Monday, December 18, 2006
Painful Menopause And Herbal Remedies
Help, I Need Information About General Menopause
by Patsy Hamilton
In every woman�s life, there comes a time when she says, �I need information about general menopause.� We wonder how long does menopause last, how long do hot flashes last and how what should we expect in the years following menopause. The simple, but true answers to all of these questions is that it varies from woman to woman, but, over the years, researchers have attempted to come up with some averages.
When a woman�s periods become irregular, she is between the ages of 45 and 55 and the irregularities are not due to any other medical problems, she is said to be going through menopause. When a woman has not had a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months, there are no more eggs in the ovaries, she can no longer become pregnant and she is said to be postmenopausal. The average age for the onset of menopause is 51.
About 50% of all women experience hot flashes at some point. About 10% experience them in the years preceding menopause and the percentage increases as menopause approaches. More than 50% of all women experience hot flashes in the three years following menopause. Technically the answer to �how long does menopause last� is one year. During that year a woman can still become pregnant, if she is sexually active. But, symptoms related to menopause may be experienced for five, six, seven years or more.
Surveys of women who chose not to use hormone replacement therapy or other treatment options indicate that as many as 56% of all women experience five or more different symptoms during the years preceding and following menopause. When a woman becomes postmenopausal and during the year that her periods have stopped, surveys indicate that all women experience at least one symptom. The most common symptoms, other than menstrual changes, are hot flashes, vaginal dryness, night sweats, trouble sleeping, headaches and lack of energy. Not all women experience all of these symptoms and some women experience others. Some symptoms may not be directly related to menopause, but the most common ones probably are.
The first place to go for information about menopause is your doctor. Hopefully, you have a good relationship with him or her and you can discuss any concerns that you may have. The North American Menopause Society publishes a helpful booklet for women concerning symptoms and treatment options. It is available on-line and can be found in many women�s clinics. It has many answers for women saying, �I need information about general menopause.� To learn about dietary supplements that can relieve most menopausal symptoms, 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 for the Menopause and PMS Guide. Visit us at http://www.menopause-and-pms-guide.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patsy_Hamilton
Pre Menopause Weight Loss
A PMS Supplement May Relieve Some or All Symptoms
by Patsy Hamilton
A PMS supplement should include the B-complex vitamins, calcium, magnesium, manganese, vitamins A, C, D, E, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, pantothenic acid, iron, copper, folic acid, biotin and zinc. Herbs that may be helpful include chasteberry (vitex agnus castus), black cohosh, valerian, dandelion, sarsaparilla and red clover. Other natural remedies for treatment of PMS symptoms include regular exercise, dietary changes and 5-HTP for mood swings, depression, anxiety and sleeping problems. St. John�s wort and/or SAM-E are sometimes recommended, but results vary. Most of these are discussed in greater detail below.
Before choosing a PMS supplement, several things should be considered. Do you take a daily multi-vitamin? Do you know what the recommended daily allowances are for each of the vitamins and minerals included in your daily multi-vitamin and will adding a PMS supplement put you over the RDA? What are the symptoms that you typically experience and which PMS supplement addresses your symptoms? Have you tried other natural remedies for treatment of PMS symptoms?
If you take a daily multi-vitamin and you add a PMS supplement, you could exceed the RDA for any number of vitamins and minerals. While the RDA is only a guideline and nutritionists do not always agree with this government standard, some vitamins and minerals can be toxic in excess amounts. For example, too much vitamin C in the diet can cause diarrhea. Excessive copper can cause abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Too much iron can make you constipated. Toxic amounts of potassium can actually cause heart problems and muscle paralysis. The best guidelines we have are government standards and the supplement manufacturer�s directions.
Some researchers believe that many of a woman�s premenstrual symptoms may be related to lack of adequate vitamins and minerals in the diet. Most good daily multi-vitamins contain all that is necessary to insure that you get the right amounts every day. Selenium is not included in all daily multi-vitamins and you may have to look for it. Certain vitamins and minerals allow other vitamins and minerals to be absorbed by the body more efficiently. The ones listed in the first paragraph work together and all should be included in the correct amounts to insure good nutrition.
A PMS supplement may contain herbs. Herbs are plants that are known to have medicinal value, because they were used historically by native healers practicing traditional medicine or because scientists have evaluated their chemical components or both. Because herbs have medicinal effects on the body, they can interact with some prescription drugs. An herbalist, a pharmacist or your medical doctor should be able to advise you about possible interactions between herbal remedies and prescription medications that you are currently taking.
Herbs are usually considered natural remedies for treatment of PMS symptoms because the side effects associated with prescription drugs do not general accompany herbal remedies. But, it is important to follow the manufacturers� instructions. Even herbal teas can cause unwanted and sometimes dangerous side effects when used excessively.
The herbal PMS supplement that addresses the symptoms of breast pain and tenderness, headaches and body aches is chasteberry or vitex agnus castus. This herb was used in traditional medicine to relieve pains of all types. Scientific evaluation has shown that it contains a natural anti-inflammatory. Clinical research has shown that it is effective for women suffering from painful PMS symptoms.
The herbal PMS supplement black cohosh was used traditionally by Native American healers to correct hormonal imbalances, as were sarsaparilla and red clover. Clinical research has shown that black cohosh relieves symptoms associated with menopause as effectively as hormone replacement therapy. These plants probably contain phytoestrogens, which are plant components that have an estrogen-like effect on the body. Any PMS symptoms that are caused by low levels of estrogen could be relieved by using these herbs.
Valerian is a mild sedative, but the suggested dosage should be closely followed and reduced if unwanted drowsiness occurs. Dandelion is a natural diuretic. You may find that other herbs are recommended by some manufacturers as natural remedies for treatment of PMS symptoms. You may need to do some research to verify that these are safe and effective.
Other natural remedies for treatment of PMS symptoms include the natural antidepressants SAM-E, St. John�s wort and 5-HTP. These may effectively relieve mood swings, depression and anxiety associated with PMS. The most promising research has been reported with the use of 5-HTP. This compound can be derived from several natural sources; the safest source for manufacturing appears to be the seeds of an African plant. It helps the body to increase production of a brain chemical called serotonin, which is important in regulating mood, appetite and sleep cycles. Most experts do not recommend using 5-HTP in conjunction with prescription antidepressants known as Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors, because the method of action is similar and a dangerous condition called serotonin syndrome could develop. SAM-E and St. John�s wort are not believed to be safe for use with prescription antidepressants, either.
Patsy Hamilton was a health care professional for over twenty years before becoming a freelance writer. Currently she writes informational articles about women�s health for the Menopause and PMS Guide, which provides information for women with problems associated with PMS, menopause and perimenopause including treatment options from conventional medicine to herbal remedies, dietary guidelines and helpful lifestyle changes. Click here to visit our site.
Dietary and lifestyle changes may also be beneficial. To learn more about an effective PMS supplement, dietary and lifestyle changes that can help and for more research relating to natural remedies for treatment of PMS symptoms, please visit the Menopause and PMS website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patsy_Hamilton
Side Effects Of Testosterone Treatments For Menopause
Severe Menopause Symptoms Affect Some Women's Relationships
by Patsy Hamilton
Most women experience hot flashes and other relatively minor symptoms. Some women suffer from severe menopause symptoms that affect their quality of life, their relationships, their jobs and their overall health. Bleeding during menopause or the time leading up to it may be irregular.
Women may skip periods for months in a row, only to be surprised by one at the most inconvenient time. Some women experience very heavy menstrual bleeding during the years leading up to menopause, which is technically when a woman has not menstruated for 12 consecutive months.
Sometimes, when a woman is experiencing severe menopause symptoms like irritability, depression or mood swings that are affecting her relationship with her family or her co-workers, her doctor will recommend hormone replacement therapy. Hormone replacement therapy may also be recommended for women who are experiencing signs of osteoporosis, vaginal dryness causing painful intercourse and night sweats that are interrupting normal sleep cycles.
As menopause approaches, the ovaries begin to produce less of the hormone estrogen. Needed during a woman�s reproductive years to thicken the lining of the uterus, estrogen also influences the body�s ability to absorb calcium and use it for rebuilding bones and keeping them strong. It has an influence on cholesterol levels, keeping them normal. And, it is responsible for maintaining the vagina. Without estrogen the walls of the vagina become thin and dry. This can lead to painful intercourse, vaginal tearing and bleeding during menopause after or during sex.
Estrogen taken alone increases a woman�s risk for cancer of the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus. Taking progesterone decreases that risk by causing the endometrium to be shed each month or monthly bleeding during menopause. After taking estrogen and progesterone continuously for several months or more depending on the woman, monthly bleeding during menopause may be lessened or stop completely.
Although hormone replacement therapy was the treatment of choice for moderate to severe menopause symptoms for many years, the Women�s Health Initiative study indicates that the risks may outweigh the benefits. The benefits, other than relieving severe menopause symptoms, are believed to be a reduced risk of osteoporosis, colon cancer and heart disease. But, the study concluded that long-term hormone replacement therapy actually increased the risk of heart disease, breast cancer, blood clots and stroke.
In estrogen only therapy, which does not cause bleeding during menopause, there is an increased risk of endometrial cancer, blood clots and stroke, but there appears to be no increased risk of breast cancer or heart disease. Because of the risks, hormone replacement therapy is not recommended as often, nor recommended for long term use. Women who have a family history of certain types of cancer may be discouraged from using it at all. Women who have had breast cancer are generally discouraged, as well.
Since many women can not take hormone replacement therapy or choose not to, researchers have evaluated some of the herbs and plants that were used historically to relieve hot flashes and other more severe menopause symptoms. Black cohosh, among others was found to be effective. To learn more about black cohosh and other alternatives to hormone replacement therapy, 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
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patsy_Hamilton
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Dry Skin In Menopause
Menopause As a Transition
by Jackson Neshah
It is gratifying to tell that research has proof now that menopause is not a disease, rather it is a transition from fertility to natural infertility especially for women, since men also pass through menopausal transition. However, this article shall be bent towards feminine menopause, and the good news that the stage brings with it challenges and some freedom, too. Even though getting there entails bearing some symptoms that can be unfavourable.
Menopause as a function of aging will be experienced by most women at a point in life, with the unbearable symptoms of hot flash, tiredness, bone loss, imploratory pains in the joints, night sweats, dry vaginal canal (which ultimately inhibits sexual enjoyment) irritability, mood swings and depression; just as men also suffer benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which symptoms include urinary tract problems and some of the above menopausal symptoms, especially mood swings, irritability, loss of libido and depression.
The supposed answer to the above problems was hormonal replacement therapy, which is now not very much favoured since research suggested that HRT could really predispose breast cancer and even stroke even though some experts continue to maintain that hormonal replacement therapy does not predispose cancer in all women.
However, a natural health and menopause expert Dr Marilyn Glenville says. 'The menopause isn't a disease and we shouldn't medicalise it, diet, exercise and supplements are key to enjoying what should be an enriching phase in a woman's life. And Nick Panay consultant gynaecologist, a member of the British Menopause Society, concurs, even though cautious of the benefits of complementary therapy. 'Some herbal preparations aren't as effective as HRT and are often expensive. However, there's evidence that well-researched preparations such as soy and red clover may have real benefits,' he says.
I am in agreement with both experts: first that diet, exercise and supplement is the key to sound health all through life, and especially at old age. Secondly, that not all supplements are beneficial. But I must say that diet being the obvious source of sound health, the most important thing to note is that you are what you eat. In fact you can just do nothing more than improve your intake of the right sort of foods.
The change in diet should not be expected to happen overnight. But that health benefits will follow is sure given due consideration to the following:
Vegetables, essential fats from oily fish, nuts, seeds and lots of fruit will do you a world of good health wise.
Tofu, chickpeas, kidney beans linseeds, lentils, tofu and lots of soya milk will do for you same health good expected for hormone replacement therapy. There is proof from research that two cups of soy milk a day brings hot flashes down by 50%
Reduction of ingesting of hot curries, caffeine intake from coffee and cola, and alcohol consumption will also bring hot flashes down by 50%
Cigarettes aggravates hot flashes, avoid it.
Activity they say is the secret of good health, increase exercise; walking is highly recommended. Dancing too is quite an activity, do you bit of it even in you own home, it will help in strengthen your bone and thus check osteoporosis, hot flashes and pains. There must be some activity you like, do it.
There are very beneficial supplements out there that can help you depending on your body�'s constitution. Everyone one does not react the same to all supplements. It is not always that what works for one works for the other. Consult a trained nutritional expert to guide you.
Menopause as said earlier is not a disease, it is a transition which you can methodically control using the methods and knowledge discussed in this article, which are guaranteed to see you through menopause without suffering.
Neshah is the CEO of http://pre-menopause.fateback.com; a visit will open your eyes to lots of remedies for symptoms and health conditions associated with menopause.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jackson_Neshah
Birth Control Pills 26 Menopause
Low Testosterone Women and Low Testosterone in Women Symptoms
by Olinda Rola
Low testosterone women and low testosterone in women symptoms are related to hormone levels in the woman's body. Testosterone production in a woman is about 10% of the amount typically made by a man. Testosterone is produced primarily in a woman's ovaries and adrenal glands.
Along with the two other vital hormones -- progesterone and estrogen -- testosterone production declines as a woman ages. Low testosterone women may experience certain symptoms, the most notable symptom being low libido. However, low testosterone in women can also contribute to depression and osteoporosis.
Harvard-trained family physician Dr. John R. Lee describes his experience with low testosterone women in the book What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You About Premenopause. He reports that several clinical studies have shown that using a small amount of natural testosterone supplementation may enhance the good effects of the other hormones.
However, Dr. Lee observes that testosterone production depends on sufficient progesterone levels in the body. In the healthy human body, progesterone converts into another form of progesterone, which converts into androstenedione from which testosterone is made. If progesterone levels are too low -- common today with women in their 30's and older -- low testosterone in women may be the result. For low testosterone women, Dr. Lee recommends first using natural progesterone cream supplementation for at least six months, using dosages in the same amounts as what the body would normally produce. Dr. Lee found that natural progesterone supplementation often solved the problem of low testosterone women and low libido.
While low testosterone in women is one problem, excessive testosterone can also cause problems. Dr. Lee describes what often happens as women approach menopause and ovarian function slows. Women often show symptoms of becoming androgen dominant, and testosterone supplementation may only make this condition worse. Symptoms of androgen dominance in women include male pattern baldness and facial hair growth.
In addition, an excess of estrogen in the woman's body can result in the occurance of these same two symptoms. Clearance of testosterone from the body is related to the healthy balance of estrogen and progesterone levels. Too much estrogen slows down the clearance of testosterone, while progesterone enhances testosterone clearance. By staying in the body longer than necessary, testosterone may produce the androgenic characteristics described above. Dr. Lee found that supplementation with natural progesterone cream tended to reverse the androgen dominant characteristics.
Dr. Lee recommends that low testosterone women first use natural progesterone cream supplementation for at least six months. His experience was that frequently no testosterone supplementation was required as natural progesterone corrected the symptoms. He suggests that if low libido is still being experienced after doing progesterone supplementation for at least six months, then consider trying a small amount of natural testosterone supplementation -- approximately 0.5 - 2 mg in the mornings. If testosterone supplementation begins to produce facial hair growth and/or male pattern baldness, reduce or discontinue testosterone supplementation.
He recommends using only natural testosterone, not one of the synthetic testosterone drugs that can have undesirable side effects. You will need to consult with your physician to obtain natural testosterone which is easily available from compounding pharmacies.
Learn as much as you can about when to use natural hormone supplemention to help stay healthy and free from the symptoms associated with low testosterone in women, and understand the vital role that natural progesterone plays in women's health.
Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing
Read more about natural progesterone supplementation and natural hormone therapy. Olinda Rola is President of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com - a website of natural health articles and resources.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Olinda_Rola
Dog Menopause
Estrogen and Menopause
by Michael Russell
The long term effects of estrogen deficiency that accompanies menopause vary among different women, owing to genetic, psychological and environmental factors. This means that some women will suffer from the effects of estrogen deprivation, while others will not and this individuality will seem very obvious to a physician specializing in this area. Generally, the loss of estrogen results in a higher risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and sexual dysfunction in post menopausal women.
Five years after menopause, the majority of women will have some thinning, dryness and shrinkage of the vagina, unless they take estrogen replacement therapy. There are women in their sixties and seventies who continue to have active and fulfilling sex lives in response to hormone replacement. For the increasing number of women in their seventies and eighties who want to be sexually active, vaginal atrophy (shrinkage) is a real concern. However, for many women, the problem is not deciding whether to be sexually active, but finding a partner, as on average, men don't live as long as women do.
Forty percent of American women will suffer from heart disease or a stroke as they go through menopause. Up to the time of menopause, women enjoy a certain amount of protection against cardiovascular disease compared with their male counterparts. Indeed, the incidence of heart attacks in women is only one third as great as the incidence in men. Unfortunately, after menopause, women begin to lose this relative protection from heart attacks and strokes, so that by the age of seventy-five, a woman's risk of developing these diseases is similar to that of a man.
So why do women become prone to cardiovascular disease after menopause? The most important factor appears to be the loss of estrogen in the body, which results in unfavorable changes in the blood cholesterol levels. Not only do overall cholesterol levels increase, but the level of low density lipoprotein cholesterols, the so-called "bad cholesterol" goes up, while that if high density lipoprotein cholesterols ("good cholesterol") go down. After menopause, this imbalance in cholesterol results in an increase in atherosclerosis (a condition characterized by blockage and hardening of the arteries), especially in women who smoke, who are obese and have sedentary lifestyles.
Early menopause is bad news for your cardiovascular system. Women who lose the function of their ovaries before the age of forty have a greater risk of heart disease than women who go through menopause when they are ten years older. The good news is that large-scale population studies have proven that estrogen replacement can restore a favorable balance in blood cholesterol levels. The risk of cardiovascular disease can be reduced by approximately fifty percent by taking estrogen at or soon after menopause. A study on hormone replacement therapy found breakthrough results for heart disease. The study showed that there were half as many cardiovascular deaths and heart attacks among women who took estrogen after menopause as there were among women who never used estrogen. This is because estrogen reduces total cholesterol levels, increases the proportion of the so-called "good cholesterol" and prevents cholesterol from being deposited in the walls of the arteries, thus preventing atherosclerosis.
The reduction of the incidence of stroke by hormone replacement therapy appears to be more modest, but it is still significant. A recent study of 23,088 Swedish women showed that post menopausal estrogen replacement therapy can reduce the overall risk of stroke by thirty percent.
We know now for sure that estrogen alone is good for your blood vessels and heart, but we are not sure if taking synthetic progesterone in addition to estrogen (as is now commonly done) reduces the benefits of estrogen on your cardiovascular system, particularly if you take estrogen and progesterone for many years. The ideal progesterone is yet to be found.
Your risk of cardiovascular disease is not determined only by the loss of estrogen. Other risk factors are equally important - and sometimes more important - as determinants of cardiovascular disease. These include smoking, high cholesterol levels, a family history of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, obesity, lack of exercise, a high fat diet and a diet that is deficient in raw foods, fish and liquids such as water and fresh juices.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Menopause
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell
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