The Soy Connection - Surgery Induced Menopause at the Age of 37

At 37 life was good, my four kids were all doing well, years of hard work had paid off and I finally had my dream job, I was possibly in the best shape of my life physically I thought but I was so tired there were times I felt as if I might not make it through the day. I went to the doctor and found out I was pregnant. How could I have not known? But on the other hand I had been diagnosed 10 months prior with severe endometriosis and I was told that getting pregnant again would be impossible.

Fast forward fifteen months later Gracie was 7 months and I was terribly ill. My dream job had evolved into me being allowed to work from home full time. I could sit at my desk and work but that was pretty much it some days as the pain was tremendous. I was lethargic, gaining weight and terribly unhappy. I went back to the doctor who had delivered my baby and he said my uterus was enlarged and had me come back in a few weeks. His treatment was birth control pills. I went back in a few weeks and as I had guessed it was only worse. This went on for almost a year. One day I was in so much pain I could not stop crying and I called the phone number of a gynecologist from the my insurance book. As it turned out it was the best decision I had made in a long time, this man was my angel. After the examination and a long consultation the doctor said considering my history and the newfound evidence of Adenomyosis he would recommend a hysterectomy. He asked me to read some material and watch a film. I did all of this and more. I read absolutely everything I could get my hands on. The information out there about women who had this procedure was scary to say the least! Nice normal women pre-op told stories of mood swings that could literally drive families apart, hot flashes, weight gain, night sweats, total loss of desire for intimacy, the information was not positive. In spite of it all I decided to proceed with the surgery.

In all of my research I stumbled across a soy company owned by a doctor who had developed products for his mom to improve her quality of life. She was suffering from symptoms related to menopause. This young doctor, a genius to say the least accomplished what he set out to do and so much more. His name is Dr. Tabor and his company is Revival Soy. I ordered some of the soy shakes that contain 20 grams of soy protein and 160 milligrams of soy antioxidants which is six times the amount you get from drinking only one cup of regular soy milk. I started drinking one to two shakes a day one month prior to my surgery. The surgery itself was a Godsend as it alleviated every ounce of pain I had and within 24 hours I had a new lease on life. I was also armed with the knowledge that adding the proper amount of soy to your diet with moderate exercise could totally make non-existent such symptoms as night sweats, insomnia and hot flashes. I was feeling so good I foolishly thought that possibly I was someone who would not be affected with such symptoms anyway. With this thought hovering in the back of my mind I stopped paying attention to exercise and I stopped consuming the soy shakes. I was using a HRT patch and that was it. The reality of menopause hit me like I had been struck by lightening. The slightest thing would ignite this burning fire deep within like a smoldering volcano ready to erupt through the top of my head, hot flashes became more frequent, sleepless nights were miserable and there were times I felt like I might crawl out of my skin. This was my wake-up call. I immediately re-evaluated what I was doing, added Revival Soy back to my diet and resumed walking no less than three times a week.

I also made a personal decision to stop using HRT over a year ago. At the age of 44, with the approval of my GYN who by the way is very pro-HRT has conceded that I am so incredibly healthy he believes I am fine HRT-free but I will as he advised follow up with bone density and colon screening.

I would like to note other benefits of Revival Soy are weight loss, beautiful skin, hair, nails and exercise/workout support.

Asian women were the attention grabbers of doctors because only 9% of those living in Asia experienced hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms compared to Western women who have an 80%-90% rate. The obvious difference was a diet rich in soy.

Stress, Hormone Imbalance, and Early Menopause - Understanding the Symptoms

Stress comes in many shapes and sizes, and may not even be perceived as stress at all. According to Dr. Evan Mladenoff, "Stress is an ignorant state of mind that believes everything is an emergency." Stress does not have to produce anxiety or even be perceived consciously before your internal organs believe there is an emergency situation. There are forms of "good" stress like marriage, responsibility, competition, dating, and child birth as well as "bad" forms such as financial insecurity, violence, unemployment, low self esteem, and death. In actuality, our body does not associate stress as "good" or "bad," but reacts the same way whether the stress is physical, chemical, or emotional. Our bodies were built to respond to stress and do so very well, but as stress becomes chronic (continual) the stress regulating parts of the body begin to fatigue, and no longer work as well as intended. These sluggish stress regulators make it harder for your body to stay healthy.

Stress (whether emotional, chemical, or physical) is processed in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus sends a message to the anterior pituitary gland which is a small gland in the brain that helps regulate all of your hormones. As the pituitary gland secrets hormones in the blood signaling stress, another gland called the adrenal gland responds by secreting cortisol.

Cortisol is designed to control the body's response to stress by stimulating the body to calm down. When there is to much cortisol production, or a chronic situation where cortisol is released over a long period of time, side effects occur. Many of these symptoms include disrupted sleep, poor digestion, weight gain, poor memory, and more.

As a woman, chronic cortisol secretion can contribute to menstrual disorders. High cortisol levels can lead to amenorrhea (stop menstruation), similar to heavy exercise. Excess cortisol creates a faster removal (conversion) of another hormone known as progesterone. As progesterone and estrogen become out of balance, and a woman nears menopausal age, her body often creates numerous symptoms of accelerated hormonal transition. Many women often report vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, weight gain, interrupted sleep, memory problems, heaviness in the bladder, and hot flashes as their hormones become out of balance.

The good news is, as we reduce stress through diet modification, nutritional supplementation, and light exercise we can balance cortisol, estrogen, and progesterone. In this manner, many women find relief to menopausal symptoms without resorting to drugs or surgery. As a woman transitions from an adolescent, through child bearing and later into mature womanhood, she should not have to suffer from hormonal imbalances and symptoms. Balancing cortisol is one of the many tools we have to help these transition stages to be pleasant throughout a woman's life.

Menopause and Alcoholism

Alcohol Abuse During Menopause

Menopause, especially perimenopause, causes massive hormonal imbalances in a woman's body and drastic changes to her lifestyle. The imbalance of hormone levels in addition to other stressed brought on by everyday life such as empty nest syndrome, changes at work or changes in marital status can bring on alcohol abuse in women who have never had such problems before.

Hormonal Changes and Alcohol Use

In the years prior to menopause, typically when a women is in her 40s and 50s, her body stops producing as much estrogen and the adrenal glands pick up the slack. In this transition period, estrogen levels skyrocket and plummet erratically, inducing a variety of effects such as memory loss or moodiness. The onset of menopausal symptoms can be bewildering and cause and increase in alcohol intake to ease the pain a woman feels.

Menopause normally begins when a women is in between the ages of 45 to 55. Premature menopause can be triggered by lifestyle choices like poor nutrition, heavy smoking, long term physical stress and heavy drinking. Excessive drinking has been known to cause menopause to happen up to 5 years earlier than normal.

What Happen When a Menopausal Woman Drinks Too Much

When a woman enters full on menopause, the estrogen production in her body has dropped almost entirely and menopause's symptoms will be evident. Fatigue, hot flashes, drop in libido and sleeplessness are all signs that menopause has arrived. Alcohol consumption at this point in a woman's life can worsen all these symptoms. Researchers have shown that menopausal women who drive excessively are at a much higher risk for cancer, particularly post menopausal breast cancer. One drink of alcohol per day increases risk by 7%. If three drinks are consumed everyday, the level of risk jumps by 51%. Alcohol also causes and increase in the amount of calcium excreted in urine, which leads to osteoporosis. In addition, alcohol affects the liver, pancreas and stomach lining.

What to do if Drinking becomes a problem.

Every stage of menopause (perimenopause, menopause and post menopause) are high risk years for women how drink too much. If a women finds her alcohol consumption to have risen dramatically during her menopausal years, it is important to think of the effect of hormone balances on her change of alcohol use. There are many programs out their who's aim is to treat alcohol abuse in the long term.

Perimenopause Symptoms - Learn to Tell the Signs and Stop Them in Their Tracks

What do you describe as perimenopause? It immediately precedes the full menopause and it is characterized by the perimenopause symptoms such as; vaginal dryness, hot flashes, disruptive sleep patterns, moodiness (depression, and irritability), painful intercourse, urinary infections increase, urinary incontinence, nighttime sweats (during sleep), increased body fat around the waist, memory problems and problems with concentration, and loss of sex drive.

Women differ widely in the symptoms they experience during this phase; while some women experience very little discomfort. Others have more grave symptoms.

What perimenopause changes are experienced? At the start, changes to the menstrual cycle will be seen. These may consist of changes in the volume, duration, of bleeding. How long this phase lasts will vary with different women. Full menopause will occur in women from the age of forty-five through fifty-five years old. The perimenopause symptoms may begin as early as thirty-five and can then last from a few weeks to a few years.

A woman has no way of knowing when exactly it will start and for how long it may last. There is no way to prevention this event from happening, but it is believed that staying physically fit and stopping smoking, will delay the onset. Symptoms such as vaginal dry and painful intercourse can be relieved with the use of personal lubricants.

You should strive to identify and avoid causes of perimenopause symptoms like hot flashes. This may be brought on by alcohol and caffeine. Symptoms like anxiety, mood swings and depression should be discussed with your doctor, and if necessary he will prescribe helpful medication.

Your family history will give you clues as to how the phase may affect you. You may want to talk to your mother about her experiences. Before treating perimenopause symptoms or before starting any medication or even therapy to try to handle the symptoms, you should be certain to have a complete physical examination. After you physical examination, if your doctor determines that perimenopause is causing your symptoms, he will suggest the steps to take to either reduce or totally eliminate the problems.

Your doctor will suggest you make a few lifetime changes such as, adding flax and soy to your diet, regular exercise, with some weight training about 3 times a week, and taking vitamin E.

In the past, estrogen and estrogen-progestogen treatments had been used to treat the symptoms, but those treatments have been recently linked to cancer, so they are no longer widely used.

Oral contraception in a low dose is often prescribed to treat the symptoms. This will help with hot flashes and will regulate the periods. With this treatment also, the need for hormonal replacement therapy could be delayed.

You should start to make some changes if you experience perimenopause symptoms and you think that you are about to enter perimenopause. Above all else take care of yourself. Reduce the stress you feel, eat well, and get enough sleep. Enjoy your friendships, and gain strength and support from those relationships.

Pinpointing Menopause Signs and Symptoms

Despite the fact that menopause is a fact of life for everyone woman out there, it can still catch you by surprise. A lot of people make jokes about women not wanting to age, but with menopause, it is simply being surprised that you are suddenly old enough to be going through the change. At one point, you are not even middle aged yet; by the next, you find yourself waking up with night sweats, skipping periods, and becoming irritable. As hard as it may be for the people around us to understand, trust that when those menopause signs and symptoms sneak up on women, we are just as uncomprehending as everyone else! The good news is that you can help yourself out immensely simply being pinpointing those signs when they happen.

Understanding menopause itself is the key to recognizing its signs. It is a literally life changing event, yet the explanation behind it is nearly simplistic. Simply put, the estrogen levels in your body decline. Because estrogen triggers the release of hormones important to menstruation and ovulation, you eventually stop doing those as well. This is because you only have so many eggs between your first period and your last. The number is different for every woman of course. The point is that they are not infinite. Menopause is partly genetic. So if your mother began menopause very late in life, you likely will as well. If your mothers and your grandmothers began the process early, then there is a good chance you will too. Otherwise, there is really no telling when an individual woman will begin going through menopause. It happens when it happens. When it does happen, however, you become infertile, your periods stop - your childbearing years are over. On average, women go through menopause in their fifties.

All told, there are three parts to menopause. Some women may go through more, such as early or premature menopause, but all women go through at least the three most important ones. For that reason, the whole process can take many years to reach fruition after it has started. This, too, is at least partly dependent on genetics. The first stage is known as pre menopause or perimenopause. Your periods start getting more irregular, which has an effect on your ovulation cycle as well. That is one of the reasons why it is harder for older women to get pregnant. This stage can last as little as two years or it can run as long as six years - and that is just the average, of course. It may be more or less, it all depends on you. Hot flashes and night sweats commonly occur during this stage. Your hair, skin, and even your vagina can start to dry out, which leads to a lack of interest in sex.

Menopause itself is the second stage. It actually refers to the time following your very last period. Only after at least twelve months without a period do you actually, medically qualify as being menopausal. The symptoms of pre menopause continue during this stage.

Postmenopause is the third and final stage. Just as the name suggests, it describes the period following your very last period. The symptoms of menopause will start to decrease before disappearing altogether. You have officially started a brand new, beautiful stage of your life.

What to Expect When Going Through Menopause

Menopause, also known as the "change of life," presents itself differently in each woman. While your sister may experience hot flashes and sleep problems, for example, you may be feeling a new sense of freedom and energy, and your good friend may be hardly aware of her own change. Menopause is a normal, natural part of life and aging. Technically, it is the time of your last menstrual period, but symptoms may begin several years before that point with certain symptoms lingering for months to years after. These symptoms may be caused by changing levels of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.

This period of change is called the "menopausal transition" or "perimenopause." As mentioned above, it may begin several years before you experience your final menstrual period. Perimenopause lasts for about one year after your last period, so after one full year has passed since your last period, you can say that you have been "through menopause." Postmenopause follows and continues through the rest of your life. The average age at which women go through menopause is 51, but some women may have their last period in their 40s while others have it later into their 50s.

Smoking and certain types of surgery can lead to early menopause. Having a hysterectomy (surgery to remove your uterus) will stop you from having any future periods, which is the definition of menopause. The difference is that, after a hysterectomy, you may not experience the symptoms of menopause since your ovaries are still producing estrogen and progesterone. When your ovaries start to make less estrogen, symptoms may appear. In some cases, your ovaries may be removed with your uterus. This is called an oophorectomy, and you will have menopausal symptoms afterward-regardless of your age-since you will have had your main supply of estrogen removed.

Signs

Since estrogen plays a role in many areas of the body and menopause decreases the amount of estrogen produced, a broad range of symptoms can occur due to menopause. Here are some areas in which symptoms may appear as a result of menopause, aging, or a combination of the two:

• Changes in your period. Your period may be shorter or longer than usual, and it may not come as regularly as you're used to.


• Hot flashes. This is a sudden rush of heat in the upper part or all of your body that may wake you up from sleep and last for about 30 seconds to 10 minutes.


• Problems with your bladder and vagina. Your genital area may become dryer and thinner, making sexual intercourse somewhat uncomfortable, and you may find it harder to hold in urine as long as you used to.


• Sleep. It may become more difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.


• Sex. You may feel more or less interested in sex, and you cannot get pregnant after one full year after your last period. You can still contract STDs, so be safe and smart about sexual partners and experiences.


• ood changes. You may become more irritable due to stress, family changes, depression, or feeling tired.


• Your body seems different. You may gain weight, develop memory problems and stiff muscles and joints, and your skin may get thinner.

Other factors

Two main problems that may not be as obvious may develop as you go through menopause:

• Osteoporosis. Since estrogen has a role in controlling bone loss, the loss of estrogen during menopause causes more bone loss than can be replaced. After some time, bones can become weak and break more easily-a condition known as osteoporosis. You can talk to your doctor about getting a bone density test as well as learning about ways to prevent or treat osteoporosis.


• Heart disease. Aging and losing estrogen due to menopause contribute to a higher risk of heart disease. You may gain weight and develop high blood pressure, which increase the risk of heart disease. Have your blood pressure and levels of triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, and LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol checked regularly by your doctor. Talk to your doctor about ways to protect your heart during this time.

Staying Healthy

Staying healthy after menopause may require some changes in lifestyle, including the following:

• Do not use tobacco. If you do smoke, it is never too late to reap the benefits of quitting.


• Eat a diet low in fat and high in fiber with a lot of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods, as well as all the important vitamins and minerals.


• Get enough calcium and vitamin D to maintain healthy bones. If you do not get these through your diet, take supplements.


• Figure out what a healthy weight is for you, and make an effort to maintain that weight.


• Do weight-bearing exercises such as walking, jogging, or dancing on at least 3 days of the week to maintain healthy bones, and be physically active in other ways to maintain your overall health.

Other tips:

• If your doctor prescribes medication, be sure to take it as directed.


• If you experience vaginal discomfort, use a water-based lubricant (not petroleum jelly) or a vaginal estrogen cream or tablet.


• Get regular check-ups that include pelvic and breast exams, Pap tests, and mammograms. It is also a good idea to get screened for colon, rectal, and skin cancer. If you notice that you have a lump in your breast or a mole that has changed, contact your doctor immediately.

Coping 

Although menopause is not a disease and should not be treated, certain symptoms like hot flashes may bother you. Some ideas for coping with such symptoms may include:

• Keep track of when you get hot flashes using a diary. This will help you figure out whether they are brought on by a specific trigger that you can begin to avoid.


• If possible, go somewhere cool when you feel a hot flash begin.


• If you have noticed that night sweats wake you, keep your room cooler and use a fan.


• Dress in layers that are easily removable if you get too warm.


• Using sheets and clothes that allow your skin to "breathe" can make you more comfortable.


• When a flash begins, drink something cold such as water or juice.  

Hormone Changes

You may have heard varying opinions as to whether you should get hormone therapy to relieve some of your symptoms. There is information to help you decide, but it may still be a difficult decision to make. While you go through perimenopause, some doctors will suggest that you take birth control pills to help with heavy, frequent, or unpredictable menstrual periods. The pill can also help alleviate hot flashes and, of course, prevent pregnancy.

If your symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, or vaginal dryness are bothering you and interfering with your lifestyle, your doctor may recommend taking estrogen and possibly progesterone, which is referred to as "menopausal hormone therapy (MHT)." You may hear people call it hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as well. Taking these hormones can help with your symptoms and prevent bone loss due to menopause.

Although taking hormones may seem like the perfect solution, it does come with certain risks. Because of this, the FDA suggests that women use the lowest dose that works for the shortest amount of time necessary. Unfortunately, your symptoms may return as soon as you stop taking hormones. Talk to your doctor or health care provider if your symptoms have been bothering you. He or she can help you decide how to best manage menopause with the options and treatments available. You can see a gynecologist, geriatrician, general practitioner, or internist to help you, but make sure that whomever you choose is supplied with your medical history and your family medical history, which includes your risk for heart disease, osteoporosis, and breast cancer.

Remember that your decision is never final. You can and should review your choices with your doctor during your yearly checkup. You may develop different needs over time, and since the medical field is always growing, our knowledge about menopause and its treatments can change as well.

Phytoestrogens 

Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like substances found in some cereals, vegetables, legumes (including soy), and herbs. They might work in the body like a weak form of estrogen. Researchers are trying to discover whether phytoestrogens relieve some symptoms of menopause and if they might also carry some risks. Be sure to tell your doctor if you decide to try eating a lot more foods that contain phytoestrogens or to try using an herbal supplement. Any food or over-the-counter product that you use for its drug-like effects could change how other prescribed drugs work or cause an overdose.

Stomach Cramps - Things to Ponder During Menopause

Menopause is a transition stage in a woman's life when she stops menstruating for over 12 months continuously. When menopause sets in, the ovaries stop production of eggs, resulting in irregular menstrual activity that eventually ceases. Other hormonal changes occur and symptoms like stomach cramps, pain in the leg, irritability, mood swings, hot flashes and decrease in bone density accompany menopause.

Menopause usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 55, and is a natural event in every woman's life. It comes with its own string of health issues, be they physical or emotional, and can be a particularly trying time for those who suffer side effects of menopausal symptoms. They are just ways in which our body reacts to the decrease in production of female hormones.

Menopause and Stomach Cramps: Symptoms

Some women (the luckiest of the lot) may experience few symptoms, while others complain of mild to severe ones. However, the reassuring part is that the variation is normal. Women experiencing pelvic pain or cramps during menopause may recall suffering the same right before or during their menstrual periods and this may have a link to their hormonal cycle.

A common phenomenon during menstruation, this pelvic pain is termed as dysmenorrhea. However, if these stomach cramps occur during menopause and are severe enough to interfere with daily activities, then the cause may be an underlying condition and should be checked by a doctor.

Menopause and Stomach Cramps: Treatments

Stomach cramps experienced during menopause may be for a long period or occur infrequently for a short spell. If intense uterine contractions occur due to the hormonal changes taking place during menopause and are too prolonged, medical treatment for the cause may be necessary to get relief. Some Over the Counter (OTC) drugs are available to reduce pain and discomfort associated with them and those medications that do not contain steroids are preferable.

Other pleasurable options (since most of the gentler species would consider a pleasurable option to a merely therapeutic one) are, for menopausal women to enjoy a good, long soak in a hot bath or use a heating pad on the abdomen. The heat from the hot water or pad helps in increasing the blood flow and this reduces these or muscle spasms.

Menopause and Stomach Cramps: Psychological Counseling

A nutritionally balanced, healthy diet, regular physical exercise, sufficient rest, cutting back on alcohol intake and cigarette smoking also helps in reducing them during menopause. If the stomach cramps are so severe that they prevent you from enjoying your routine activities and timely rest does not help, it can be due to some other physical or emotional/behavioral disorders.

This kind of abdominal cramp can manifest itself in other ways and worsen behavioral symptoms like irritability, hostility, aggressive behavior, anxiety and depression. For treating this properly, it is very important for a woman to speak to someone she can confide in about any troublesome issues she may be facing or seek medical/psychological counseling to bring out the underlying issue so it can be dealt with effectively.

Doctors recommend a positive change in lifestyle and advice all such women to eat a balanced diet, take their vitamins on time, incorporate regular exercise in their life and learn to take things easier. These tips go a long way in reducing stress, the underlying cause for stomach cramps and menopause discomfort.

Menopause and Diet

Many women have found that special menopause diets can minimize the symptoms of menopause and make the change of life transition much easier and smoother. Menopause diets are a good alternative to prescribed medication and are good for those who worry about adverse side effects. Most all gynecologists recommend that women who are in their pre-menopause stages adopt a menopause diet and stay on it throughout the transition to reduce stress, reduce symptoms, and to ensure good health.

Black cohosh is one highly recommended herb to add to a menopause diet. Gynecologists urge that women begin using black cohosh for treatment of hot flashes. This herb is quite powerful and shouldn't be used any longer than six months. If used any longer than this, although there is no exact effects determined, there could be unknown side effects.

Japanese women intake a greater amount of soy in their everyday diet, and they are only 30% as likely to complain of menopause symptoms as women in the United States and other parts of the world. Soy includes estrogen like substances that are often used in menopause diets to help with hot flashes. The best way to take soy is through soymilk or tofu.

There are some things that, unfortunately, are a large part of most everyone's diet and are hard habits to break. However, these foods have adverse effects and can make menopause symptoms worse. Some of these are tea, alcohol, coffee, spicy food, soft drinks (with caffeine), and smoking. Try and keep high-calorie, sweet junk food to a minimum and eat as little of these as possible.

The main food experts recommend for menopause diets are fruits and vegetables, basically just eating healthy. Boost your intake of fruits such as melons, oranges, and lemons. Potassium, found in bananas, helps with women who retain water. Good vegetables are dark leafy vegetables like collard greens, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, peppers, and tomatoes. Regular fiber intake is also a healthy part of menopause dieting.

Instead of fried foods, try and stick to food that is broiled or baked. Instead of white bread and white rice eat more whole grains, like oats, rye bread, and brown rice. Try not to eat as many regular potatoes, but rather opt for sweet potatoes or pasta.

Other good things to add to your everyday diet include, oily fish like mackerel or salmon, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and unprocessed oils for cooking. Other foods that are not so conventional but are recommended are different types of seaweed (ask at your local health food store) like Nori, Kombu, Arame, and Wakame.

A well balanced, nutritious, healthy diet will help reduce symptoms and achieve optimum health in women. The key is to incorporate as many natural foods into your menopause diet as possible.

Tips For Delaying Menopause Symptoms

Menopause is an inevitable phase of a woman's lifecycle, a period where they undergo a sea of emotional as well as physical changes. This phase signifies the end of the fertility period as hormonal changes cause the ovaries to discontinue producing eggs due to which menstruation ceases. The average women experiences menopause after crossing the age of 50 but it isn't uncommon to see women aged between 35-40 years suffering from menopause symptoms.

No woman looks forward to menopause because it is period where you experience tremendous mood swings, anxiety, irritability, loss in sex drive and host of other problems. Additionally, following menopause, a female loses her reproductive ability which means that she can no longer have children. This is the reason why most women hope that menopause occurs to them as late as possible. And though you can't prevent menopause, it is very much possible to delay the symptoms provided that you incorporate a few lifestyle changes. In this article, we give you tips for delaying menopause symptoms.

Avoid smoking as smoking women are more susceptible to an early menopause. It has been found that women who smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day are 40 percent are more likely to get an early menopause than non smokers. Studies reveal that nicotine acts on the central nervous system and causes it to secrete hormones that are involved with menopause. So if you are a smoker, then it is about to time to kick the butt.

The second tip is to follow a balanced diet. Menopause is most likely to occur when the estrogen levels in the body drop drastically, so in order to prevent this from happening, eat foods that boost estrogen levels. In this regard, foods such as soy and whole grains can help as they are rich in estrogen while herbs such as dong quai and black kohosh too have been known to postpone menopause symptoms.

One other way to boost estrogen levels is by taking Vitamin E supplements. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that acts as estrogen substitute and supplements of these can boost estrogen levels. However consult with your doctor before taking these so that you are saved the side effect risks.

Lead an active lifestyle. It is important that you exercise everyday as regular exercise keeps the blood flowing and plus boosts the body's hormone production naturally. This can go a long way in delaying menopause.

However a word of note here, all of these methods may help you to delay menopause but ultimately you will have to face the symptoms. So be headstrong and think of it as a passing phase that occurs just once and you will surely be able to get over it.

Menopause - Sex After Menopause

However sexually active you were before the menopause, you can be sure that its onset will cause physical and psychological changes that will in some way change the way you feel sexually. While some women find their new situation liberating because they don't have to worry about menstrual cycles and pregnancy, others find that their sex drive decreases making sex difficult or uncomfortable.

- How does menopause decrease libido?

During the menopause, the levels of sex hormones in the body decrease dramatically. With a reduction in testosterone which is responsible for sexual desire and lubrication, progesterone which maintains libido, and estrogen which enhances sexual sensitivity, it is no wonder that physically we may feel less sexy during and after the menopause.

These physical changes often make it harder for a woman to reach orgasm as their sexual response is slower. Because the walls of the vagina become thinner as estrogen levels decrease, some women find intercourse uncomfortable, or even painful, and a few even experience bleeding.

The menopause symptoms often mean women don't feel much like having intercourse. Sex might be the last thing on your mind when you are having trouble sleeping and experiencing hot flushes.

You may feel uncomfortable about the changes to your body caused by the menopause, which could include increased weight around the stomach, sagging breasts and thinning hair. These factors can really knock your sexual confidence and lead you to reject your sexual partner. In turn this can lead to feelings of guilt and depression which only make the situation worse.

- How does menopause increase libido?

For many women the post menopausal phase is the most pleasurable sexually. Some find that without the worries of contraception and menstruation, they are able to relax and enjoy lovemaking more than they ever have before. Many find they are able to be more sexually adventurous after the menopause.

For those that are in a trusting long term relationship, this can be a time when the children are grown up, and as a couple you have more time to focus on each others' needs. The hormonal ups and downs of your menstrual cycle are finally over, and the emotional stress that they can bring is a thing of the past.

- Increasing libido post menopause

If you are finding sex after menopause difficult, here are a few things you could try:

~ Build up to intercourse slowly, perhaps using massage or taking a bath with your partner

~ If intercourse is painful you could limit this and use other methods of pleasuring each other; this may even spice up your sex life as you are inspired to experiment

~ Don't avoid intercourse completely as it does improve the muscle tone and lubrication of the vagina

~ Try masturbating to help you to become aroused more easily and achieve orgasm

~ Water based lubricants can make sex more comfortable and pleasurable

~ A hormone cream, such as natural progesterone cream, can help to keep your vaginal area healthy

~ Avoid highly perfumed bath products as these will increase vaginal dryness

Although the menopause can have a dramatic impact on your body and mind, it does not have to mark the end of your sex life. Take time to relax and enjoy the freedom of sex without contraception, or simply use this time to become more intimate with your partner.

Fibromyalgia and Menopause Facts For Women

Are you suffering the symptoms of menopause? If they include symptoms such as muscle stiffness and soreness, tenderness around the knees, elbows, hips and other joints, or pain and numbness in the hands or feet, then you may have the beginning of what's known as fibromyalgia. What is it? It isn't a disease as such but a condition that affects the joints and soft tissue including the muscles, and also includes fatigue in most cases. It also affects mostly women, which leads many doctors to believe it may be related to menopause.

The reason many doctors and others believe that fibromyalgia is related to menopause is that the majority of sufferers are not only women, but women over the age of 40 (approximately 80% according to statistics). So how are they related? That remains to be seen, but many researchers believe that an imbalance in hormones is partly to blame, even though they cannot find evidence of which ones specifically as of yet. Current focus is on the brain chemicals that control sleep cycles and mood, hormones released by the pituitary which are sensitive to estrogen, and possibly even changes in growth hormones. This link is likely because many women who suffer fibromyalgia are approaching menopause, have recently had a baby and are over 35 years of age, and women who have had either a tubal ligation or a hysterectomy.

The worst part about fibromyalgia is that there is no cure as of yet, only treatments that can help ease the symptoms. Treatments vary according to varying symptoms but include certain exercises specific to affected areas, pain relieving medications or muscle relaxants to help ease discomfort, and in some cases injections of analgesics to specific areas. There are other therapeutic treatments such as massage therapy, heat therapy, and a new therapy called hydrotherapy which involves movements in the water that help with circulation and don't involve putting pressure on the joints like other forms of exercise.

Some doctors and health specialists think that diet can play a role in helping to prevent fibromyalgia, eating more holistic foods that are full of nutrients such as phytochemicals and antioxidants, for instance. Eat more organic foods such as fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and even dried fruits. Drink plenty of water each day, which many people hear about but fail to follow through on, make it a habit. Some dieticians believe that lowering your intake of sodium rich foods and completely eliminating additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG's) and artificial sweeteners like Aspartame can help to relieve symptoms of fibromyalgia. Recent studies show that the practice of eating a vegan diet may even help alleviate symptoms.

How to Fight Menopause

What is menopause?

Menopause marks the end of female fertility which generally occurs around the age of 45-50 with a little variation. At this time the menstrual cycle stops. Various diseases develop after menopause in women. Therefore, you can use the following formula to maintain your fertility and delay menopause.

Using black cohosh:

Black cohosh is a flowering plant which is abundantly found in Eastern North America. It contains phytochemicals which relieve symptoms of menopause. Black cohoshes contain phytoestrogens, specifically isoflavones. They are believed to bind the estrogen receptors in your body. The plant estrogen almost acts like a natural estrogen, helping to retain the lubrication in your vagina. It also regulates the normal temperature. The bones of the body are strengthened by the natural estrogen. Black cohosh has a direct effect on your hypothalamus. It is positioned at the base of human brain. The hypothalamus regulates the temperature and hormone production. Since black cohosh has a direct effect on the hypothalamus, it can bring about positive changes. The terrible menopause symptoms like night sweat are also reduced with the use of black cohosh. Consuming black cohosh also helps to reduce anxiety and depression which are the common menopause symptoms.

Using Dong Quai:

Dong quai or Chinese Angelica is a common herb which abundantly grows in China. It is a common eastern medicine and is widely used for cooking purposes. The nickname of this plant is "female ginseng". Dong quai has a great effect on female body and is widely used in treating symptoms of menopause. Dong quai contains phytoestrogens. This hormone acts as natural estrogen hormone in females and binds the estrogen to the estrogen-receptors of the body. This increases the level of estrogen in blood. This increased estrogen has the ability to reduce a number of menopausal symptoms. Dong quai is also a good source of Vitamins E, A, and B12.

Maca Root:

The Maca root when combined with food is considered to give sexual benefits. The maca root, looks radish is also beneficial and reduces the symptoms of menopause in women. Therefore it is widely used all over the world. Maca root consists of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron as well as Vitamins B1, B2, B12, C, and E. Maca Roots keeps a balance between estrogen and progesterone level in the blood.

Red Clover:

Red clover grows abundantly in Europe and Asia and came into existence in North America for grazing purposes. It is also known as cow clover, bee-bread, and purple clover. Red clover is now considered to have a beneficial effect on all menopause symptoms.

How to Get Rid of Menopause

What is Menopause?

Menopause is the name given to the process by which the female reproductive system shuts down as a person passes through middle age. The ovaries stop producing estrogen and menstruation ceases. Once this happens the body goes through a period of adjustment to the reduced hormone levels, which is why some women experience symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings. The onset of menopause usually occurs between the ages of 40 to 60 and lasts anywhere from six to thirteen years with diminishing symptoms as time passes.

Menopause is usually diagnosed by symptoms alone, but a blood test can also be preformed to confirm the diagnosis. If you suspect the onset of menopause you should see your doctor immediately.

Early Menopause Symptoms: Pre-Menopause

When menopause is about to begin, there is usually a span of time where periods become irregular; shorter or longer, heavier or lighter, or occur with uneven frequency. This is called perimenopause. It's a good idea to see your doctor about any dramatic changes to your menstral cycle even if you suspect perimenopause is the culprit. More information about perimenopause can be found here.

Menopause Symptoms: The Signs of Menopause

Don't let the size of this list scare you, not all women experience menopausal symptoms and not all women who experience symptoms experience all of these symptoms. Here are the most common:

* Hot flashes

* Night sweats

* Trouble sleeping

* Pain during intercourse

* Vaginal itchiness, dryness, or bleeding

* Increased urination frequency

* Increased urination urgency

* Incontinance

* Joint pain

* Muscle pain

* Back pain

* Thinning or sagging skin

* Mood swings

* Irritability

* Fatigue

* Impaired Memory

Menopause also increases the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, bone loss, and other diseases. You should see your doctor for a personalized risk assessment.

Premature Menopause

About one percent of women experience menopause before the age of 40. There are a number of reasons a women may hit menopause early, including thyroid disease, diabetes, and having undergone chemotherapy. Premature menopause is diagnosed by measuring the levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in the blood. When menopause occurs, blood FSH and LH levels spike.

Male Menopause

Before you start laughing you should know that just as women undergo a process where their reproductive system shuts down, so do men. In men the process is called andropause and involves the cessation of testosterone production. Men who experience andropause are usually between the ages of 40 and 60, and the process is usually much more gradual then that of menopause. More information about andropause

Treating Menopause Symptoms

Unfortunately, menopausal symptoms vary so widely from woman to woman that there isn't a single miracle cure to rid you of the suffering. If you're in the midst of menopause and looking for relief, the very first place to go is to your doctor to discuss your symptoms along with possible treatments for them.

The second place you should look for advice is from your mother. It is very likely that your experience of menopause will be very much like your mothers experience so she should have plenty of advice and experience to relate to you.

Aside from these two people, you should read and learn as much as possible. Menopause is a very complex process which cannot be covered adequately in a single article (that's why there are links to other resources scattered throughout this page). The more you know, the better prepared you will be to cope with the symptoms, and safeguard against the risks. You will find that a lot of the advice you read will point to general good health practices; working out, eating right, not smoking, taking supplements, etc.

Information on herbal menopause remedies and symptom-specific remedies can be found further down this page.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

Hormone Replacement Therapy involves manually replacing the hormones that your body has stopped producing. It has been shown to greatly reduce the symptoms of menopause as well as the incidence of osteoporosis, however - it has also been shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, breast cancer, and stroke. The decision to begin HRT is not one to be taken lightly, you should talk with your doctor and stuff your brain full of as much information as you can stand. Here are some good starting points:

* National Library of Medicine - Hormone Replacement Therapy

* MayoClinic.com - Hormone Replacement Therapy: Benefits and Alternatives

Menopause Home Remedies

Sometimes it can seem as if menopause is causing you to fall apart. Don't let it get you down, here's some remedies that can help you keep it together. Anything that is good for your overall health will help with your menopause symptoms. Take supplements daily, there are some formulated specifically for a woman's body as it undergoes menopause. There are also many herbal menopause remedies that may help.

night sweatsHot Flashes and Night Sweats

Ah, the most common symptom of menopause: hot flashes and night sweats. A hot flash is a sudden, intense sensation of warmth that travels through the body and often is accompanied by chills and sweating. Hot flashes can last from 30 seconds to 30 minutes and are often accompanied by a feeling of anxiety.

While there are no known ways to stop a hot flash that has already struck, many women have observed that there are environmental factors that seem to increase the frequency of hot flashes. Those are: Hot and humid weather, anxiety, alcohol, caffeine and other stimulants, spicy foods, and lack of sleep. The use of black cohosh has also been reported to help with hot flashes.

Painful Intercourse

Vaginal thinning and dryness are an unfortunate effect of menopause, especially since they're not always accompanied by a diminished sex drive. The bad news is that the thinning and dryness will continue to increase, the good news is that it can these effects can often be negated through regular sexual intercourse. The phrase "use it or loose it" comes to mind. Personal lubricants can help with the dryness and itchiness.

Bladder Control

When menopause begins, the muscles that surround the bladder begin to weaken and a sense of impending urination or some accidental leakage can result. This can be controlled by exercising these muscles through the use of Kegel exercises. Kegel exercises are designed to strengthen the muscles in your pelvis and can really help with the bladder control problems associated with menopause.

To perform a Kegel exercise, contract your pelvic muscles as if you were trying to tighten your vaginal opening, hold the contraction for a three-count and relax. Follow the link in the previous paragraph for more detailed instructions.

Wrinkles

Your skin becomes more prone to stretch marks and wrinkles during and after menopause due to the body producing less elastin and collagen. Start a daily routine of applying a high quality lotion to your body to keep your skin hydrated and elastic.

Avoid Cellulite in Menopause - What You Can Do About Menopause Cellulite

Menopause is a condition that all women are subjected to. There is no way for the ladies to get rid of this problem they reach a certain age in their life. Many find it unbearable, especially to those people around them that stands witness to the physical and emotional change that is going on in their body -- but the worst problem that crops up during this condition is the formation of cellulite.

Everyone, especially females, are prone to this physical problem; in fact, many women who have undergone menopause find this in their body and will do anything to get rid of it to restore their confidence in their own appearance.

Facts

Cellulite is subcutaneous fat build-up under your skin. Hormones and genetics play a big role in its appearance, but a person's daily habits also contribute to this condition. Women are prone to this problem, but there are men who acquire one during the phase in their life.

Excessive eating habits, unhealthy lifestyle, and lack of physical exercise can lead to this condition. Women during and after menopause are prone to this problem, due to the changes in and out of their bodies during menopausal. The best way to get rid of this problem is to prevent it from happening before it gets a hold on you.

Watch Your Diet

One of the common phases in menopause is the abnormal eating habits. Women who are under this condition tend to eat a lot when they get depressed or visited by anxiety attacks. If you aren't careful, then what you eat will end up with the build-up of fat under your skin that can be very stressful to remove.

If you are unable to control your eating problems during menopause then you better ask your friends or family members to keep tabs of it for you. You can consult your health care provider to come up with strategies to help control eating habits and avoid the build-up of subcutaneous fat in various areas of your body. Some make use of herbal diet pills, such as hunger suppressants, to control their uncontrollable urge to eat.

Indulge In Physical Exercise

One way to fight this condition, as well as keeping track of your menopause problems is to indulge in physical exercise. This is a healthy way to avoid wallowing in anxiety attacks and depression that is commonly found in menopausal women; as well as giving you the chance to sweat out the subcutaneous fat out of your body.

Menopause - Don't Take Artificial Sweeteners For Midlife Weight Control

As women approach menopause, it is natural to gain weight. You can notice the belly area accumulates more fat; so many menopause women try their best to find sweeteners with fewer calories.

Unfortunately, artificial sweeteners make you gain weight. When researchers followed more than 1,000 people for 8 years, they found that on average, for each diet soft drink consumer per day, the chances of becoming overweight jumped about 37%.

Moreover, artificial sweeteners are dangerous too.

1. Don't add artificial sugars to hot coffee. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener. It has similar effects on the body as monosodium glutamate (MSG). Moreover, when liquid aspartame is heated to above 85 degrees, it breaks down into DKP and formaldehyde, both of them are toxins, and cause cancers, brain damage and more problems.

2. Artificial sugars make you chemically and physically addicted to them. Some studies have found: "fake" sugars increase the preference for sweets.

3. Diet sodas are loaded with artificial sugars. Since fall 1983, the FDA approves NutraSweet for carbonated soft drinks and other liquids. Many people complained horrible health issues, including depression, hypertension, dementia, nausea, sickness, headaches, migraines, dizziness, etc.

The good news is that those extra pounds you gain during peri-menopause will go away once you get past menopause.

Also, diets with high sugar and fat will increase hot flashes. Diets with low sugar and fat, as Asian women have, will reduce hot flashes.

So avoid artificial sweeteners and reduce sweeteners as much as you can during menopause. If you really like sweeteners, use sugar from natural sugar canes.

Natural Menopause Relief Secrets - 4 Natural Remedies For Menopause Symptoms

It should be understood that menopause is not a disease. Menopause is only a stage in the life cycle of a woman. Too many women, who are going through menopause, bear this in mind. Your body is beautiful. Everything, every creature is beautiful. Menopause can be a liberating experience, and I know of many menopausal women who are happy and are enjoying it. What you need is an understanding of yourself and a stronger faith in God.

The secret to living an enjoyable and meaningful life after menopause is to take care of the body early in life. Women and everyone in general should take care of their bodies early in life so that it can serve us better at age.

Some of the natural remedies to the symptoms of menopause are as follows:

Water

Water is natural but does more work in the body than many know. The importance of water for proper functioning of the body cannot be over emphasized. Early in the morning, on rising from bed, drink three to four cups of water. It is not enough to do this for a month or two. Make it a habit. If you are able to do this continually for a year, you will see what a transformation will come upon your body. The young women should keep this in mind rather than wait until old age sets in. As for those nearing menopause, water is a great help. If you take water adequately as described above, you will soon notice a reduction in hot flashes and internal heat.

Take Bitter Leaf

Bitter leaf is one of the best woman friendly plants. It is good for the body either before, during or after menopause. Bitter leaf takes care of such symptoms as hot flashes, internal heat and rheumatism. With bitter leaf around, women do not need to take artificial oestrogen which in any case has its own negative side effects. Bitter leaf does not supply oestrogen but helps the body to produce the amount of oestrogen needed for life. Squeezing the fresh leaves of bitter leaf in water and taking a glass every morning and night is advisable. This is not only good for those who are already experiencing the symptoms of menopause and those who have attained menopause. The use of bitter leaf has proven to be one of the best reliefs for menopause.

Take Honey

Menopausal women should take plenty of honey. A lot has been said about honey. Those who take honey regularly will remain fresh, healthy and strong till old age. They will go through menopause without falling victims of the symptoms. Mix four desert spoons of honey with half glass of water and drink twice daily.

The Use of Wonder Tincture

Wonder tincture is another effective natural preparation that eases the symptoms of menopause.

Facts About Perimenopause - How it Affects You

Perimenopause happens 12 months before the actual menopausal cycle. Females will experience a gradual cessation of their menstrual cycle until it permanently stops that marks the start of the menopausal stage. In most cases, this condition happens at the age of 35 in average, but can be seen late in some women.

Female may discover hormonal imbalance even earlier than the actual menopause cycle. Estrogen levels will start to drop when women reach the age of 35 or may even start late around 40's. This continuous decline happens 12 months before menopause so it might be best to prepare yourself with information beforehand to avoid or take steps to counter the signs and symptoms that come with it get rid or eliminate any discomforts afterwards.

Facts

This condition is often attributed to the gradual decrease of a woman's menstruation, which is attributed to the decrease of their reproductive function that is common sign of old age. Women under this stage of their life might experience hormonal imbalance as their estrogen levels decrease over time. In most cases, this occurs when there is less or no progesterone is produced.

Symptoms

It was observed that the menstrual cycle of the female species will eventually stop when perimenopause symptoms appear. Emotional and behavioral changes are the most evident among the other signs of this condition, which is often seen as mood swings, depression, anxiety, and irritability without any triggers at all. Women are mostly confused when they are under a sudden bout of sadness under a very normal day -- which eventually leads to depression and its risks when left unchecked.

Women under this condition may also experience hot flashes and night sweats. Sexual behavior is affected as well, such as taking longer time in reaching an orgasm or painful intercourse attributed to dryness around the vagina. Men have also seen less sexual drive from their partners when they undergo perimenopausal stage.

There are other symptoms attributed to this condition but may vary from one woman to another. Some experience tender breasts while others do not. Other signs and symptoms include muscle and joint pains, back pains, dryness to the skin, weakness or fatigue, hair loss, weight gain, sleeping problems, water retention, and so on.

Countering The Signs

It's true that the signs and symptoms of perimenopause might be very uncomfortable to some, but there are certain ways to fight the condition to make it more bearable.

For example, women suffering from sleeping problems due to this condition might want to take herbal supplements to help correct the problem. Same can also be said for headaches, body aches and pains, and so on.

Post Menopause - When the Worst Symptoms of Menopause Are Over

When a woman has been through the worst symptoms of menopause, there will come a time when it begins to be a part of her life. Almost as if those symptoms are expected - a daily occurrence. But about the time you have gotten used to these annoying symptoms, something magical will happen - you realize they are going away. You may be entering what's called "post-menopause", when that stage is finally over. By definition, that means 12 continuous months without a period.

I'm sure you are saying to yourself "I can't wait until it's over!" Not only will the worst of the symptoms be behind you, but it can open up a whole new chapter in your life. Your friends and family may joke that now you are really over the hill, or that it's all downhill from here. But if you have the right attitude this can be the beginning of a true freedom that you will enjoy for many years, especially if it means finally getting your sanity and your health back!

Now that you no longer have your monthly visitor and you don't have to worry about getting pregnant, the only things you really need to worry about are your health and your happiness. Of course the lack of hormones still puts you at risk for osteoporosis, high cholesterol, and some cancers, but you already know about that right? And you are taking steps to minimize your risks, I'm sure. Things like eating right, exercising on a regular basis, taking vitamins and a daily calcium supplement, for starters. And don't forget to get an annual checkup at your doctor's office as well. Don't wait until something feels wrong, it may be too late. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right?

Now that you aren't so preoccupied with hot flashes, night sweats, and the crazy feeling that you are losing your mind, your focus will be much better. Many women find this time of their lives great for trying new things: possibly a new career, going back to school if just for a few classes, learning a new language, all of the things she couldn't do before in life because there just wasn't enough time.

Of course if you still have children living at home, the responsibility will be to them first. But even still, with your new attitude and fresh outlook on life will make things seem much smoother. Most women in post-menopause report having much more energy, they are much more stable emotionally, and are more tolerant of those around them. As if a veil has been lifted, let this new stage of your life take wings and set you free!

Andropause Vs Menopause - Differences Between The Sexes

Unknown to several men, they also experience the horrors of male menopause, which involves a significant drop in the reproductive hormones during middle age generally between the ages of forty and sixty. The condition is medically known as Andropause, Testosterone Deficiency, Viropause, Late Onset Hypogonadism (LOH), Male Climacteric, Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male (ADAM) or Partial Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male (PADAM).

To be more specific, while female menopause occurs when the ovaries cease to function and ovulation and menstruation ends, which lead to the sudden decrease and eventual loss of estrogen hormones; alternately, andropause involves a gradual decline in the testosterone level. However, while the former leads to complete infertility, the same is not true for men. Sexual impotence aside, testosterones as well as sperm cells are continually produced, permitting the latter to produce children even up to the age of eighty.

People experience menopause as a natural biological occurrence. However, some other factors are said to contribute to an earlier onslaught of the condition, such as: excessive alcohol intake, hormonal deficiencies, obesity, improper diet, hypertension, smoking, medications, lack of exercise, psychological problems, heart and lung diseases, and surgical removal of the ovaries or the uterus among females.

The major effect of both menopause and andropause is that people are steadily brought back to pre-puberty stage, with symptoms that affect not only their hormones but also their physiological, psychological, social, spiritual and sexual aspects. Noticeable symptoms that are common to both include: hot flashes and night sweats, fatigue, muscle and joint pains, headaches and dizziness, hair loss, low sex drive, memory loss, poorer judgments, lethargy, weight gain, digestive problems, gum and oral problems, incontinence, itches and allergies, vaginal dryness for women and erectile dysfunction for men, difficulty concentrating, irregular heartbeat, and sleeping disorders.

Mid-life crisis or psychological and emotional changes are likewise experienced, such as intermittent mood swings, irritability, depression and anxiety. Men undergoing andropause become more boyish and childish but with less bravado. They grow to be more emotionally attached to family and friends. They become more motherly and domesticated.

There are now medically recognized treatments for both menopause and andropause. The most common one is hormone replacement therapy. There is Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) for andropause and Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy (PHT) for menopause, which help to bring the hormonal levels back up. However, it is said that when improperly administered, TRT can affect sperm production and increase the risk of having prostate cancer, stroke and liver toxicity. PHT is likewise said to be a triggering cause for stroke among women. Other symptoms for menopause and andropause are treated for the specific medical condition experienced. The problem seen here is that the condition is not addressed holistically and there still remain other symptoms that are untreated.

In any case, people must know that the condition is inevitable. Men or women alike would eventually have to experience menopause. Perhaps, like other health conditions, menopause might actually be bearable save for some indications that affect one's interpersonal relationships. The best way to deal with this is for the whole family to be familiar with the condition and its symptoms. Doing so will certainly help how they relate with one another as everyone begins to understand what the loved one is going through.

Menopause - The Culmination Of A Women's Climacteric

Menopause is the culmination of a woman's climacteric. The climacteric is a period of several years, usually beginning in the forties, during which ovulation and menstruation become irregular as the ovaries produce less estrogen. Menopause is reached when menstruation completely stops, usually by age 55 but sometimes by age 40. Commonly called the change of life, menopause involves physical and psychological changes that vary in their extent and in the effects they have on women. Although many symptoms have been blamed on menopause, only a few are direct consequences of declining estrogen, including hot flashes, vaginal changes, weakening of muscles controlling urination, and loss of bone density (osteoporosis).

Hot flashes are reported by as many as 75% of women in the year surrounding the actual menopause. The flashes or flushes are feelings of warmth and sometimes cause profuse perspiration. They last for a few minutes to an hour.

Vaginal changes include lack of lubrication and thinning of the vaginal walls, which may produce pain and bleeding during intercourse. Weakening of the urethral muscles may cause women to leak urine under the stress of sneezing, coughing, or laughing.

Lowered estrogen causes loss of bone density in about 25% of white, Asian, and Hispanic women. African-American women are at low risk for this effect, while smokers and thin women are at higher risk. Bone density loss increases the risk of fractures and the deformed vertebrae of dowager's hump.

An obvious consequence of menopause is infertility. However, during the climacteric but before final cessation of ovulation, women are still fertile and may have an increased likelihood of conceiving a child if they stop using contraceptive practices. A simple blood test can determine when a woman has become infertile.

Menopause is normal; it is neither a physical nor a psychological disorder. The meaning that menopause has for a woman may lead to worries and even depression, however. For some women, especially in the United States, menopause means declining femininity and sexual attractiveness. For others, loss of fertility signals uselessness and old age. These and other psychological reactions may combine with hormonal changes to produce additional signs associated with menopause, such as headache, nervousness and anxiety, weight gain, and memory problems.

Some women lose interest in sexual activity due to a combination of vaginal changes and concerns about femininity and attractiveness. Some women believe that sexual activity ought to cease after menopause, but that idea is not supported by medical research.

Many women welcome menopause as liberation from dealing with menstruation and contraception, and they may become more interested in sexual activity. In many Asian and African cultures, in which older women are respected sources of advice and wisdom, menopause is more likely to be welcomed than it is in cultures that eulogize youth and ignore the aged.

Treatments are readily available if the physical signs of menopause are distressing. Hormone replacement therapy, which supplies the missing estrogen by pill, vaginal cream, or patch, is the most effective treatment. It is also the treatment of choice for osteoporosis. There has been considerable controversy over the advisability of estrogen replacement for symptoms of menopause, since estrogen is associated with increased risk of cancer of the breast or endometrium (lining of the uterus). Taking progestin for part of a monthly cycle appears to prevent endometrial cancer, but it reestablishes menstruation. Women with none of the risk factors for breast cancer can probably take estrogen safely, especially if they take it for less than five years. Most physicians believe that estrogen reduces the risk of heart disease more than enough to offset any increased risk of breast cancer.

Other ways to manage signs of menopause are satisfactory for many women. Osteoporosis may be offset by exercise and calcium supplements. Exercise and a low-fat diet help to control the cholesterol elevation that is associated with higher risks of heart disease after menopause. Kegel exercises (repeated contraction of the muscles that stop the flow of urine) maintain and improve bladder control.

Many women find practical remedies effective. A drink of ice water may end a hot flash, or removing a sweater may make it less troublesome. Thirty minutes of exercise may relieve insomnia, and pain during intercourse may be eliminated by spending more time in foreplay for arousal before attempting penetration. Using a water-soluble lubricating jelly in the vagina may make intercourse more enjoyable for both partners.

Husbands and other family members play a significant role in a woman's feelings of usefulness and desirability. The church may also play a beneficial role by providing opportunities for service that draw on her accumulated wisdom and experience. In addition, church leaders should reinforce Christian teachings of respect for the aging process, opposing the contrary cultural stereotypes that produce negative reactions to menopause.

Menopause: Signs You Should Watch Out For

Menopause is a stage of every woman's life that comes with unprecedented worries and uncertainties. When we talk about this stage of life, the only certain and general fact is that every woman, at one time or the other, will definitely experience her share of this 'headache'. Perhaps, that's about how far the certainty goes. Every other aspect of this all-important stage of life is almost completely shrouded in mystery and uncertainties.

Obviously, it would not be an over-statement to assert that no single woman can be sure of when and what her menopausal experience will be like. For every woman the experience varies. It could be a smooth or harrowing experience. It could set in as early as 45yrs or as late as 55yrs. The period could be a long painful experience or just a short 'bumpy ride', you never can tell. The best bet is always to be as prepared as you can, and not be caught napping when it sets in. The best part of every preparation, however, is knowledge. The more you know about this important stage of life, the better prepared for the uncertainties to come, you are. In this regard, a clear understanding of the tell-tale signs that predict and characterize the onset of menopause, will be quite handy.

However, to clearly understand the signs of menopause, it is paramount to have a grasp of the basic biological process underlying menstruation and eventually, menopause. At birth, each female possesses approximately one-half million 'eggs' in the reproductive system. With each menstruation, from puberty, an egg is lost. With increasing age and menstruation, the 'eggs' in stock for further menstruation dwindle. This probably explains why early onset of puberty (and thus menstruation) predisposes to early menopause. The pre-menopausal stage, when you start experiencing scanty menstruation or menstruation without ovulation (annovulatory cycles) occurs when the egg left in the reproductive system have become scarce and insufficient for regular menstruation.

The female hormones too play important roles in this menstrual chemistry. In a healthy woman's menstrual cycle, estrogen is the dominant hormone produced for the first ten to twelve days of the menstrual cycle. Ovulation, at mid cycle stimulates the production of progesterone, which becomes dominant for the other half of the menstrual cycle and also sustains pregnancy for the first three months, if it does occur. However, if there is no fertilization, hence pregnancy, progesterone and estrogen levels fall around the 28th day, depending on the woman's cycle, and allow menstruation to occur. Anything that affects this complex inter-play of hormones could cause problems with menstruation that sometimes mimic menopause.

Now that we have a basic understanding of the menstrual process, let's take a look at the signs that warn of impending menopause or that characterizes this stage of life. As explained in the previous paragraph, estrogen dominates before ovulation, while progesterone takes over after ovulation. But with approaching menopause, annovulatory cycles become common. Without ovulation, progesterone is not produced in the body for that month, allowing estrogen a free ride. With continuous annovulatory cycles, the hormonal difference between these two hormones widens. The increasing dominance of estrogen and the hormonal imbalance created is largely responsible for the first signs of menopause. This condition is referred to as estrogen 'dominance' and the signs to watch out for, includes:

- Low sex drive

- Mood swings 

- Excessive menstrual buildup 

- Headache before menstrual period 

- Bloating and weight gain.
Some of these signs, however, could be as a result of stress and tension build up in the body, especially when they occur in women still in their 30s or early 40s.  However, several other signs that could definitely warn of approaching menopause include:
- Foggy brain or thinking with memory lapses

- Insomnia (problems with sleeping) 

- Light or heavy menstrual flow when menstruation does occur 

- Hot flashes which can last as long as 5mins, occurring several times a day 

- Vaginal dryness 

- Lumpy or tender breast 

- Water retention / bloating 

- Weight gain 

- Endometriosis 

- Abnormal hair growth 

- Anxiety and depression   

This list cannot be said to be exhaustive, but at least it gives you a feel of what to look out for. There are so many myths and worries about menopause. It, sure, would help to clear your mind, know what to look out for and approach it with a positive and prepared mind. That's about the best you do.

Eczema And Menopause - Changes Of Life And Skin Problems

Eczema is commonly associated with menopause because it is one of the symptoms that can occur during this difficult time of life. Because there is a reduction in the amount of estrogen in the body, the collagen in the skin begins change. A lot of people's skin becomes thin and dry as they start to age, which can cause problems such as itching. Knowing how to recognize the signs of eczema and treat it appropriately is important, especially if you are in your 50s or 60s when menopause is common.

A lot of people who have eczema experience the peeling of their own skin as well as itching. These are two very common signs of eczema and there are numerous ways to treat it. The first thing that you should do to fight this symptom of menopause is to get a good moisturizer which you will need to apply daily. Get one that has plenty of Vitamin E and A. After you do this for a while you should start to notice a very significant difference in the way your skin feels and dryness as well as itching should improve.

The more you scratch your dry the skin the worse it will become. Try to keep from aggravating it even further. Sometimes people with eczema need to test a few different moisturizer products before they find something that works for them. Do not get discouraged as you go through this process. You will be able to find some moisturizing product that will be able to assist with the symptoms of your eczema.

Sometimes women who go through menopause experience this as a side-effect, and it more common than most people think. Each year dermatologists see thousands of people who have this problem, so it is certainly nothing to be embarrassed about. Also staying out of the sun as much as possible is important, because over exposure to UV rays will end up damaging and drying out the skin. Even though itchy skin in the form of eczema is a somewhat minor side-effect of menopause, it can still be a very frustrating one. Preventing further damage is important with any skin problem since bacterial infections can occur with open and inflamed areas.

Menopause - 5 Strategies to Survive the Change of Life

Menopause is an inevitable phase of a woman's life... it usually begins around 40 years of age (give or take a few years) and can last for many years, and is characterised by many disruptive symptoms and changes.

Although this phase cannot be avoided, much can be done to survive this period of your life. Here are 5 suggestions to consider:

• Get informed: this period of your life is characterised by many different symptoms including moodiness, hot flushes, sleeplessness, fatigue, weight changes, changes in libido, aches and pains just to name a few. Some of these symptoms can play havoc with you and many can be relieved with diet, medication, natural remedies, lifestyle changes. Read books, search the Internet, talk to your Dr or naturopath to inform yourself about the symptoms of menopause and how they can be relieved. You don't have to do it tough... there are things that you can do. Be in control of your symptoms... not the other way around!



• Talk to someone: many women find this period of their life difficult to manage and it is extremely useful to talk it through with someone you trust. Talking things through has many advantages including getting it out of your system, helping you find solutions to problems you're experiencing, helping you gain perspective and helping you deal with things.



• Accept it will happen: Menopause is inevitable... it will happen! Whether it happens as a natural part of ageing or whether it's been bought on earlier because of surgery (for example, hysterectomy) or some treatments (for example, radiotherapy), it will happen.



• Listen to your body: changes take place in your body as a result of ageing let alone as a result of menopause. The key is to listen to your body. If you get tired, don't over push yourself. If you feel unwell, get it checked out. If you feel frumpy, start to do something about it and perhaps make changes to your diet and exercise routine.



• Have a positive perspective: Many women dread this period of life because they see it as the beginning of the end... it can, in fact, mark the beginning of renewed energy and more time to do what you truly want to do. See it as the beginning of a new chapter in your life where you are not bogged down so much with responsibilities and commitments (e.g. with your young children) as you perhaps had when you were younger.