Perimenopause Symptoms and Solutions

Have you recently noticed that you?re gaining weight around your abdomen or mid-section, you?re not as energetic as you once were, your periods are somewhat irregular and you simply have an overall feeling of ?blah?? If so, there?s a good chance that you?re experiencing symptoms of perimenopause (the transitional period leading to menopause). In fact, hormone fluctuations during perimenopause can result in many of the symptoms you?re noticing.

As with many women?s conditions, the onset of perimenopause can affect every woman differently, and symptoms can range from being very mild and hardly noticeable, to extremely severe and uncomfortable. Common symptoms of perimenopause include hot flashes or night sweats, difficulty sleeping through the night, weight gain (especially around the mid-section), vaginal dryness, mood swings or depression and feelings of confusion. Most women don?t experience all symptoms associated with perimenopause, but it?s quite likely that you?ll notice at least some changes occurring as you approach menopause.

Believe it or not, there are remedies available to reduce these symptoms, resulting in a much more comfortable and even enjoyable transition as you enter the menopausal years. If you?re like many women, there?s a good chance that you?ll want to do all you can to reduce the severity of your symptoms by making a few simple lifestyle changes. For instance, if you?re experiencing hot flashes, try to avoid triggers that can contribute to the frequency and/or severity of this uncomfortable symptom. Many women have reported that consuming hot or spicy foods, alcohol and caffeine can bring on hot flashes. Also, if you?re feeling stressed or simply find yourself in a warm room you may notice that there?s a greater likelihood that you?ll experience hot flashes. If this is the case, do what you can to avoid these triggers. If you can, try to get into a regular exercise routine, as physical activity and exercise have been shown to reduce the incidence of hot flashes.

If you?ve noticed that your sleep patterns are no longer patterns at all, but instead broken and interrupted periods of restless sleep, there?s a good chance this can be blamed on your declining hormone levels as well. If you want a good night?s sleep (and who doesn?t?) it?s a good idea to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Don?t, however, do so near your bedtime. Similarly, you?ll want to avoid smoking, consuming large meals and working right before you turn in for the night. It?s recommended that you keep your bedroom dark, quiet and cool so that you?re more likely to stay asleep once you?ve gone to bed. If you should happen to wake during the night, it?s a good idea to get up and read until you?re sleepy enough to fall back to sleep.

If you?ve experienced mood swings associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), there?s an increased chance that you?re sensitive to hormone changes and will, therefore, probably notice some moodiness and memory problems as you begin to experience symptoms associated with perimenopause. Staying active and getting a sufficient amount of sleep will certainly help to alleviate these symptoms. Not only has exercise been proven to reduce or eliminate several perimenopausal symptoms, but it has been my own personal savior as I began gaining weight, experiencing night sweats and becoming moody and lethargic. When I began a regular exercise routine, one which included weight bearing exercises, the overall improvement in my physical and emotional states was absolutely astonishing.

Of course, some women will simply need to turn to other solutions to eliminate or lessen the severity of perimenopause symptoms. Vitamin E and some herbs have been known to reduce the incidence and severity of hot flashes. If you should choose to consider vitamins and herbs to assist with your symptoms, it?s a good idea to work closely with someone who is quite familiar with herbs and vitamins to ensure that you adjust your dosages as needed.

Hormone replacement therapy can help women who are experiencing more severe and difficult symptoms of perimenopause. As with many treatments, hormone therapy poses some risks, in addition to the possible benefits. It?s best to discuss the benefits and risks of hormone therapy with your doctor so that you?re better able to make a well-informed decision regarding this treatment. If you should decide to use hormone therapy, try to use the lowest dose that helps you, and for the shortest period of time needed.

Remind yourself that this can be the start of a wonderful period in your life. Treat your body well and the results will include a healthy, beautiful and energetic you.

Susan Megge is the founder of 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.

Relieve Menopause Hot Flashes Naturally

One of the most common symptoms of menopause, hot flashes are not something that must be tolerated. A cure for hot flashes, hot flushes or night sweats is not that hard to find. You just have to know where to look. However, products that help relieve menopause hot flashes for some women may not work for others. So, here we look at several herbal remedies that may be beneficial. Because of the health risks associated with hormone replacement therapy, natural remedies are becoming increasingly popular. Herbs and plants may not be a "new" cure for hot flashes, but they are effective, nonetheless. And we do know a lot more about them than we did at one time, so we do have "new" ways to look at them.

Hot flashes, hot flushes and night sweats are three different names for the same physical reaction to decreasing levels of estrogen. They may begin years before actual menopause and last for several years afterwards. The frequency and severity varies from one woman to the next. Researchers often describe them as "vasomotor" symptoms, because blood vessels and circulation are involved.

Typically the heat begins in a woman's chest, travels up the neck to the face and head. When they occur at night, they may interrupt a woman's sleep, increasing levels of fatigue and sometimes leading to insomnia. From the experiences of other women, we know that caffeine, alcohol, tobacco products and spicy foods can trigger them, as can anger, frustration and irritation. Regular exercise and drinking plenty of water seems to help.

Black cohosh has been the cure for hot flashes for many women. More research has been done concerning the effectiveness and safety of black cohosh than on any of the other herbs that can help menopause hot flushes. But, if you have tried it and it doesn't work for you, there are other alternatives.

Scientists are still unsure why black cohosh relieves hot flashes, but evaluations of the chemical compounds of other plants have revealed an estrogen-like substance, aptly named phytoestrogens. Isoflavones are one type of phytoestrogen. If you read the ingredients on a remedy for hot flushes, you may see "soy isoflavones" or "isoflavones from red clover". These may help menopause hot flashes because they have an estrogen like effect on a woman's body. Some researchers have been concerned that isoflavones or phytoestrogens could have the same side effects as synthetic estrogens used in hormone replacement therapy. So, here's what we know about the risks associated with long term use of synthetic hormones.

We know that estrogen replacement therapy can cause endometrial cancer. The endometrium is the lining of the uterus and estrogen causes the lining to build up, which, without menstruation, frequently led to cancer. Thus, doctors would prescribe an estrogen-progesterone combination therapy. The progesterone would cause the lining to be shed each month, leading to a return of monthly periods, and decreasing the cancer risk. For years, this "combination" hormone therapy was the most commonly recommended cure for hot flashes and other symptoms associated with menopause.

As with many medical treatments, the risks turned up with long term use of this type of therapy. The Women's Health Initiative recently concluded a seven year study of women using hormone replacement therapies of both types. The conclusion is that hormone replacement therapy of any type increases a woman's risk for blood clots and stroke. Combination therapy, which was thought to be safer than estrogen only, actually added the increased health risks of heart disease and breast cancer. An even longer study (more than twenty years) performed by Harvard scientists found that estrogen only increased breast cancer risks when used for more than 15 years. Typically a woman would not use hormone replacement therapy to relieve menopause hot flashes and other symptoms for many years, but when the risks are blood clots, heart disease and stroke, even short term use is rarely recommended as a cure for hot flashes.

While no long term studies have been conducted concerning women who use phytoestrogens or isoflavones to help relieve menopause hot flashes, short term clinical studies have revealed their effectiveness, lack of side effects and safety. Even the idea that phytoestrogens, which are found in soy beans, a health food, might not be safe for long term use seems silly. People eat soy all of the time and have for many, many years.

Red clover, the other most commonly used source of isoflavones, is grown for animal feed. Native Americans used the flower for tea and chewed the leaves raw. Healers used it to treat liver ailments, gall bladder ailments, ulcers, diabetes, tonsillitis, internal cancer, appendicitis, headaches and as a cure for hot flashes and other symptoms related to changing levels of hormones and aging.

Scientific research and the experiences of other women tell us that black cohosh helps relieve menopause hot flashes. Laboratory tests have revealed that black cohosh has no effect on even estrogen sensitive cancer cell lines. But, if this cure for hot flashes does not work for you, try soy or red clover isoflavones. All of our scientific and historical knowledge indicates that these are safe. For information about a woman's supplement that contains both black cohosh and isoflavones at a reasonable price, please visit the Menopause and PMS Guide.

Patsy Hamilton was a health care professional for more than twenty years before becoming a freelance writer. Currently she writes informational articles for the Menopause and PMS Guide. Read more at http://www.menopause-and-pms-guide.com.

Men Dealing With Women?s Menopause Symptoms

Some of the changes and symptoms women encounter as they approach menopause can be difficult to withstand, and it?s not unusual to wonder if you?ll ever feel ?normal? again. Not only are you dealing with physical symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats, irregular periods and weight gain, but there are many emotional changes that take place as a result of declining hormone levels.

You may experience moodiness, depression or feelings of sadness and hopelessness. If this is the case, there?s a strong likelihood that your mate is feeling somewhat confused by your behavior and may be left wondering if you still love him and want to spend the rest of your life with him.

If your husband or partner is anything like mine, it?s not likely that he?ll research information that?s available to him in order to figure out what?s happening within your body and how it may be affecting your emotions. If men don?t have the answers, how will they respond to the ?foreign? you?

Unfortunately, men respond to women?s hormonal balances using many different approaches that aren?t always the most effective. Some men simply ignore the problem and hope it will go away, while others may be overbearing and treat their partner as if she?s emotionally fragile and incapable of dealing with life.

The relationship problems couples face during midlife, in most cases, really is usually a lack of communication due to the misunderstanding that results from hormonal imbalances and behavior changes in women approaching menopause.

If you find that you?re facing some challenges in your relationship due to hormone fluctuations, and you don?t honestly see your mate taking the time or initiative to figure out what may be happening, it may be a good idea to tape the following messages to your refrigerator, mirror, tool box or other area where he?s sure to take notice.

1.If your wife or partner is feeling undesirable (and there?s a good chance that this may occur often during this transition), it may be automatic for you to express how beautiful she is. Unfortunately, she is not likely to believe you. Don?t let this become a slammed door, however; continue to be loving, kind and supportive consistently and eventually she will trust that you really do find her desirable.

2.Since your wife is not feeling sexy as a result of the weight she has likely gained during this period in her life, please don?t let your eyes pop out of your head when a young sexy woman appears on TV or passes by you in a restaurant. And worse yet, avoid the temptation to flirt with younger women. This behavior is insensitive and uncalled for, and only adds to an already strained relationship.

3.When you think your wife is behaving irrationally, remember that she?s not crazy and zip it! That?s right ? just keep your thoughts to yourself because oftentimes what men view as irrational, women do not.

4.When your wife has something she?d like to tell you, listen! Don?t dismiss her, even if you?ve heard this same story over and over again. It?s important to your wife to have a partner ? one with whom she can communicate. If it?s tempting to interrupt her, take a moment to put yourself in her shoes and decide how you would feel if your every thought or emotion were brushed off as if it meant nothing.

5.There?s a strong possibility that your wife?s sex drive is not what it once was. This is confusing and scary for your wife, and may very well add to her moodiness. As a matter of fact, it?s not unusual for women to find fault with their spouses in order to feel justified in not having the desire to have sex. Openly communicate with your wife about this, and make an effort to work together to remedy this problem so that your sex life can become rejuvenated. A healthy sex life contributes to your overall physical health, as well as the health of your relationship.

6.Let your wife know she can count on you. Perhaps she?s feeling overwhelmed with a busy schedule and a tired body. Put down the newspaper or the remote control and pick up a broom. You?ll be amazed by her positive reaction and what results to which your desire to help may lead.

7.Stop at the store on your way home from work and pick up a romantic card or a bouquet of flowers. Don?t wait for your wife to suggest going out to dinner; go ahead and be assertive and simply tell her the two of you are going out on a nice little date.

8.Your wife may be doing a lot of complaining lately; you can encourage her to stop complaining by giving her reasons to know she?s lucky to have you in her life.

9.Make your wife laugh ? even if you need to be the butt of your own jokes (better you than her).

10.Finally, express your love for your wife and let her know that you understand this may be a rough ride for her and you want to do whatever you can to pave the road for a smooth transition into menopause.

While it?s important for your spouse to be understanding and sympathetic to your needs during this transitional period, it?s also important that you do all you can to take care of yourself ? both physically and emotionally. Be sure to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, get plenty of rest and take time for yourself.

If you?re sure to do all you can to remain healthy, there?s no doubt that you will feel beautiful, youthful and full of energy ? your absolute best ? as you approach menopause.

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

Common Symptoms Of Menopause

Menopause is a natural process in the life of women. It typically occurs in the early to mid-forties, and, unfortunately, it is accompanied by a number of symptoms that can cause women much concern. Learning to identify those symptoms for what they are, may be your first step to learning to deal with this new life stage.

One of the first and most noticeable symptoms of menopause is irregular or missed periods. At the onset of menopause, the body suffers a great decrease in estrogen and progesterone levels, stimulated by the ovaries. The ovaries are no longer signaled to release the egg, meaning that a woman will notice a disruption in her normal monthly cycle. Following puberty, the only occurring menstrual cycle disruptions are as a result of disease or other ovarian or pregnancy problems. However, once menopause begins, it is not uncommon to experience serious menstrual disruptions.

Another common symptom of menopause is the hot flash. Greater than seventy five percent of menopausal women suffer hot flashes, in varying degrees of severity. A hot flash makes a woman feel flush. For example, she may be in a room that is only seventy degrees, but she will feel the overwhelming sense that someone has turned the temperature up to ninety degrees. In an instant, she may feel as if the temperature has decreased by fifty degrees, and she is suddenly shivering. Hot flashes can be accompanied by other symptoms like faintness, dizziness, and heart palpitations. Many hot flashes can be up to ten minutes in duration, but not for all women all of the time. In some cases some women simply acknowledge them and keep functioning as if nothing is wrong. Extreme hormone fluctuations cause the hypothalamus to incorrectly regulate a woman's body temperature. Factors such as poor diet and elevated stress levels have been shown to affect the entire process in a negative manner. Most women will experience hot flashes for five to six years, though there are women who endure them for the ten to twenty years prior to and following menopause.

Hot flashes commonly lead to another prevalent menopause symptom: insomnia. Because hot flashes can occur during the day as well as the night, many women will find themselves awoken drenched in their own sweat. Often they get up to change their clothes and their sheets due to the dampness caused by the sweat. If a woman is a light sleeper anyway, she might find it impossible to fall asleep again. Interestingly enough, though, night sweats are not the only cause of sleep disturbances. The blood hormone levels also affect the quality of a woman's sleep. Adjusting these hormone imbalances can sometimes alleviate sleep difficulties.

Patricia Smith writes content for several web sites, on healthiness and women's health topics.

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.

Early Menopause

Early or premature menopause is defined as menopause before the age of 40. Premature ovarian failure, surgery, and chemotherapy may all result in early menopause. About one in a hundred women may experience early menopause; some may be teenagers or in their twenties. Symptoms of early menopause tend to be very similar to those of normal menopause. Changes in the timing and duration of menstrual periods and hot flashes are common.

In some women, early menopause may be due to failure of the ovaries and is called premature ovarian failure. It is thought that such failure is due to hormonal, autoimmune or genetic processes, which result in a depletion in the number of viable eggs in a woman?s ovaries. This depletion may be complete, or, in approximately ten percent of women who have premature ovarian failure, partial. These women have a reduced but possible chance of becoming pregnant. Recent research has shown that female twins may be up to four times more times more likely than other women to undergo spontaneous early menopause. Either or both twins may be affected.

Surgery is another cause of early menopause. When the ovaries are removed or damaged during surgery, there is a rapid reduction in estrogen and progesterone levels and the immediate onset of menopause. Because the hormonal changes are so abrupt, menopausal symptoms tend to be more intense.

Women who undergo chemotherapy for cancer treatment may have premature menopause. Cancer-killing drugs may damage other tissues too, including ovarian tissue. Tamoxifen, a drug prescribed in certain types of breast cancer, has an anti-estrogen effect and can also trigger early menopause. Sometimes, chemotherapy-induced menopause may be temporary.

Early menopause can be extremely distressing, particularly when it occurs in younger women who may not yet have had children or completed their families. Besides treatment of menopause symptoms, some women benefit from counseling to address emotional issues.



Menopause provides detailed information on menopause, early menopause, male menopause, menopause and osteoporosis and more. Menopause is affliated with Endometriorsis And Infertility.

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 Menopause

Menopause is a normal stage of life. Some women may feel that the onset of menopause signals an end to youth and vigor but this is not true.
Many women feel that as they approach menopause they will become old and unattractive but this is simply not true. It is a normal part of life. Menopause that occurs before age forty is referred to as premature but in some cases menopause begins as early as thirty-five. Once ovulation (the releasing of eggs) stops, menstruation ceases. Menopause can be gradual with menstrual periods becoming irregular before complete cessation or it can occur all at once. The symptoms may be different in each woman but even gradual hormonal changes can affect the physical and emotional states dramatically. There are women who have no symtoms at all while others experience severe symptoms. Hormone levels vary as estrogen production slows causing emotional upsets such as anxiety, depression and extreme mood swings. Although these conditons can be treated with medication, most women adapt well on their own.

Among the symptoms that may be experienced are achy joints, hot flashes, changes in sexual desire, difficulty concentrating, headaches, frequent urination, mood swings and insomnia. What some women do not realize is that pregnancy can still occur even at the onset of menopause as long as there is menstruation even if it is sporadic. Precaution should still be taken during this time. Hot flashes which are sudden rises in hormonal levels are probably the most common symptom of menopause and can occur for several years afterward. Physicians may prescribe hormone replacements and vitamin supplements. Regular exercise can help reduce episodes of hot flashes.

Decreased estrogen can cause osteoporosis which is a loss of bone mass. Bones become more brittle and injuries are more likely to occur. Chances of ostroporosis increase where there is a family history or the woman is a smoker. Symptoms usually do not occur in osteoporosis until it is already advanced. Menopause may also bring a change in sexual desire which could be an increase or decrease depending upon the individual. Vaginal dryness can occur and the use of over the counter lubricants may become necessary. Women should consult their physician to see if hormone therapy would be right for them. Hormone therapy can prevent osteoporosis, improve moods and eliminate hot flashes but there are risks including increased risk of breast cancer and risk of heart disease.

The decision to take hormone therapy should be weighed carefully based on the severity of symptoms, chance of osteoporosis and other risk factors involved. Ask the physician to explain all options thoroughly. Many symptoms can be alleviated with proper rest, diet and exercise. Most women find that menopause is not the devastating period of life that they expected it to be but rather a new beginning. For many women a new life experience is just starting now that the children are grown and they have time to pursue different directions in their lives. They may be embarking on a new career for the first time in years, going back to school to continue an education that was put on hold or planning to retire and just relax. Menopause is nothing to fear. It does not represent old or unproductive. It only means change and change is the only constant there really is.

Darlene Zagata is a freelance writer and poet. Her work has appeared in several electronic and print publications. Darlene is the Editor of the Health department at RITRO.com and she co-authors a column with her son at RaisingASon.com. She is also a Review Editor for MyShelf.com and an Editorial Reviewer for The Writer's Room Magazine. Her book of poetry "Aftertaste" is now available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Her first book of fiction, "The Choosing" is currently in the process of publication.

Menopause!

Menopause!
~ By Jan Tincher

Copyright Jan Tincher - All Rights reserved
http://www.tameyourbrain.com

Menopause . . . Boy, I didn't know if I knew how to spell it, let alone talk about it.

But you know what? Somebody's got to. It's not an easy subject, and I'm thinking it's a pretty safe bet that some of you have walked your fingers to the delete button.

Well, STOP! Husbands, daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, special friends, whoever -- you have got to know about this too. Really . . .

You've seen the little kitchen signs that say, *If the cook ain't happy, nobody's happy!* You know how true that is.

Never, never think *Well, that's HER problem.* Because it's not.

We all need to help each other. That's just how it is in the universe. Shrugging and leaving the room isn't going to cut it anymore. If someone isn't happy, guess what? If we have it in ourselves to help them, we'd better.

It doesn't matter what the problem is, big or small. It doesn't matter if the person who is having the problem isn't talking to you. It doesn't matter if you don't think you can help at all. What matters is that you try. The quicker you all start handling things properly, the easier it will be for her. Really, what's wrong with turning the heat down or the air conditioner up -- as in all things in life, it's only temporary. You get the idea, right? If she broke her leg and was uncomfortable, you'd be doing these things for her, wouldn't you?

Now, here's what you can do, if you had a little *disagreement.* Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT leave the premises. You can go in the other room, but make little noises so it is known you ARE there for her if she needs you. You can go to that little quiet place within and ask for help in finding the right words to say or the right thing to do.

IF you absolutely feel that you would do more harm than good, stay in the little quiet place within until YOU feel the peace. That will make such a difference in the outcome. If you're thinking thoughts like *Why me? Why do I have to put up with this? Why can't SHE handle it on her own?* or anything anywhere near that, STOP. Take care of yourself until you are no longer saying those things. Find your peace, then help her with hers.

When it comes to menopause, we all need to know these facts:

This will go away, but maybe not soon.

This is not about YOU.

This is not something she should have to handle alone.

This is something that has to be addressed, in a sensible and loving way, and whatever is done is done with love.

And especially don't ask her in front of everyone if she's having a hot flash when it's 85 degrees in the shade, or something equally ridiculous. Do not make a mockery of this unless you know she can deal with being laughed at. We all know, chances are, she wouldn't handle it like
Mother Teresa would have.

Menopause. These could be the happiest years of her life. If the woman in your life is having difficulty, she needs your help. Be there for her. You won't regret it.

Thanks for reading.

Jan

P.S. If you'd like help with your relationships, you'll love having me as a mentor! To find out more about my great ecourse "RelationshipEcourse", click here: http://www.tameyourbrain.com/relationshipEcourse/offer.php

~~~~~~~~~

Copyright 2004, Jan Tincher, All Rights Reserved Worldwide

DISCLAIMER: Jan Tincher and/or *Tame Your Brain!* do not guarantee or warrant that the techniques and strategies portrayed will work for everyone. The techniques and strategies are general in nature and may not apply to everyone. The techniques and strategies are not intended to substitute for obtaining medical advice from the medical profession. Always consult your own professionals before making any life-changing decisions.

~~~~~~~~~


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Jan Tincher, nationally recognized expert in Hypnotherapy & Neuro-Linguistic Programming, teaches strategies and techniques to help you live a better, happier life! She studied under Richard Bandler and Anthony Robbins, and has a successful practice in Forest City, Iowa. She is an award winning author, and you can read many of her articles at http://www.tameyourbrain.com/articles.htm. You can read what people say about her at http://www.tameyourbrain.com/testimonials.htm