Menopause Q&A
The
Most Misunderstood
Transition of Your Life
There is so much in
print and
in the media about menopause. There are over 40 million
women in
the U.S. who have reached that time of life when
menstruation ends and the ovaries no longer make
very much
estrogen. This is a normal body "change" that
forces
menstrual periods to slow, then stop completely.
When there
is no menstrual period for a year, a woman is said
to be "in
menopause."
The physical changes
that
occur during menopause should not slow you down or
keep you
from activities you enjoy. Every woman is unique.
How you
cope with and respond to menopause, can determine
whether it
is a pleasant or unpleasant experience. If you
understand
your body, learn what options are available to you
to
prepare you for the rest of your life and live each
day to
the fullest, menopause can be the beginning of one
of the
best periods of your life.
How do you know if
your
starting this process? The period before menopause
is called
peri-menopause. During peri-menopause some women
have no
symptoms and others realize something is happening
to their
bodies. Some of the symptoms include:
-
Irregular periods
that
occur unpredictably and vary in length and amount
of flow.
-
Hot flashes that
feel like
a sudden rush of heat that start at the chest or
neck and
spread to the face, and are accompanied by
sweating,
flushing, blotching or a rapid heart rate.
-
Night sweats which
are when
a hot flash awakens a woman from a sound sleep and
she
finds herself drenched in sweat.
-
Vaginal dryness
that can
cause painful intercourse.
-
Change in sexual
desire
where there is an increased or decreased interest
in sex.
-
Urge incontinence
causing a
sudden urge to urinate.
-
Stress incontinence
causing
involuntary leakage of urine when you laugh,
cough, sneeze
or lift a heavy object.
-
Overflow
incontinence where
there is a constant leaking of small amounts of
urine.
The women we hear
from say
even more. Such a far wider range of symptoms that
include
facial hair, itchy scalp, thinning hair, brittle
nails and
even a deepening voice. So many symptoms can come
from the
aging process, so how does the loss of estrogen
relate to
accelerated age-related symptoms you may ask?
Let's start with
thinning
hair. According to the information we have, as women
age,
they often experience significant overall thinning,
as well
as a reduction in hair shaft diameter, particularly
around
the forehead and crown of the scalp. Before
menopause,
estrogen blocks or "opposes" the conversion of
testosterone
into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is the known
cause of
non-traumatic hair loss. Once females enter
menopause,
levels of estrogen decline and more testosterone is
then
available to be converted to DHT. Some researchers
suggest
that before menopause about 13 percent of women
report hair
thinning; afterwards, about 37 percent.
Regarding loss of
muscle
tone: no one really knows if women's muscle tone
changes are
a general result of aging or from hormone
fluctuations, the
studies simply haven't been done. But in the
1940's, a Los
Angeles gynecologist named Arnold Kegel recognized
that as
estrogen levels decreased during menopause, pelvic
floor
muscle relaxation accelerates, leading to urinary
incontinence, sexual response problems, prolapse and
other
issues. His regimen of pelvic muscle exercises is
very
helpful in strengthening the bladder and retaining
orgasmic
vitality. The instructions are outlined for this
exercise
on the left column of this page.
Many come to us
regarding our
natural hair remover and how it will help them with
unwanted
facial hair. We'll it really does help. But why
does it
happen in the first place? Before menopause,
androgen
hormones, mostly testosterone, combine with estrogen
providing the balance for a woman's body. "When a
woman
enters menopause, production of ovarian hormones
declines,"
says Fall2003 Remedy Magazine. "This means that
estrogen
levels drop, often more than levels of androgen
hormones
such as testosterone. This can cause the appearance
of
facial hair or a deeper voice."
"Dry Eye." That's
what the
National Eye Institute is calling it. A condition
more
common in women, especially after menopause. The
main
symptom of dry eye is usually a scratchy or sandy
feeling,
as if something is in the eye. To determine the
cause and
treatment, it is important to see an ophthalmologist
for an
evaluation.
SURGICAL MENOPAUSE
Surgical Menopause
occurs
when ovaries are removed by an operation before
naturally
occurring menopause. Menopause can also be caused by
treatment for a serious disease, like breast cancer.
MAINTAINING VAGINAL
HEALTH
The Kegel Exercise
can
strengthen the muscles around the urethra, vagina
and
rectum, helping to improve bladder control. The
exercise
involves squeezing and relaxing the muscles around
the
vagina. Squeeze them tightly for 5 to 10 seconds,
then
relax. Repeat this 10 times every time you talk on
the phone
or any other time when you are waiting for someone
or
something. Many women make a practice of "doing
Kegels" each
time they stop at a traffic light. MENOPAUSE MYTHS &
FACTS
Myth: Menopause
makes women
emotionally unstable.
Fact: Most women experience no emotional problems;
those
that occur can be treated.
Myth: Menopause puts an end to sexual desire.
Fact: Vaginal dryness can make intercourse painful,
reducing
desire, but this is readily treated with products
such as a
vaginal lubricant for one. Menopause itself can
affect
libido either positively or negatively; some women
actually
have increased libido with menopause.
Myth: What we eat
doesn't
affect us.
Fact: Eating foods high in plant estrogens, such as
soybeans
and lima beans, may alleviate menopause symptoms;
additional
sources include whole grains, other beans, nuts, and
seeds.
Quoted from the book, "The Alternative Advisor."
Myth: Menopause disrupts a women's life.
Fact: Most women experience few or no menopausal
problems;
25 percent have moderate, treatable symptoms. In
countries
where age is respected, women report the fewest
symptoms
during menopause. MENSTRUAL MYTHS &
FACTS
Myth: A bath causes
or worsens
menstrual cramps.
Fact: Soaking in a warm bath can soothe and relax
muscles;
thereby reducing pain.
Myth: Menstruating
women should restrict their activities;
and even stay in bed and rest.
Fact: Women can carry on normal activities during
their
period. Exercise may actually help lessen pain by
stimulating muscles to release endorphins.
The above statements came from the book The
Alternative
Advisor, The Complete Guide to Natural Therapies
&
Alternative Treatments
Do you have any of the symptoms listed below? The
former Dr. John Lee,
M.D., states in his book, Natural Progesterone: The
Multiple
Roles of a Remarkable Hormone, that the use of
natural
progesterone can reduce or eliminate the symptoms
associated
with hormonal imbalance, menopause, and
osteoporosis.
HELPFUL TIPS FROM ALTERNATIVE HEALTH AUTHORS
Essential
oils of Clary Sage, Sage, and Geranium can help ease
the
symptoms of menopause. Put a few drops in the bath,
or
sprinkle the oil on a handkerchief and inhale. This
is
quoted from the book, "The Alternative Advisor."
Information we
obtained came
from the following organizations:
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