw flaxseed oil. It can be added to vegetables or salad. Using herbal liposome-containing skin products can also help moisturize your skin. Liposomes transport moisture to the cells below the epidermal layer. This can protect and benefit your overall skin tone.

There are a number of other available products that may moisturize your skin during menopause. Apricot kernel oil, Cocoa butter, olive oil, and almond oil have all been proven to be quite helpful at hydrating the skin. Alpha hydroxy acids naturally rejuvenates the skin by exfoliating it. Check the product labels on these products, to ensure that concentrations contain at least eight percent alpha hydroxy acid. Fruit acids are also effective to promote skin rejuvenation. Two popular examples are papaya and strawberry pastes.

Learn to live with your post-menopausal skin. Take care of it and protect it by remaining out of the sun and applying daily sun screen. Use only products that you know to be effective on your skin. Always consult your doctor or healer when you have concerns or are trying something new.

Mary Brown contributes articles to several well-known web sites, on health and wellness and women's health themes.

What Causes Early Menopause In Women?

Normal menopause is a gradual process that starts between the ages of 45 and 55. It is defined as occurring in women who have at least one ovary, and takes 5 to 10 years, though it can take up to 13 years. Early menopause, on the other hand, can start in the 30's or early 40's, in women who have at least one ovary.

Premature menopause has the advantage that the whole process is usually quicker than regular menopause. 1% of women will have finished their mid life transition by the age of 40. On the whole, 1 to 3 years is shaved off.

There are a number of things that can lead to premature menopause. Sometimes these things are a result of lifestyle choices, that include:

* poor nutrition * heavy smoking * heavy drinking * chronic stress to the body - this can include excessive athletic training

However, sometimes factors outside of a woman's control lead to early menopause. For example, autoimmune disorders can affect menopause as well. Mumps and other serious viral infections can damage a woman's eggs. Given that menopause is associated with fewer primary follicles being able to develop and ovulate, it is easy to see why a woman with fewer follicles, or damaged eggs unable to develop into an ovulatory egg, is prone to an earlier menopause.

If a woman has undergone radiation therapy or chemotherapy, large numbers of eggs can be destroyed. With fewer eggs left, menopause will be earlier than in healthy women.

Some women are just born with fewer eggs. They will also experience premature menopause. When a woman's mother underwent menopause is a good guide to her own genetic predisposition.

Women who have had their ovaries removed before they experience a natural menopause will undergo what is called 'artificial menopause'. This is a very abrupt form of menopause, and hormone replacement therapy is usually recommended because the body has not had a chance to get used to the hormonal changes.

Women who have a hysterectomy, even with the preservation of their ovaries, may find themselves having menopausal symptoms. Any surgery to the pelvic area can disrupt blood flow and cause ovarian failure.

Ovarian failure does not necessarily mean that the ovaries have run out of eggs. There may be eggs present, but a woman's body does not respond to the hormonal signals they create.

Another ovarian disorder, called 'diminished ovarian reserve', is often a preamble of premature ovarian failure if it occurs in woman under the age of 40. In it, a woman may still have reasonably regular periods, but she begins to experience the symptoms of menopause.

References: Dr Christiane Northrup, The Wisdom of Menopause

To understand pre-menopause symptoms, click here. Rebecca runs this menopause health site.

Know About Menopause - Symptoms, Treatment And Diet

Most women start to experience symptoms associated with perimenopause or menopause while they are in their thirties or forties - symptoms that may continue into their fifties and sixties. Those who don't notice menopausal symptoms either went through early menopause when they were young or are, well, dead. So, if you take a serious look at your alternatives with regard to menopause, you'll see that even though you're noticing some uncomfortable symptoms, you're actually quite fortunate. Menopause is only natural and is not at all an indication of the end of being young, sexual, energetic, healthy and beautiful. You can still have it all.

Now that you have a different perspective on the subject of menopause we can continue on and focus on menopause symptoms, treatments, lifestyle and diet to help you get through this transition with ease, confidence and overall good health. Menopause symptoms include:

Weight Gain - Often one of the first signs of menopause that women notice, weight gain is associated with declining hormone levels. It's not unusual to gain an average of about five pounds in the area of your mid-section or abdomen.

Hot Flashes - As your levels of estrogen drop, there's a good possibility that your blood vessels may expand, causing your skin temperature to rise. You'll notice a feeling of warmth moving from your chest, up toward your shoulders, neck and head. Hot flashes can occur several times each day or only occasionally. As with all menopausal symptoms, hot flashes will vary from woman to woman.

Irregular Periods - Your periods may become heavier or lighter than normal and may not be as predictable as they once were (i.e. every 28 days or so).

Irregular Sleep Patterns - You may suddenly wake up in the middle of the night soaking with sweat due to night sweats, and then have a difficult time falling back to sleep. It's also quite common for women to suddenly wake up during the night for no reason at all. No matter how you're awakened, a lack of sleep is likely to affect your mood and can also have an impact on your overall health.

Emotional Changes - Many women find that they're more irritable and moody as they approach menopause. Also, it's not uncommon to feel fatigued, have a decreased memory and experience difficulty concentrating. These symptoms may or may not be attributed to menopause. Yes, fluctuations in your hormone levels can result in some emotional changes, but it's important to factor in life events, as well - perhaps problems with your grown children or caring for an elderly parent.

While there are several symptoms of menopause, there are even more solutions to reduce or eliminate menopausal discomforts. Many women choose to make lifestyle changes that have been proven to effectively reduce the severity of symptoms associated with menopause. For instance, it's a good idea to avoid triggers that have been known to cause hot flashes, such as hot beverages, spicy foods, alcohol, not weather and warm rooms.

Obviously, if sleep is a problem you'll want to avoid foods and beverages that contain caffeine. Also, try reading or taking a hot bath right before bed so that you're relaxed and more likely to fall into a nice sound sleep.

Eating a healthy and well balanced diet can do wonders to help ease the symptoms of menopause. Include fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your diet, and avoid saturated fats, oils and sugars. You'll want to consume approximately 1,500 milligrams of calcium, plus 400 to 800 international units of vitamin D each day. You may need supplements to reach these amounts. If necessary, discuss this with your doctor.

You'll be amazed by what a regular exercise program can do to reduce and even eliminate many menopause symptoms. If performed correctly, exercise will protect you from many conditions that are common as you get older, such as heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. Exercise and fitness will also eliminate the weight gain associated with menopause, give you more energy and reduce the occurrence of hot flashes.

I'm sure you've heard the term "hormone therapy" (HT), which can help to reduce and eliminate many symptoms experienced by women. Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that the risks of hormone therapy, which include heart attack, stroke and breast cancer, may outweigh the benefits. While these studies may have changed the course of hormone therapy, estrogen therapy remains the most effective treatment for many menopausal symptoms. If you'd like to learn more about estrogen therapy, talk with your doctor to find out of a very low dose will provide you symptom relief.

There are also several prescription drugs that have been proven to decrease the occurrence of hot flashes. These include some antidepressants related to the class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Effexor, Prozac, Sarafem, Paxil, Celaxa and Zoloft. Another drug that has been shown to reduce hot flashes is Neurontin, which is approved to treat seizures. Neurontin is also commonly used to manage chronic nerve-related pain. Additionally, Catapres, which is typically used to treat high blood pressure, may also significantly reduce the frequency of hot flashes. Of course, some of these drugs may cause side effects, which include dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, sexual dysfunction and other symptoms. If, however, your hot flashes are severe and natural remedies haven't seemed to help, discuss these options with your doctor.

Finally, it's so very important for you to understand that menopause is very natural. As you experience these symptoms remind yourself that your body is acting and reacting just as it was meant to act and react. While there may be periods of discomfort, remember that you're a healthy woman and, as such, menopause is simply inevitable. As stated earlier, this transition does not mark the end of your youth and all that comes with it. With a healthy lifestyle, this can be a very active and beautiful new beginning.

Susan Megge is the founder of http://www.40isbeautiful.com, a website designed to assist mature women as they approach and experience menopause. She is a grandmother, who 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. Susan Megge is the author of "Being Beautiful Beyond 40," a book dedicated to helping women to be inspired, confident and beautiful as they approach menopause.

Weight Loss During Menopause IS Possible!

Menopause: an unloved but unavoidable time period in every woman's life, during which hormones act up and many unwanted symptoms show up. One of the hardest to deal with is weight gain.

There are a number of different issues that can contribute to weight gain during the pre- and post-menopause time frames. It is important to understand this, as it is easier to combat several smaller issues than to fight one big issue. As you deal with each issue, you will eventually destroy the overall problem: menopausal weight gain. Let's look at some of these issues:

An inactive lifestyle - Our culture contributes to this daily. Most of us spend the day sitting down at our jobs, and when we are at home we have many time-saving devices which, unfortunately, also save us from having to move around and get exercise. This lifestyle, combined with menopause, causes weight gain to accelerate. This can be combated by making some small changes in your habits. Walk or bike to work or in the evening. Join a fitness club or class. Get a pass to the local pool. Even going up and down stairs instead of taking the elevator helps to get your heart rate up and burn off calories.

A slowing metabolism - Unfortunately, with age comes a slower metabolism. While it is easy to write this off as a hopeless issue, since we all age, it is one that can still be fought by adding exercise into daily routines.

Inherited weight problems - If people you are related to struggle with their weight, take this as a warning sign: you are probably prone to weight problems as well. Just knowing this can help you to prevent weight gain, as you can be on the lookout for any signs of obesity and be ready to make changes in your lifestyle or eating habits to counter it.

Thyroid troubles - As you approach menopause, please take the time to visit your doctor and have your thyroid tested. Often, people are not aware that their thyroid is not working properly, and just attribute their weight gain to menopause. Medication is available to help get the thyroid working properly again.

Don't be overwhelmed by these changes, and don't be afraid of what menopause will bring. Be informed and be ready to combat unwanted symptoms. If you do, you will be making yourself healthy and your life more enjoyable.

Learn more about weight loss during menopause at http://menopause.factsandnews.com/

Menopause's Secret Phytoestrogen Natural Plant Estrogen Rebalances Women Men Hormones Level

Populations consuming a diet high in soybean phytoestrogens (that mimic human estrogen) have lower incidences of several diseases, including breast and prostate cancer. Human estrogens and phytoestrogens There are not one but three different kinds of estrogen made by the human body: estradiol, estrone, and estriol. In fact, it is possible that taking phytoestrogen supplements may carry the same long-term risk of cancer as estrogen alone (see estrogen replacement therapy). To avoid some of the known risks of estrogen, some women take phytoestrogens, or plant-based estrogens. [2] phytoestrogen estrogen (anti-estrogen). phytoestrogen estrogen trong Soy contains high levels of isoflavones, which are weak forms of plant estrogen (also called phytoestrogen). Here's one theory: Once digested, the soybean's phytoestrogens mimic the activity of a woman's natural estrogen hormones. Critics feared that soy phytoestrogens could increase a woman's total estrogen level. But also, phytoestrogens can be helpful if your estrogen levels are high... Populations consuming a diet high in soybean phytoestrogens (compounds that mimic estrogen) have lower incidences of several diseases, including breast and prostate cancer. When estrogen levels are low (as in menopause) empty estrogen receptor sites can be filled with phytoestrogens that can exert a weak pro-estrogenic effect.

Identifying the phytoestrogenic activity of soybean isoflavones would benefit the nutritional health of the population in general, particularly women. The implication is that exposure to pathogen attack or other plant stresses may influence potential phytoestrogenic compounds in soybean in the field. sojae, which induce phytoestrogen levels in soybean cotyledons (seeds) several fold over non-induced cotyledons. Individual soybean phytoestrogens can effect a number of physiological events in mammals. Soy sauce contains very little phytoestrogen content, and many processed foods made from soybean concentrates have insignificant levels of phytoestrogens. An overall reduction in phytoestrogen levels of 12-14 percent was observed in the genetically altered soybean strains. Techniques are being determined by ARS scientists to manipulate phytoestrogen levels in soybean seed and soy-based products to maximize health benefits by their consumption. Soybean meal is an ingredient common to standard natural ingredient diets which contains a class of phytoestrogens called isoflavones. To provide growers with value added specialty varieties with phytoestrogen profiles of commercial value to major soybean utilizers. To provide growers with soybean varieties with high and consistent phytoestrogen content. To identify molecular markers in the existing maps of the soybean genome linked to genes controlling phytoestrogen content.

The present study tests the hypothesis that administration of a phytoestrogen-rich diet enhances motor and cognitive performance in young and aged mice. "These results show that women who are at risk for osteoporosis may directly benefit from eating a phytoestrogen-rich diet. For women who still get hot flashes in spite of a high phytoestrogen diet and/or use of phytoestrogen supplements, stronger therapy might be necessary. For many women, a safe and natural phytoestrogen supplement or high-phytoestrogen diet will do the trick. A Western diet contains amounts of phytoestrogens too low to allow their levels in plasma to become high enough for biological activity. Reducing the amount of phytoestrogen foods in one's diet may be helpful. There are plenty of ways to add phytoestrogens to your diet. But loading up on supplemental phytoestrogens won't undo the effects of a poor diet, he cautions. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of low levels of intake of phytoestrogens in Western habitual diet on vascular function. Short-term effects of phytoestrogen-rich diet on postmenopausal women. Restoring phytoestrogen intake http://www.phuketherb.com/phytoestrogen-natural-plant-estrogen.html

Wirat Muenpan is the webmaster of Menopause's Secret Phytoestrogen Natural Plant Estrogen Rebalances Women Men Hormones Level To Free BREAST SPRAY $ 40 at http://www.phuketherb.com online since 2001

Herbal Remedies For Menopause Symptoms

Many women just don't like the idea of hormone replacement therapy for their menopause experience. Some women just don't do well with it while others are looking for a more natural way to go. Herbal therapy is one way a lot of women are looking at. Now it's known that the symptoms of menopause can be alleviated with herbal therapy.

If your facing menopause, read this and see if herbal therapy is something you might want to try.

Infections Bladder and pelvic region are known for recurring infections. Herbal remedies can be a fantastic way to control and prevent these when you follow the directions. However, anytime you have an infection you must see your doctor. The herb Echinacea can help build a strong immune system, which is extremely helpful during menopause and is not toxic when directions are followed. Bearberry or Uva Ursi comes from an evergreen bush and has been used as a bladder infection treatment for some time now, It's also used as a gentle urinary antiseptic. Do not take Bearberry or Uva Ursi for more than seven days in a row.

Memory Loss / Forgetfulness One menopause symptom that may be a little more fearful than others is loss of memory. It's really tough to go through this period and feel like you can't remember things when you want to. If your interested in improving your memory, try gingko biloba. Gingko is an herb that is not toxic and works to help activate the brain. China has used it for many years and it can also be very helpful with PMS symptoms and mood swings.

Hot Flashes Hot flashes don't just come as hot flashes, they come along with nausea, headaches and anxiety making it incredibly unbearable at times throughout menopause. Black cohosh, sometimes called Rattle weed, Squawroot, Black snakeroot, is an herbal treatment to help contain hot flashes. It's normally found in North American forests. Traditionally, the first American Indians boiled the Black cohosh into a tea and drank it for many illnesses. Seems to be very safe when following directions.

Bottom line is, if you decide not to go with hormone replacement for your menopause symptoms, there's no need to suffer. Let me say it again, there's no need to suffer. Now days many doctors are well versed in herdal remedies. Talk to your doctor and ask about interaction of any drugs you are taking with the herbs your thinking about taking. You can usually find these herbs at a drug stores and health food stores. The pill form of these herbs has become very popular. However, home brewing fresh herbs may be more effective.

Carlie Edwards publishes online articles & useful information for Women. For info on Menopause visit Menopause Symptoms For a variety of related topics visit Health-And-Beauty-Worx.Com

Signs And Symptoms Of Menopause - Top 12 Menopause Symptoms

Are there signs and symptoms of menopause? Absolutely! It is a logical question to ask with millions of women experiencing one or more of the signs and symptoms of menopause at this very moment! The so-called 'change' will happen, but experiencing many of the symptoms of menopause as early as ages 30's or 40's is not normal.

Some of the signs listed below are subtle and may appear to have little relationship to being menopause symptoms. Here is a list of common signs and symptoms of menopause:

1 - Allergy symptoms
2 - Chronic fatigue and morning sluggishness
3 - Craving sweets, caffeine and carbohydrates with unstable blood sugar levels
4 - Depression, anxiety and mood swings
5 - Endometriosis
6 - Facial hair growth
7 - Hair loss, thinning hair
8 - Low metabolism
9 - Symptoms of low thyroid with normal T3 and T4 levels
10 - Urinary tract and yeast infections
11 - Uterine fibroids
12 - Water retention, unexplained weight gain especially in hips, waist and stomach

Menopause is not a disease, rather, menopause is a normal natural process for a woman whereby there will be a slowing and eventually a shutdown of the reproductive system. However, the problem is that many of the signs and symptoms of menopause indicate hormonal imbalance exists and there can have been damage to the body from eating poorly, stress and obesity. With the average age of menopause being about 51 in the USA, many women in the USA and industrialized countries experience one or more of these signs and symptoms of menopause many years earlier.

In the normal menstrual cycle, estrogen is the main hormone produced for the first 10-12 days following the previous menstrual flow. If ovulation occurs, the female body then produces progesterone which continues for the next 12 days or so. If there is no pregnancy, progesterone and estrogen levels both drop at around day 28 and menstruation begins. However, if there is no ovulation, progesterone will not be produced that month. This event is called an annovulatory cycle and is a typical occurrence today for women in their 30's and 40's. The result is that the woman then has an excess of estrogen and a deficiency of the vital hormone progesterone.

Many women in their 30's and 40's are actually having fewer ovulations, creating hormone imbalance and the signs and symptoms of menopause. And when ovulation ceases at menopause, progesterone levels fall to nearly zero. At the same time, estrogen is still being produced at perhaps 50% of the premenopause levels, again leading to hormone imbalance and the resulting signs and symptoms of menopause. If the woman has had a hysterectomy, surgical menopause means the woman no longer ovulates and produces progesterone.

Besides the signs and symptoms of menopause caused by missed ovulations or hysterectomy, excess estrogen is obtained every day from other sources. Examples are birth control pills, household chemicals and pesticides, foods that have been sprayed and construction materials.

How can a woman tell if the signs and symptoms of menopause are hormone imbalance related? One way is to take an online test for hormone health and related symptoms. The health test is used daily in a leading women's health clinic, it takes just a few minutes online and it's free.

Learn as much as you can about natural progesterone and estrogen supplementation and physician-recommended natural treatments for dealing with hormone imbalance and the symptoms of menopause.

Besides symptoms listed above, read more about additional menopause symptoms at http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com/menopausesymptoms.html and take the online womens hormone health test. Olinda Rola is President of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com - a website of natural health articles for women.

Understanding Menopause

Menopause refers to a stage in woman?s life characterized by a permanent cessation of her menstrual activities. It implies that a woman stops having her monthly menstrual periods for the rest of her life, after she achieves the menopause. A normal healthy woman reaches the menopause between the ages of 40-50. Menopause marks the end of a woman?s fertility and reproductive years. During the menopause, production of the estrogen hormone reduces drastically in a woman and her ovaries stop producing eggs.

It can take 5 years for a woman to achieve the final menopause stage. If a woman has not experienced any menstrual periods for a year, the condition is known as menopause. When a woman is in her puberty stage or childbearing years, her ovaries release an egg every month. This release is known as ovulation. Ovaries also produce the hormone estrogen. This hormone instructs the uterus to build up a lining. This lining allows the implant and growth of the fertilized egg.

As the women nears her menopause years, the production of estrogen decreases. As a result, she will experience irregular menstrual cycles. The irregularities include skipped periods, light or heavy menstrual flow. A woman could also experience random bleeding as well.

Symptoms of Menopause
Menopause is a natural and biological process. It is not a disease. It is just a transition period of a woman?s life. 75% of women experience some or all of the troublesome symptoms during the menopause. There are no common symptoms as every woman?s body would react in a unique way towards the menopause. Here are some of the common symptoms that women show during the phase of menopause.

Hot flashes are landmark signs of menopause. As the level of estrogen drops in a woman, her blood vessels expand rapidly. This causes her skin temperature to rise. This can further cause hot flashes or a sudden spread of warmth to her shoulders, head and neck, starting from her chest. This sudden gush of warmth causes a woman to sweat, and when the sweat evaporates from her skin, she feels chilled, and slightly faint. Women also experience raid heart beating and a feeling of anxiety. The face of a woman looks flushed. She might experience red blotches on her neck, arms and chest area.

These hot flashes usually last up to 30 seconds and in some cases up to several minutes. There is no common frequency or duration of hot flashes as they vary from a woman to woman. Women often experience hot flashes during the initial years after their menopause.

Hot flashes affect the life of a woman directly. If they happen during night, they can disrupt the sleep. They cause night sweats. A woman can often wake up and have trouble getting back to sleep again. This results in lack of restful and refreshing sleep, which can have a knock on effect in the morning.

Irregular periods
As a woman approaches her menopause stage, she experiences irregularity in the menstrual periods. Periods become either long or short. Menstrual bleeding becomes heavier or lighter. A woman might experience skipping of periods. These symptoms mark the onset of menopause.

Vaginal thinning
As a result of menopause the production of estrogen decreases. As a result of it the organs such as urinary bladder, vagina, uterus, and urethra become weak and shrink. When bladder and urethra become weak and shrink, they can lead to infection, leakage of urine and painful urination.

As the tissue lining of vagina shrinks a woman experiences pain during intercourse. A woman might also suffer from vaginal dryness, irritation and itching.

Changes in appearance
During the menopause transition, a woman on an average gains 5 pounds of weight. Initially this weight was believed to get concentrated on hips and thighs of a woman. New researches have shown that the weight might settle in a woman?s abdomen too.
A woman might experience wrinkling of the skin, fullness in breasts, and thinning hair.

Behavioral and emotional changes
A woman might experience fatigue, irritability and frustration during menopause. She might experience decreased concentration and memory loss. These changes are a direct result of hormonal fluctuations in her body during menopause.

Weak bones
As a result of menopause the density of bones in a woman?s body tends to decrease. She starts losing calcium from her bones following the drop in estrogen levels. This can lead to a condition of weak bones known as osteoporosis. A woman also becomes susceptible to fractures.

The menopause is completely a natural phenomenon marking the end of a woman?s reproductive term, but not the end of her life. It is a transition time, the symptoms of which can be effectively managed.

Michael Jason writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information on Menopause symptoms please visit http://www.menopause-guide.org/ and for additional Menopause related articles please visit the following article page http://www.menopause-guide.org/menopause-articles/

Dealing with the Blues: Your Mental State and Menopause

Going through menopause and suddenly feel like life's stresses have just become a thousand times more difficult to deal with? Find yourself crying at Oprah more than you used to, or worse, crying at reruns of the Flintstones? Finding that your cute 3-year-old nephew or granddaughter is suddenly well a little childish, making you irritable? Finding yourself depressed?

You're not alone, and it's not just a case of the blues. Menopause alters your core body chemistry, after all - and with that, the physiological ways in which you manage your emotions are also changed. However, there are a few simple ways in which you can stabilize what's going on in your head:

Get some sleep! Unfortunately, a common side effect of menopause is the inability to sleep, either due to night sweats or other aches and pains. For night sweats, lower your room temperature (even use the air conditioner year-round, if you must!), reduce your caffeine intake, and get some exercise. All of these things, of course, contribute to sleeping well throughout your life, but those who sleep soundly and deeply when approaching menopause are mentally better equipped to deal with stresses.

Watch what you eat! Let's face it - we all get a little down if we find ourselves sagging or having gained a few pounds, and in menopause, we don't metabolize calories as quickly as we did when we were younger. In general, eating more healthily, as well as reducing your daily calorie intake by 200 calories (about 1 candy bar) will not only keep you fit, but keep you from grabbing the Ben & Jerry's out of late-night-depression.

Talk to someone! Of course, if what you're feeling is beyond melancholia or "the blues," please speak to your doctor openly and honestly about what you're feeling. He or she may recommend a number of treatments, therapies, or even medications to get you through this difficult time.

Dawn M. Olsen is an Advocate for Better Womens Health through Education, Recipe Developer, Soy Food Enthusiast and the Author of "Menopause A to Z - A Definitive Guide to Modern Menopause available online now at http://www.MenopauseAtoZ.com