Staying Healthly After Menopause

Simply put, menopause is the end of your monthly menstrual periods. It is confirmed when a woman has not had a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. It’s also a natural phase of a woman’s life and nothing to be concerned about.

The signs and symptoms of menopause can cause problems to some women, but there are many ways in which these symptoms can be addressed, with either natural herbs for menopause, or various prescriptions drugs.

Personally I prefer the natural herbal route, but which ever option you choose, it’s best to consult with a doctor to find out about all the choices available to you.

More and more women are viewing menopause as a gateway to enjoying 30-40 more full years of life. For many, menopause is a time for setting new goals, being adventurous and not feeling guilty about taking time for themselves. As you enter this new phase of your life, it is likely that you will have many questions about menopause.

There is a process that begins as the ovaries gradually stop producing estrogen. As estrogen levels drop many women begin to experience symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness, and monthly periods become fewer and fewer.

A woman’s risk of osteoporosis and heart disease also increases as estrogen levels fall. Every woman experiences menopause differently. As many as 75 per cent – 85 per cent of women have symptoms, but some have none at all. There is some evidence that menopause symptoms are a culture-bound phenomenon, with women from cultures not influenced by western medicine reporting few symptoms or different symptoms.

Most women experience “natural menopause” (menopause hot caused by any treatment or surgery). In most eases this occurs between the, ages of 45 – 55 (age 51 on average).

Induced menopause is menopause caused by medical intervention. The most common cause is surgical removal of both ovaries but certain drugs or radiation therapy can also cause induced menopause.

Women who experience induced menopause during their pre-menopausal years will spend more years without protection of the ovarian hormone estrogen thus increasing their lifetime risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.

After menopause many women experience urinary and vaginal problems caused by the natural decrease in the amount of estrogen produced by the body. Localized symptoms can range from simply irritation and discomfort to urinary urgency and painful sexual intercourse. Al the symptoms are personal in nature and many find discussing them as uncomfortable as the symptoms themselves.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of short term menopause-related-disturbance, such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness. HRT also helps to protect women from the long term consequences of estrogen loss (osteoporosis and heart disease).

The best way to adopt a proactive approach to your own health care is to become informed about all possible treatment options. If you decide to take the natural route, here’s some helpful information about herbs for menopause.