Pre Menopause Symptoms Vary Depending on Sensitivity to Hormonal

Pre menopause or peri menopause are terms used to describe the time leading up to or ?around the time? of menopause, which is when menstrual periods have stopped for at least one year. Pre menopause symptoms may be nonexistent or minor, but some women have multiple symptoms that last for a number of years. Every woman is unique and so is her sensitivity to changing hormonal levels.

The first pre menopause symptoms that a woman may notice are increased symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and changes in the regularity of her menstrual periods. Women who use birth control pills often have fewer symptoms than women who do not. Sometimes recommended as a treatment option for irregular or heavy periods, birth control pills have many known side effects are associated and most women prefer not to use them, if they are not needed for contraceptive purposes.

If you had migraine headaches during puberty, you may see them return around the time of menopause. While the exact causes of migraine headaches are unknown, in women they regularly occur when levels of estrogen and progesterone are at their lowest. However, birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy are migraine triggers for some women. Anti-inflammatories are the treatment of choice for migraines related to changing hormonal levels.

Mood swings and depression are premenstrual and pre menopause symptoms. While, fluctuating hormonal levels are probably the cause, stressful life events and bad habits may also be responsible. Cumulative stress has long been recognized as a contributory factor in many health problems. One or two stressful life events experienced over a years time are typical and generally do not cause problems, but when a woman experiences several (such as retirement, a child leaving home or the death of a loved one) over a short period of time, the stress can become chronic and lead to exhaustion, anxiety and depression. Prescription medications are sometimes required to treat depression and are sometimes recommended for pre menopause symptoms.

Bad habits that can cause or worsen mood swings and depression include lack of exercise, alcohol consumption and poor diet. Lifestyle changes may be all that are necessary to relieve depression, anxiety and other premenstrual and pre menopause symptoms. Exercise improves mood. The B vitamins both increase energy levels so that you feel like exercising and relieve nervousness and depression. Too much sugar, caffeine and processed foods can increase mood swings and irritability and are migraine triggers for many women.

Hot flashes and night sweats usually appear closer to actual menopause, but some women experience them for years. These are directly related to decreased production of estrogen and other hormones. For many years, hormone replacement therapy was commonly used to relieve hot flashes and night sweats, as well as other pre menopause symptoms, but numerous health risks are related to the use of synthetic hormones. Phytoestrogens, which are plant components that have an estrogen like effect on the body, are believed to be safer and researchers have studied some of them for their effectiveness. In fact, a number of different plant components have been studied for their effectiveness in relieving the symptoms associated with pre menopause.

The seeds of an African plant called Griffonia simplicifolia contain a component called 5-HTP. This compound is a serotonin precursor and similar in action to some prescription antidepressants, without the side effects. It has been used to treat sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, migraines and a number of other conditions. It is a natural anti-inflammatory and its safety has been supported by clinical research. It is an ingredient in some dietary supplements.

Black cohosh is well known to effectively relieve hot flashes and night sweats in many women. Red clover is one of the plants that contain substantial amounts of phytoestrogens. A clinical study in Amsterdam concluded that red clover can significantly reduce hot flashes. Calcium supplements are important to prevent osteoporosis, but are also believed to help regulate menstrual flow and relieve cramping. Tribulus terrestris is a plant extract believed to stimulate hormonal activity and has the added benefit of increasing sexual desire and sensitivity.

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. To learn more about pre menopause symptoms and natural products that may help, please visit the Menopause and PMS guide.

Herbal Remedies and Vitamins For Menopause - Relief in a Jar

Whether shopping on-line or at your local drug store, you will undoubtedly find a large assortment of herbal remedies (menopause relief in a jar, so to speak), vitamins for menopause and combos that supposedly provide everything that a woman needs for a ?healthy menopause?. The question is which one to choose. Choosing a health supplement of any kind can be difficult.

The Federal Trade Commission advises that while the benefits of some health products are well documented, others have no proven benefits and may even be dangerous. It is the responsibility of the health supplement manufacturers to insure that the products they sell are safe. These are general statements that apply to all health supplements, but apply to herbal remedies, menopause treatments and vitamins for menopause, as well. It is the consumer?s chore to evaluate the effectiveness of these remedies by ?giving them a try? or by researching the product ingredients.

This brings up one way that a consumer can spot a questionable product. Manufactures that are confident in the quality and effectiveness of their products will provide a detailed list of ingredients. The best manufacturers will even provide information supporting the use of the ingredients for any given condition. Manufacturers that make broad, non-specific statements concerning ingredients are either unsure about what the product contains, unsure about the products effectiveness or trying to mislead the consumer by insinuating that the product contains substances that are actually not included.

Let?s look at an example of what to avoid, without giving any brand names. One internet company that sells vitamins for menopause makes this statement, ?formulated to deliver essential vitamins and minerals, as well as menopause discomfort relieving herbs and isoflavones.? Sold under the heading ?herbal remedies menopause?, this product apparently contains no herbs of any kind. The list of ingredients includes a number of vitamins, but no herbs and no isoflavones. Apparently this company is hoping that the consumer will read the description, but not the list of ingredients.

None of this is meant to be discouraging. There are a number of effective herbal remedies; menopause relief (even in a jar!) is available. And, most health care professionals recommend specific vitamins for menopause health, when used in conjunction with a healthy, well-balanced diet and regular exercise. You may wonder why exercise is so important. You may think that if you take a calcium supplement you are protected from osteoporosis (a weakening and thinning of the bones), even if you do not exercise regularly. If you think this way, then you are wrong. Certain activities (or lack of activity, in this case) and substances have a canceling effect on vitamins and minerals. Lack of exercise cancels out the positive benefits of calcium supplementation.

The commonly recommended minerals, dietary supplements and vitamins for menopause or the years leading up to menopause are calcium, vitamin A, C, D, E, K, B-complex, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, potassium, fiber, isoflavones and phytoestrogens.

Isoflavones are actually a well-researched form of phytoestrogens, but are sometimes listed separately. Phytoestrogens are simply plant compounds that have an ?estrogen-like? effect on the body. Lessening levels of estrogen in a woman?s body are believed to cause both PMS and menopause related symptoms. The most common sources of isoflavones are soy and red clover. Soy, as you probably know, is a food. Red clover can usually be found under the heading ?herbal remedies menopause?, except in the case of the product mentioned above.

Dietary guidelines from the USDA recommend that people should get most of their vitamins and minerals from the food that they eat, but that in certain cases supplementation may be necessary. Specifically related to vitamins for menopause are the recommendations that people over the age of 50 should add B-complex and D supplements or foods that are fortified with these vitamins. Vitamin D is necessary for the body to efficiently absorb calcium, as is phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, iron and vitamin C.

When it comes to other products usually sold in the ?herbal remedies menopause? section of your local drug store, black cohosh will almost certainly be there. It was used historically by Native Americans to correct hormonal imbalances. Scientific studies in the nineties and the following years confirmed that it was a safe and effective alternative to hormone replacement therapy. It is not always promoted or recommended by doctors, partly because the quality of the product that a patient may purchase cannot be controlled, partly because the safety of long term use is unknown, but mostly (I think) because most doctors know very little about herbs and other natural products. Example: An article written by a doctor for a popular medical website states in the first paragraph that isoflavones may be effective for relieving the symptoms of menopause. In the last paragraph she lists a number of herbal remedies, menopause treatments and vitamins that have little evidence to support their use. Among them is red clover, which is one of the best known sources of isoflavones.

There is evidence supporting the use of a number of other natural products and herbal remedies for menopause relief. The evidence supporting the use of the other vitamins for menopause mentioned above is too lengthy to add. This article is already much longer than I had intended. For more information, please visit the Menopause and PMS Guide. Patsy Hamilton has more than twenty years experience in health care and currently writes informational articles for the Menopause and PMS Guide. Learn more about menopause and treatment options at www.menopause-and-pms-guide.com.

Exercise Your Way Through Perimenopause

It?s unfortunate, but most women don?t realize how crucial a role regular fitness and exercise is to reducing many symptoms associated with perimenopause. As women approach menopause they begin to gain weight, especially around their mid-section. This abdominal weight is quite common and the result of declining hormone levels, which may cause the metabolism to slow down significantly.

As you may know, excessive abdominal weight plays a significant role in contributing to heart disease, the number one killer of middle-aged and older women. Not to worry; the weight you?ve recently gained can be managed quite easily by simply getting into a regular fitness or exercise routine. Fitness and consistent exercise really are the keys to decreasing weight and avoiding the pitfalls of aging. By committing to a regular exercise routine - one which includes weight training - women will change the muscle-to-fat ratio, enabling them to increase their metabolic rate and burn calories, even at rest.

In addition to weight gain, women in their thirties begin to lose bone mass at a rate of approximately 1% per year. This rate increases to 2%-3% per year after menopause, but studies have shown that exercise can actually increase a woman's bone density, thus reducing the risk of osteoporosis and the incidence of falls and bone fractures associated with osteoporosis. Unfortunately, osteoporosis often goes undetected until bone fractures occur, but by taking preventative measures, such as consistently exercising, women can indeed reduce this risk.

Exercise and fitness can also be beneficial in reducing the incidence of hot flashes, a common symptom women experience as they approach menopause. Hot flashes can contribute to impaired sleep patterns and a decreased energy level. Additionally, hot flashes can also affect one's overall mood, which has the potential to negatively affect both personal and professional relationships. While estrogen replacement therapy has been shown to decrease these symptoms, for many women a regular exercise routine appears to be a very viable alternative.

In summary, making fitness and exercise a priority will benefit most women who are experiencing symptoms of perimenopause, and the positive results - both physical and emotional - are well worth the extra time you?ll spend once you begin and continue a regular exercise routine. It's easy to make excuses to not make time to ensure that exercise is a priority, but it's crucial to understand that being regularly active will lead to overall good health now and in the future. The only results you'll see from your added physical activity will be those that are extremely beneficial to you and those you love.

Susan Megge is the founder of http://www.40isbeautiful.com, a website designed to assist mature 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. 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.

Many Alternative Treatments for Menopause are Safe and Effective

Because of the health risks associated with hormone replacement therapy, many women seek alternative treatments for menopause. Menopause facts are fairly well known, decreasing levels of estrogen in the years leading up to and during menopause cause a number of frustrating symptoms. Some women only experience mild discomfort. Most women experience hot flashes. Some women have night sweats, mood swings, vaginal discomfort, decreased libido, bladder control problems, trouble sleeping, racing heart, headaches and other aches and pains. Dropping estrogen levels can trigger irritability, anxiety, aggressiveness and tearfulness. And, in some cases, women experience their first encounter with major depression.

Finding alternative treatments for menopause that address all of these symptoms may be difficult. It may be easier to look at each symptom individually.

Hot Flashes

The menopause facts accumulated over years of study and research indicate that the majority of women experience hot flashes during menopause. The face and chest feel flushed and warm. The back of the neck feels hot. Increased sweating often occurs. Hot flashes that occur at night are referred to as night sweats and do not appear to be as common as hot flashes, but no recent surveys have been conducted concerning these menopause facts, even though it is a commonly held belief.

A number of alternative treatments for menopause related hot flashes have been examined for safety and effectiveness. These include acupuncture, nutrient therapy, phytoestrogen supplementation (soy isoflavones, red clover), stress reduction therapy and herbal remedies. The concern expressed by researchers at the Rosenthal Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is that, as of 2003, none of the phytoestrogens and herbal remedies that show promise had been evaluated for long term use. However, numerous studies in the last three years have supported the safety and effectiveness of black cohosh for relief of hot flashes.

Just one example is the study performed by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Center of Excellence in Women?s Health, Chicago, IL. Researchers evaluated accumulated menopause facts from over the years and concluded that ?Black cohosh appears to be one of the most effective botanicals for relief of vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats)... Many other botanicals have limited evidence to demonstrate safety and efficacy for relief of symptoms related to menopause... Health care providers should discuss these issues with their patients so they can assist them in managing these alternative therapies...? July 2006

Bladder Control Problems

Alternative treatments for menopause that address the issue of bladder control problems involve exercises to increase pelvic muscle strength, gradually increasing the bladder?s capacity and reducing caffeinated and artificially sweetened beverages.

Decreased Libido

Decreased libido may be related to painful intercourse because of vaginal dryness or changing hormonal levels. According to the menopause facts from a recent PubMed search, not all women experience a decreased sex drive during menopause. In fact some experience an increase in sex drive because the risk of pregnancy has passed and the complication of monthly cycles, birth control and other factors make them feel more relaxed. In other words, decreased libido is not a foregone conclusion.

If you have experienced a decrease in your sex drive and are looking for alternative treatments for menopause that can improve sensitivity, vaginal secretions and increase libido, please visit the Menopause and PMS guide.

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

Know Menopause and Symptoms - But What Should One Know?

To know menopause and symptoms, one should understand healthy and normal menopause symptoms and unhealthy health conditions.

To know menopause and symptoms means realizing that as a woman ages, the reproductive system will slow and eventually shut down. The woman's regular menstrual cycle will become lighter and less frequent and will eventually cease functioning. This menopause symptom is normal and expected when the woman is in her late 40's or early 50's.

The problem is -- a woman should know menopause and symptoms that mean there are underlying health problems, the most common being a condition called 'hormone imbalance'. Certain symptoms of menopause are signs that health problems exist that should be corrected. If not, the woman is at higher risk for more serious health problems.

Here are examples of such symptoms:

1 - A craving for sweets and/or carbohydrates, accompanied by fluctuating blood sugar levels

2 - Hair growth on the face

3 - Loss of hair or thinning hair

4 - Sluggishness, lack of energy

5 - Urinary tract infections or yeast infections

6 - Fibroids

7 - Weight gain, especially in the hips, waist and stomach, with no change in dietary habits

To know menopause and symptoms, one should know that many women in the western industrialized countries experience one or more of these symptoms of menopause much earlier than the average age of menopause which is about 51 in the USA. A crucial question that should be answered is -- what is a leading cause of menopause symptoms in women?

The answer is related to hormone imbalance. Hormone imbalance can be caused by stress, obesity, poor nutrition, excess estrogen and the lack of ovulation and progesterone. Is it possible to know menopause and symptoms and the role of hormone imbalance in causing premature menopause symptoms? The answer is -- YES!

There is an online test for a woman's hormone health related to menopause and symptoms that can indicate hormones are out of balance. The most frequent condition is too much estrogen and too little progesterone, the two basic hormones required for a healthy woman. This health test has been developed by a leading womens health clinic, it is used in their practice every day, it's available to women online and is free.

If you're a woman in your 30's, 40's or older and you sense your health is not what it should be, take the womens health test online and see what the clinic recommends for your health situation. Understanding what is healthy and normal and what is not is vital when the issue is your energy, your health and well-being.

Copyright 2006 InfoSearch Publishing

Know menopause and symptoms that are signs that the online hormone health test should be taken to see what might be recommended by the womens health clinic appropriate for your symptoms, your age and health conditions. For men, read more about the male menopause symptoms and natural treatments for improving health. 

Perimenopause Symptoms ? The Transition

Until you reached this stage in your life, there?s a high probability that you?d never even heard of perimenopause. As a matter of fact, you were probably a bit surprised that perimenopause (the transitional period before menopause) could begin so early in life, and last for ten years ? sometimes even longer.

Symptoms of perimenopause are described almost exactly as those associated with menopause, and may include:

? Weight gain (especially around the mid-section)
? Mood changes
? Night sweats
? Hot flashes
? Vaginal dryness
? Changes in sexual desire (lowered libido)
? Sleep disturbances
? Frequent urination
? Extreme sweating
? Difficulty concentrating
? Other symptoms similar to those you may experience with premenstrual syndrome

If you?re experiencing any of these symptoms, it?s a good idea to talk with your health care provider to rule out any other medical conditions. Once you?re sure that perimenopause is indeed the culprit behind the symptoms you?re now noticing, it?s time to ?step it up? and take the steps necessary to reduce ? and in many cases eliminate ? the discomforts that can be associated with perimenopause.

Your physician will likely encourage you to make some lifestyle changes that have been proven to effectively benefit many women during perimenopause. These include:

? Altering your diet to include soy and flax

? Exercising regularly, incorporating weight training into your routine at least three days per week

? Taking supplements of vitamin E

? Avoiding triggers that can cause hot flashes, such as caffeine; also, it?s suggested that you avoid being in extremely warm temperatures or rooms

? Herbal treatments, such as ginkgo biloba, black cohash or Evening Primrose Oil

Depending on your age, health and medical history and the severity of your symptoms, your doctor may also use various other treatments to remedy your perimenopausal symptoms, such as:

? A low dose of birth control to stabilize your hormone levels

? Antidepressants to level out your mood swings

? Progesterone to alleviate symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome

This transitional period can be a bit frightening for many women, but it?s important to remind yourself that you can indeed breeze through perimenopause and menopause if you simply take care of yourself. You can be as healthy, energetic, happy and beautiful as you?ve always been. As an added bonus, your age has brought you to a maturity level you didn?t have twenty years ago, giving you confidence to be certain that you can be and do everything you set your mind to. You will no doubt enjoy and savor your life if you remain positive and determined.

Susan Megge is the founder of http://www.40isbeautiful.com, a website designed to assist mature women as they approach and experience menopause. Susan, a health and fitness expert started experiencing symptoms of perimenopause and 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.