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Menopause is the point at which women
stop ovulating. It happens when the ovaries stop
releasing ovum - usually a gradual process.
Sometimes it happens all at once. The menopausal period
affects each woman differently. Some start early, some
start and stop, but most experience the change around
the age of fifty. It usually lasts up to five years.
Although estrogen levels drop during the post menopausal
period, the hormones do not disappear., The symptoms of
hot flashes, dizziness, headache, difficult breathing,
shortness of breath, heart palpitaions and depression
may be caused by an estrogen deficiency. If one is
hypoglycemic, the symptoms are often mor pronounced.
Stress puts a burden on the adrenal glands, causing them
to overwork. Therefore, the adrenals produce smaller
amounts of the hormones that are needed to help reduce
the side effects of menopause. Hot flashes can be the
result of widespread blood vessl dilation.
Perimenopause is the period of gradual changes
that lead into menopause. It affects a woman's hormones,
body, and feelings. It can be a stop-start process that
may take months or years. "Climacteric" is
another word for the time when a woman passes from the
reproductive to the non-reproductive years of her life.
The ovaries' production of estrogen
slows down during perimenopause. Hormone levels
fluctuate, causing changes just as they did during
adolescence. The changes leading to menopause may seem
much more intense than those during puberty. The
intensity may be affected by a woman's feelings about
aging, including her reactions to social judgments about
aging.
Induced menopause occurs if the
ovaries are removed or damaged as in hysterectomy or
chemotherapy. In this case, menopause begins
immediately, with no perimenopause.
The time after menopause is called
post-menopause.
There’s a growing interest in the natural approach to
minimizing the effects of menopause. Many women are
concerned about the side effects of conventional
medicine and are finding herbal solutions meet their
needs remarkably well. This is something Traditional
Chinese Medicine practitioners have known for thousands
of years.
It has been shown that the loss of the body’s ability
to produce enough estrogen as it ages is related to a
wide variety of illnesses affecting women. Herbal
formulations are designed to increase the body’s
ability to produce its own estrogen and revitalize body
functions. Additionaly we have found some books that
have become effective in assisting women through this
difficult time.
How Menopause Happens
During a woman's reproductive years, the monthly release
of eggs from the ovaries provides a continual flow of
progesterone and estrogen, hormones necessary to prepare
the body for a successful pregnancy.
With age, a woman's body no longer releases the
stimulating signals that induce ovulation of eggs from
the ovaries. The result is a measurable decrease in the
associated hormones and accompanying physical signs of
normal menstruation. Unfortunately, this decrease in
hormones affects the body's ability to maintain calcium
levels and an increased loss of minerals from the bones
results. The net loss of calcium from the skeleton is a
combination of changes in calcium excretion and calcium
absorption
Symptoms of Menopause
As most women approach menopause,
their menstrual periods become irregular - they happen
closer together and/or further apart. Other common
symptoms include
A woman may have
one, some, or none of these symptoms. Symptoms can be
very unpredictable and disturbing if a woman doesn't
know they are related to menopause.
A woman's experiences during
menopause may also be influenced by other life changes
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children leaving homeo changes in
domestic, social, and personal relationships
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changes in identity and body
image
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divorce or widowhood
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retirement
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increased anxiety about illness,
aging, and death
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loss of friends, loved ones, and
financial security
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increased responsibility for
aging parents
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anxiety about loss of
independence, disability, or loneliness
Increasing numbers of perimenopausal
women also have young children to care for.
Whatever the cause or circumstance,
the conditions women experience before and after
menopause are very real and sometimes need medical
attention. While 10-15 percent of American women
experience no symptoms of menopause, another 10-15
percent become physically or emotionally disabled for
various periods of time by some of these symptoms of
life changes. And all women face increased risk of heart
disease and osteoporosis after menopause.
Benefits
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reduces drying and thinning of
vaginal tissue
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prevents osteoporosis
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eliminates hot flashes in some
women
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improves energy, mood, and sense
of well-being
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improves levels of
"good" cholesterol
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may restore sexual desire
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may reduce the risk of
Alzheimer's disease
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may reduce the risk of colorectal
cancer
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may improve concentration and
memory
Risks
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may cause symptoms like PMS
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may increase risk for breast
cancer
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may have other undesirable side
effects,
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decreases insomnia including -
vaginal bleeding, bloating, nausea, loss of hair,
headaches, itching, increased cervical mucus, and
corneal changes that prevent the use of contact
lenses
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may increase the risk of heart
disease in certain women
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