You’re not crazy! You’re not dying! You’re a woman! Menopause is one of those evil words women pretend not to hear. While menopause is a natural process for the female body, it typically gets a bad rap. The good news is that no one is alone. Menopause happens to every woman on the face of the earth. It simply signals the end of fertility, not the end of energy or vibrance. In order to come to terms with menopause, it is important to understand what the big fuss is all about.
Physical Changes
Menopause usually comes with a set of physical symptoms. While it would be nice to just merrily skip through the change of life without a hitch, it simply isn’t realistic. With menopause comes some unwelcome physical changes. Among those include night sweats and hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep irregularity, thinning hair, weight gain, diminishing bone density, decreased sexual appetite, and drying skin. It sounds pleasant right? Fortunately, it’s not all gloom and doom. Some women find it quite liberating to be able to have intercourse without the use of birth control.
Emotional Changes
Emotional changes also take place during menopause. Things such as mood swings, anxiety, and a feeling of loss may be directly related to hormone shifts. These changes, however, may also be directly related to the physical changes associated with menopause. For instance, anxiety may be caused by a lack of sleep. There aren’t many people who could get through a sleepless night without a mood shift.
Perimenopause
Women can experience menopause symptoms as much as 8 years before the end of fertility. It is just the body’s ways of making the transition into menopause. This is called perimenopause. During this time menstrual cycles tend to be irregular. Some women even experience hot flashes. Isn’t it great to be a woman!
Causes of Menopause
Menopause is biologically caused by a decrease in the production of estrogen and progesterone. These hormones are responsible for ovulation and pregnancy preparation. This can begin during the late 30’s or early 40’s. Individually speaking, however, family history has a lot to do with the timing of menopause. It is yet another thing we have for which to thank our mothers.
Current Treatments
Using the word “treatment” when referring to menopause may give people the wrong idea. Treatment is usually undergone for a medical condition or illness. Menopause, however, is completely natural. Treatment is usually reserved for the symptoms of menopause. For example, osteoporosis is very common after menopause. Treatment can lessen the chance of osteoporosis in menopausal women. It can get as scientific as hormone therapy, or as simple as eating certain foods.
Medication For Menopause
Estrace (Estradiol) is used for treating conditions due to menopause (e.g., hot flashes; vaginal itching, burning, or dryness), treating vulval or vaginal atrophy, and preventing osteoporosis (brittle bones).
Evista (Raloxifene) is used to prevent and treat bone loss (osteoporosis) in women after menopause.
Arimidex (Anastrozole) is an aromatase inhibitor used to treat breast cancer in women after menopause.
Premarin (Conjugated Estrogens) is used for treating the symptoms of menopause.
Like everything else, there are medicinal ways to treat menopause, and alternative, natural methods as well. Some examples of alternative treatments are exercise, flax seed, yoga, -supplements and herbs like black cohosh, and aromatherapy. Each woman should talk to her doctor and discuss what is best for her.
Menosan is a unique complex herbal formula that helps women to cope with symptoms, associated with menopause.
Menopause may not be all daisies and roses, but it is a natural part of life. Experiencing menopausal symptoms shows that you are still alive and kicking. It is, by no means, a sign that you should roll over and play dead. In fact, it is a sign that nearly half your life still remains. Some women spend that time with family. Others travel the world. However you decide to spend your postmenopausal years, remember you can do so without the use of birth control!