Life, Post-Menopause

As a woman reaches mid-life, normally in her late forties, she may begin to notice how different she feels. Some women just feel generally worn out, as if they are deeply tired. Initially most women do not realize that what they are experiencing ispost-menopausal symptoms. A woman's body changes a great deal during menopause. Their ovaries are decrease production, which means causes blood hormone levels to drop. As women age and enter perimenopause, their cycles may become sporadic, they may miss the occasional cycle, but they will not reach post-menopause until they have had no menstrual period for 12 consecutive months.

Women can feel many different kinds of things during post-menopause; many of which can be debilitating. They may experience whole ranges of emotions from anger to depression, and frustration. These varying emotions can wreak havoc on a woman's life. They can negatively impact new, as well as on-going, relationships. They make it tempting for old friends to avoid contact or communication because their moods are so unpredictable. Work can also be impacted because it is hard to concentrate on work when a woman is coping with so many other issues. It is imperative to keep in mind that all of these emotions are normal. Every woman has them to some degree. Though some women may deal with them without problem, others can have a much more difficult time coping with post-menopausal issues. Medication is often necessary in these cases.

If you do experience serious post-menopause symptoms, it is essential to select the correct physician. If your doctor seems unsympathetic, it may be necessary to find a different gynecologist who meshes with your personality. You need someone who can not only present the right treatment options, you also need someone who can encourage you. It is important to remember even though you may feel like you will never surmount the problems associated with post-menopause, you will. Eventually, you will be be able to move on with your life. Hopefully, the people around you who have been enduring your emotional changes will be understanding that this is simply a part of the normal menopausal process. More than ever, you will need their love and support during this emotional time.

One thing that has helped many women is to learn to shift your focus to things other than your menopause symptoms. For example, many menopausal women, take up new activities activities they did know but were forgotten. Some discover a new hobby like pottery or gardening. You might try joining a water aerobics class, for example. Others make regular dates to meet old friends. Still others try regularly to do something special for themselves. You might contact your local college and investigate available continuing education opportunities. By keeping busy and working with things you enjoy you may be able to control your symptoms. One key to coping with menopause is taking the time to comprehend it.

Linda Williams writes for several popular web sites, including http://nedod.com and http://bosiv.com.

Menopause Relief is Possible with Herbal and Other Natural Remedies

Many women search for menopause relief. Though menopause does not technically occur until a woman has not had a menstrual period for 12 months, the symptoms associated with decreased estrogen production can be experienced for as many as ten years before. Menopause natural remedies are designed to address the symptoms that many women experience during this time, including breast tenderness, decreased sexual desire, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, irregular periods, heavy bleeding, depression and moodiness. Thankfully, not all women have all of these symptoms, but even one or two can be frustrating and difficult to deal with. And, from personal experience, I can tell you that we don't have to put up with them and we don't have to take drugs.

Menopause natural remedies may contain only one herb or a combination of herbs, vitamins, minerals and other plant derivatives. The ones mentioned here are only a few of the products that you may see in a health food or drug store. It is important to read the list of ingredients on any product that you are considering. Buy from a reputable manufacturer of dietary supplements and avoid the discount versions. Independent laboratory studies have shown that some of these contain only inactive ingredients or inadequate amounts of active ingredients. If you buy something cheap that is ineffective, this is probably the reason.

Black cohosh is one of the most widely recommended herbs for menopause relief. It was used historically by Native Americans for many purposes, but those which apply to menopause relief are related to its use for the symptoms of hormonal imbalance and as a mild sedative. Sleep disturbances being one of the symptoms for which many women seek menopause natural remedies, it has also proven to be effective in reducing hot flashes and night sweats. Several surveys have shown that black cohosh is one of the most frequently used herbs for menopause relief and that the majority of women feel that it has reduced their symptoms.

Red clover was used historically by Native Americans to correct hormonal imbalances and as a mild sedative. The active component in red clover is believed to be isoflavones called phytoestrogens, which simply means plant components that have an estrogen like effect on the body. In a randomized placebo controlled trial related to menopause natural remedies performed at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vrije Universiteit Medical Centre in Amsterdam, the study group experienced 44% less hot flashes than the group receiving placebo, a significant difference. Some researchers feel that because of its estrogen like effects, red clover should be used with caution by those women who have a history of breast cancer. A safer choice would be those menopause natural remedies that contain both red clover and sarsaparilla.

Sarsaparilla was used historically by Native Americans to treat a variety of conditions including hormonal imbalance. A recent study in Canada showed that it was effective in eliminating four different human cancer cell lines and has no known side effects. Studies in the US have shown that it is an effective immune system stimulant. Hundreds of studies have been published concerning the health benefits of sarsaparilla.

These three herbs are rarely found in one product. These are the menopause natural remedies with which I am most familiar, because of their use in traditional Native American medicine, a subject I have spent much time studying. Until recently, I had to buy all of these herbs separately, which was quite expensive. But, then I found a product that combines all three for a reasonable price and provides adequate amounts of calcium and magnesium plus a natural antidepressant. I believe it is the best all natural product available for menopause relief. To learn more, please visit our website at http://www.menopause-and-pms-guide.com

Patsy Hamilton has more than twenty years experience as a healthcare professional and currently writes informational articles for the Menopause and PMS Guide. Read more at http://www.menopause-and-pms-guide.com

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. 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.

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 writes for several online magazines, such as http://fotid.com and http://parip.com.

Menopause Werewolf

Menopause Werewolf

Do you send family members running for the hills or are colleagues looking at you like you?ve sprouted two heads? No you?re not turning into a werewolf at the next full moon. If you are a perimenopausal woman, it?s more likely you?re experiencing one of the more common and often misunderstood symptoms of menopause, irritability. The definition of irritability is: a quick excitability to annoyance, impatience, or anger. Sounds about right, on the surface your simply going about your business doing what you?ve always done. You arrive home from work tired and wanting a few minutes to unwind and almost instantly your husband asks what?s for supper, your son wants help with a project, and your daughter wants a ride to a friend?s house. A variation of this scene has played out thousands of times before but tonight your head is teaming with thoughts like?.. ?What you can?t work the stove??, ?Why does it always have to be me helping??, ?Couldn?t she have gotten a ride from her dad??, ?What do I look like the master servant!!?. You may utter a sarcastic quip or snap a retort but you just do it all and wonder what?s wrong with you. Does this sound a little too familiar? What you and those around you don?t realize is there is a major renovation underway.

Urban legend would have it that menopausal women are like werewolves with dropping estrogen as their ?full moon? to trigger the scary transformation from docile caretaker to raging lunatic. In fact mood swings do occur with the menopausal changes in hormonal balance. But the greater change is occurring in your brain. Your brain is essentially rewiring. There is new brain growth, specifically the myelin sheath, the coating that insulates the nerve and speeds up the connection between nerve cells, in the part of the brain responsible for emotional learning. These changes allow for greater clarity. This combined with the decrease in our ?nurturing? hormone, estrogen, accounts for our shift in awareness from caring for others to more self nurturing pursuits.

The irritability usually starts subtly, like low voltage through a wire barely strong enough to keep a pilot light lit. Over time the current becomes stronger and stronger until you could light a stadium with it. The minor irritability, low voltage anger, will continue to build if you ignore it. This is an internal signal telling you to take a look at what?s going on in your life and asking yourself if the situation is really serving you anymore. By answering honestly and taking a clear look at your needs you can renegotiate your relationships to better support you. Changing the unwritten contract in relationships, you know the one that says you do all the cooking or that it?s alright to make last minute requests that rob you of your down time, can be challenging and it takes time.

Here are some other immediate support measures to help ease the irritability.

? Keep alcohol and caffeine to a minimum
? Avoid processed foods
? Be sure to get enough calcium and magnesium
? Engage in stress reducing activities like meditation, yoga, exercise, fresh air & sunshine
? Foster supportive friendships

If ignored this irritability often blossoms into other health issues. After all it?s your body?s way of trying to get your attention to make some changes.

Cathy Brennan, owner of Pathways Coaching, is a Professional Coach specializing in Menopausal Women. She thrives on helping her clients maneuver through the menopause transition and design a life that they can?t wait to greet each morning. She has been a Professional Coach for 5 years and has 25 years experience as a Registered Nurse and Holistic Health Practitioner. To contact call 860-774-0006, email coach@pathwayscoach, or visit http://www.pathwayscoach.com. For a free Menopause Assessment go to http://www.assessmentgenerator.com/H/cRcoachcmb1156881430.html

Two Types Of Herbs For Menopause Symptoms

Overview of Menopause symptoms

Menopause should not be regarded as an illness or a disease. It is simply an occurrence wherein the woman is entering her second phase of feminine life. Of course, these women are experiencing a gradual discomfort because of the transition?this is only natural. If there are telltale signs of menopause symptoms, you can opt to procure some treatment in order to minimize the feeling of discomfort.

But it is important to remember that any kind of treatment will not prevent you from undergoing menopause process, especially when your age is already falling from and between 48 ? 55 years old. It will only help you to deal a lot easier with menopause symptoms or relieve majority of their major discomfort effects. Your lifestyle might also need some changing especially your smoking, eating, drinking, and sleeping habits in order to minimize the severity of menopause symptoms.

What can herbs do to treat menopause symptoms?

There are many types of reliable herbs available that can treat menopause symptoms. They can maintain women?s healthy life even when menstruation process causes a lot of discomfort and decline in their health aspect. With herbs carefully and religiously applied you may not only alleviate those various forms of discomfort but you will also maintain your healthy life.

Two basic types of herbs for menopause

Phytoestrogenic herbs

These are the herbs or plants that contain natural phytoestrogen, a type of chemical compound, which is similar to the women body estrogen. These herbs work by replacing the lost natural body estrogen with the plant hormones, phytoestrogen. Aside from this, there are other elements of phytoestrogenic herbs that are considered beneficial to menopausal women such as amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Generally, these herbs are an alternative to disorders relating to low hormonal/estrogen levels.

Most popular phytoestrogenic herbs:

? Ginseng. Used to improve your overall vitality and energy, this is a dried root from one of the Araliaceae herb species.

? Ginkgo. Used to enhance memory, prevent memory-related diseases such as Dementia, Alzheimer?s and others. This herb is one of the oldest herbal medicines used in China.

? Dong Quai. Most effective in treating gynecological complaints caused by the change in hormonal production.

? Red Clover. Diseases treated are skin disorders and bronchitis, asthma and spasmodic coughing.

? Black Cohosh. Symptoms treated include depression, night sweats and hot flashes.

Non-estrogenic herbs

In contrast with the phytoestrogenic plants, non-estrogenic herbs, as the name suggests, are those plants that do not produce estrogen chemical structures. These plants are widely recognized by the doctors and medical experts because of their effectiveness to relieve women?s menopause symptoms. Furthermore, they are considered completely safe and do not provide side effects.

The right non-estrogenic herbs contain nutrients that can nourish endocrine system, eventually balancing your hormonal levels. With the proper application, occurrences of the loss of hormones will be reduced as they can promote your body to naturally produce the needed healthy level of estrogen hormones, without the distracting side effects.

Specifically, non-estrogenic herbs will provide relief to the following disorders relating to menopause symptoms:

- majority of the menopause symptoms
- hormonal imbalance
- osteoporosis or bone mass loss
- infertility
- sexual intercourse problems
- cardiovascular disease

It is important to note, however, that even these herbs are a natural treatment you need to research on the kind of plant that you are going to take as not all of these will relieve and alleviate you from those menopause symptoms. There are herbal plants that can cause many other side effects, may it be minor or major.
Jeanette Pollock is a freelance author and website owner of menopausedomain.com. Visit Jeanette's site to learn more about menopause symptoms

Weight And Menopause

Menopause is normal part of aging most women begin to experience between the ages of forty-seven and fifty-two. Menopause is brought on by reduction of hormones like estrogen and progesterone. As the process progresses, a woman will eventually completely cease producing these hormones completely. Menopause brings with it many changes. Most women find they have difficulty concentrating on tasks they previously enjoyed. Many suffer terrible moods swings. Most endure potentially debilitating hot flashes and night sweats. Others endure regular joint pain and headaches. Many women complain of sleeping difficulties. However, one of the most dreaded menopause-related problems is weight gain. In recent years, there have been many scientific studies examining the link between menopause and weight gain in an attempt to understand how woman can prevent this problem.

One interesting study suggested that as a woman loses two very important hormones, estrogen and progesterone, she will be predisposed to gain more weight she no longer burns the calories necessary to manufacture the hormones. Moreover, because most women experience fatigue and feel generally unwell during this time, they do not tend to retain their motivation to stick with their normal exercise routine. Couple this with the fact that her condition brings on a sudden cravings for standard comfort foods and desserts, which are usually high in calories, and you have a recipe for certain weight gain. Menopause have also brings with it a decrease in metabolism rate, which leads to even more retained calories.

All of these factors combined can also make it very difficult for a menopausal woman to lose any weight she has gained. Losing weight during menopause is certainly possible, but is a daunting challenge. The most important adjustment a woman can make in is to work with her resting metabolic rate or resting energy expenditure. To retain a healthy weight, the resting metabolic rate should account for more than seventy percent of the energy usee on a daily basis. Because this rate is related to an individual's muscle mass, the resting metabolic rate will decrease as a woman ages and loses muscle mass.

In order to lose weight during menopause, it is wise to begin by making dietary changes. Refrain from turning to high calorie comfort foods during this challenging time. A sensible diet should consist primarily of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, brown rice, whole grain bread, and whole wheat flour. It is also wise to change one's eating habits. Consider four to five small meals each day, rather than the customary three big meals per day. Each small meal should be healthy and balanced. This will help weight disappear and stay away. Proper exercise can also assist in the fight against weight gain. Moreover, proper exercise can give you a better feeling of well-being during this difficult time.

For the most part, losing weight during menopause is as basic as losing weight at any other point in your life. The bottom line is that you must consume fewer calories than your burn during the course of your normal routine. It might help to avoid fast food and start by walking for thirty minutes daily. These two simple things alone can strengthen your heart muscle and help you feel better about your life. If you are concerned about weight gain, consult your physician and the two of you can set up a suitable program.
William Miller writes articles for several web sites, on womens health and health and disease topics.

Menopause Information: How to Live Longer, Healthier and Happier

Menopause is a natural biological and physiological change that we cannot escape. There is nothing to worry about, you are not going to crawl in a hole and stop living.

In fact, you could benefit from menopause. When a woman goes through menopause the biological clock stops ticking, as well, the menstrual cycle ceases. What a grand benefit. It gets better; you will not suffer PMS symptoms.

Menopause in fact is the beginning of new life. Now do not get me wrong, you will experience hot flashes, heart palpitations, night sweats, mood swings, and drying in the vaginal area.

The positive aspect is that symptoms of menopause do not pose any risk to your health. You can reduce symptoms by practicing deep breathing. Deep breathing has proven to relieve women in menopause from symptoms up to 50%. You can also try to stay in a cool environment to minimize menopause symptoms.

One of the major problems that lead to stress is that down through the years people were taught that menopause was the mark of the ending. You heard negative remarks such as, ?Oh, she?s going through the change.? This remark alone put fear in many for years to come.

The fact is you are now beginning to live. You do not have to worry about your children, because they are grown and out of the house. You have the option of starting a new career, or advancing in your current career.

Menopause causes a woman?s body to slow estrogen. What you can do to boost estrogen is incorporate soy into your diet, and has sex more than twice a week.

Some women endure depression, and mood swings that cause them to lash out. While no proof is available that links these behaviors to menopause, some studies believe that night sweats and hot flashes has something to do with it.

To live longer, healthier, and happier you want to include exercise into your daily plans. Studies show that exercise, such as walking, can increase chemicals and endorphins which will make you feel better both inside and out. Exercise will improve mood swings, as well as strengthen in your muscles to prevent osteoporosis. In addition, stretch exercises will promote flexibility, mobility, and spare your joints from harm.

Women going through menopause are candidates for osteoporosis, simply because estrogen decreases. Again sex promotes estrogen; accordingly you want to learn to train the mind to enjoy your partner.

Now that you know that menopause is not a bad thing, you can move ahead by accepting changes. Those who accept change, has proven to live longer, healthier, and happier. Change is good. Change is your friend. Change is what helps us to live and grow.

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