April 21st, 2008 at 12:46pm
Under Female Menopause
For some great articles about Rhubarb and especially how it can help hot flushes check out Could rhubarb actually help a hot flash
Did you know that over 80% of women are affected by the hot-flashes, and at least one in three experience them so badly that it severely affects their daily life. So if there is any possibility that using Rhubarb can help any women over come hot flushes or even possibly reduce them then please go and read the article Could rhubarb actually help a hot flash
By admin
March 9th, 2008 at 08:16pm
Under Female Menopause
Perimenopause is a very long word for being in menopause transition. It is the period of time that starts in a woman’s life several years prior to the actual menopause. It is when a woman ovaries start to produce less and less estrogen and a woman slowly moves towards the stage of her life when she is not able to reproduce anymore. This transition usually starts somewhere after a woman turns 40, but can already start in her 30s.
Perimenopause, lasts all the way up to menopause, which is the time in a womens life when no more eggs are released. In the last couple years of Perimenopause the production of estrogen decreases very rapidly and women experience some of the many menopause symptoms.
The length of Perimenopause differs from woman to woman. For the average women it is around four years while some women only have it for a few months and others up to 10 years. The official end of Perimenopause when a woman has gone 12 months in a row without a period.
Perimenopause comes with many symptoms that are also connected to menopause such as hot flashes, breast tenderness, worsening of premenstrual syndrome, decreased libido (sex drive), fatigue, irregular periods, Vaginal dryness; discomfort during sex, urine leakage when coughing or sneezing, urinary urgency (when you frequently have to go), mood swings, difficulty sleeping.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and you are in you 40s, a doctor can make a diagnosis based on your symptoms, as well as with a blood test. Blood tests will check for the hormone levels and it may be necessary to take several tests at several different points in time.
One very important point to know for women is that you can still get pregnant during Perimenopause. Fertility declines during this stage in life, but it is still posible to get pregnant. Therefore, if pregnancy is not desired, contraceptives of one or another sort are still recommended till a full twelve months worth of no periods has been reached. If you should want to get pregnant, you also need to know that it an be difficult to get pregnant during your late 30s and early 40s and fertility and hormone treatment can help you during this stage.
Symptoms going along with Perimenopause can be bothersome and there are a few ways that you can make yourself feel better. On the medical side oral or other hormonal contraceptives have proven to be an effective treatment against hot flashes and a few other symptoms. But not every woman can take hormonal contraceptives and this issue should be discussed with your physician.
If you cannot or do not want to take hormonal contraceptives, there are also other possibilities. First of all it is recommended to have a healthy life style. The earlier in your life you start and keep up a healthy lifestyle, the more fit and better you will feel when you get older. Regular exercise throughout life is proven to improve any of the symptoms that go along with old age and such stages as menopause and Perimenopause. Should you smoke, stop smoking and reduce the amount of alcohol intake. Being on a regular sleep schedule and getting enough sleep are two important points on your list of remedies. A healthy diet and an additional multivitamin supplement and a good amount of calcium a day, as well as approximately eight glasses of water a day can reduce the perimenopausal symptoms, as well.
By admin
February 19th, 2008 at 07:15am
Under Female Menopause
Menopause is considered reached when a woman does not have twelve periods in a row and usually is somewhere past 45 years old. Some people call it the “change of life”. It is a time in a womens life when she can no longer conceive children, as she doesn’t ovulate and produce eggs any more. Menopause is caused or rather started through a hormone change in the female body. The body produces fewer amounts of the hormones progesterone and estrogen.
A womens body undergoes several changes and most women are confused about the symptoms they are experiencing during the lead up to menopause. Symptoms of menopause can be many and varied and affect every woman differently. Some women only experience the stopping of their periods while others experience additional problems. Several common symptoms of menopause include: change of period frequency, hot flashes/ flushes, night sweats, trouble sleeping through the night, vaginal dryness, trouble focusing, being confused, mood swings and sometimes even hair loss or more hair growth in the facial area.
Menopause does directly cause bone loss, but is related to bone loss. Due to changing hormone levels, the bone mass density in the female body decreases and bones are getting weaker. Weak bones can break easier and therefore more women can get osteoporosis after their menopause.
There are many options available to manage and assist with menopause and its symptoms, exercising and a healthy diet are one essential factor to make you feel more comfortable and fit. As a matter of fact, many women do not need any treatment or medical options during menopause. If you do think you need treatment for your menopause symptoms, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about your symptoms and possible medical treatments or herbal remedies that are available.
There is hormone therapy, which is one way of treating and dealing with the more severe menopause symptoms. This therapy was also known as hormone replacement therapy. This is the only FDA approved treatment for such symptoms as hot flashes and dryness in the vaginal area when dealing with severe cases. But before jumping right to the hormone treatment bandwagon discuss this issue throughly with your doctor. There are different hormonal treatments for the different symptom associated with menopause and it is not easy to determine which one might work for you.
Also, hormonal treatment has benefits and risks attached to it, much more than any other regular medication. Should you decide to receive hormonal treatment, use the smallest and shortest amount possible and check with your doctor every few months to determine whether you still need hormones or whether you can stop them.
There are also a few natural treatments that are recommended with menopause. Two of the most common herbal and plant-based treatments are soy and sources of phytoestrogens. Soy contains these chemicals that are estrogens like, but there is no proof that these herbal treatments actually help improve hot flashes or any other symptoms.
Just as with any other medication taking herbal remedies needs to be controlled and should not be combined with medications without consulting your physician.
One of the most important things to know for women is that these symptoms will go away after a certain period of time, so if you find the symptoms too uncomfortable or irritating then consult your doctor or pharmacist for menopause symptom relief.
By admin
October 20th, 2007 at 11:59am
Under Female Menopause
While some women have been spared the affects of menopause, there are a lot more menopausal women who are experiencing severe symptoms and want them alleviated. There will come a point when the question will be asked, “Is hormone replacement therapy a good thing?”
Many women choose this course of treatment to decrease symptoms associated with menopause. However, there are a few issues to consider. While menopause hormone replacement therapy can be a blessing for some, it can also be a curse for others. Although menopause hormone replacement therapy is reported to maintain strong bones and prevent heart disease, it can also increase the risk of breast cancer. In addition, it may other side affects which can affect a woman’s life.
There are two schools of thought on using menopause hormone replacement therapy. While it has been documented and research as shown that Menopause Hormone Replacement Therapy is an effective remedy in reducing symptoms such as: hot flashes sleep disturbances, and vaginal discomfort; others believe women who did not have menopause symptoms had worse physical function and lower energy levels when taking hormone therapy.
Many women decide against using menopause hormone replacement therapy because they are concerned about the risk of developing cancer. Often, they prefer to take other more natural steps to reduce their risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. Research is on-going to determine the effectiveness of hormone replacement therapy over a long period of time. While some women and their doctors feel that menopause hormone replacement therapy’s beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and general quality of life outweigh the risk of developing cancer; others are concerned about the possible negative effects of long-term menopause hormone replacement therapy use. Many women choose to reduce the risks of osteoporosis and heart disease by exercising regularly, avoiding tobacco products, eating a balanced diet, and/or taking dietary supplements or other medications.
Whether or not to take menopause hormone replacement therapy is a decision you ultimately have to make. In recently, there have been reports of seriously health risks associated with hormone replacement therapy.
By establishing a balanced diet, utilizing stress management techniques and using natural progesterone supplementation, the hot flashes, night sweats and other symptoms of menopause are either significantly alleviated or completely eliminated.
By admin
October 19th, 2007 at 09:20am
Under Female Menopause
The facts about menopause and pregnancy are simple, if you are still having periods then you can still get pregnant. It doesn’t matter how irregular the periods are, if you are still having periods then you are still ovulating and can still get pregnant.
So until your period stops completely and it has been at least one year since your last period, either practice safe sex with your partner or partners and / or take birth control measures or you could end up pregnant.
If you have ever heard of a change of life baby, it refers to baby that was conceived while the mother was experiencing menopause and was having irregular periods and sex with a male partner.
By admin
September 6th, 2007 at 10:10am
Under Female Menopause+ Menopause
There has been a great deal of debate, research, and discussion as to the value of soy in treating and reducing hot flashes associated with menopause. While some health practitioners prescribe soy products for women in the menopausal stage, the question which has yet to be answered is: “Can soy decrease menopause hot flashes?”
According to recent studies, soy contains one of many types of isoflavones. Isoflavones are estrogens which are produced from plants. It should be noted that isoflavones are actual estrogens; they are not alternatives to estrogen. Therefore, a woman who wants to avoid estrogen should not be taking soy, because soy is a form of estrogen. According to the research conducted on soy, there are still conflicting results as to its value in reducing hot flashes in menopausal women. Some studies show that soy can cause multiplication of breast cells, implying that it may increase breast cancer risk who use it.
The reason behind all of this conflicting evidence is that it is unclear what is being tested since studies have looked at all kinds of soy foods and supplements, and there has been no uniformity in the products being tested. This may be one of the reasons why soy research does not always produce positive results.
Another study was conducted recently in which 37 women who used a soy supplement. 75 percent reported relief from hot flashes. Tests showed they also experienced a measurable increase in bone density as well. While experts say the results are promising, one nutritionist believes the research makes too many “leaps of faith about issues that remain unproven.” It was also stated that woman should exercise caution with soy supplementation until more research is done. However, it was concluded that including soy products in your diet may still offer many more positive health benefits that far out way any negative health benefits.
There you have it; the studies, research, and results which apparently prove, and deny that soy products can decrease menopause hot flashes. The best course of action perhaps is to try soy products for yourself to see if they relieve or reduce your menopause hot flashes.
By admin
August 28th, 2007 at 08:37am
Under Female Menopause
With all the symptoms associated with menopause, hot flashes have to be considered among the worst symptom of all. While they are an absolute annoyance, it is the hormonal imbalance during menopause that causes them to occur. Since there are no definitive reasons as to why hot flashes occur, let’s just try to determine how to deal with hot flashes.
It been determined that “lifestyle and psychological factors can increase the number and severity of hot flashes that a menopausal woman experiences. In fact, women who tested at a high level of anxiety had nearly five times the number of hot flashes as those who had a low level of anxiety. Women who smoked experienced twice the amount. Being overweight led to an increase in annoying hot flashes, as well.”
Hot flashes sometimes start with perimenopause, or they may not start until after the last menstrual period has occurred. Usually, they last three to five years and are usually worse during the year following the last menstrual period. However, it has been noted that for some women, hot flashes can last indefinitely.
Although it is believed that hot flashes are associated with a decrease in estrogen levels, there are those who believe it is simply the hormonal balance which acts as the catalyst. Before puberty, girls have low estrogen but they do not suffer hot flashes. However, women in the late stages of pregnancy may have hot flashes at a time when their estrogen levels are high.
It has been stated that “the secretion of hormones is regulated in the brain by the hypothalamus, which houses the body’s thermoregulatory center. They believe that something happens in this center that causes the body’s thermostat to be altered. The result is a hot flash, a feeling of excessive warmth if the body gets just a little overheated. In an attempt to cool down, the body perspires and blood vessels dilate, causing skin to turn pink or red. After a brief time, maybe a few minutes, the heat dissipates, leading to chills.”
The traditional solution to relieve hot flashes was implemented by using hormone replacement therapy. However, we now know that HRT could have side affects which may cause more harm and good. It has also been recommended to support your body in a natural way, thus not having to rely on prescription drugs used in hormone replacement therapy. Many women find that with the proper support, their own bodies can correct the hormonal imbalance that is the real cause.
Finally, taking everything into consideration; it seems that hot flashes – while a definite nuisance – can be handled in a very simply. Just ignore them as much as possible. Accept them as part of the menopause and aging cycle, and do not give them any more importance than you would an annoying fly that just won’t leave you alone.
By admin
August 16th, 2007 at 08:43am
Under Female Menopause
Menopause and Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis has less to do with menopause and the lack of estrogen then it does with just the normal aging process. In fact, smoking, medications, and being underweight have a greater effect on bone loss then menopause. That’s why exercise is so important as it increases overall bone mass. While osteoporosis can lead to loss of height and tiny fractures, woman are also vulnerable to fractures of the hip. Therefore, it is important to take precautionary measures such as proper balanced diet, exercise and calcium and vitamin D suplements to prevent the loss of bone mass.
Further, your doctor may advise you to take a bone density test to determine just how much bone loss has occurred.
The bone density test encompasses taking an X-ray scan which can measure the bone density of your lumbar spine, because the spine is usually the first area to experience loss of bone mass. You probably don’t need a special scan to identify bone loss if you have lost height each year. However, if you have just begun perimenopause or are in the stages of menopause, it may be a good idea to have the test done now.
If after the test you are told your bone loss is minimal, you may decide to do nothing. But it is still important to keep your bones strong , you may wish to keep tabs on the progress of bone loss through regular tests. If, on the other hand, you are told that your rate of bone loss is significant, you may want to take a proactive approach to prevent osteoporosis.
The most effective way to maintain the strength of your bones requires a combination of lifestyle changes and dietary measures, such as: discontinue smoking; exercise 30 minutes a day, three or four days a week; ensure you are following a nutritional diet, with sufficient amounts calcium; exercise caution to prevent falls; and included vitamin D supplements in your dietary regimen.
Clearly, osteoporosis can rear its ugly head at some point. But you can take appropriate action to ensure you are doing everything you can to prevent the onset or, at the very least, stopping its progression.
By admin
August 8th, 2007 at 11:49am
Under Female Menopause
One of the top 3 menopause symptoms seems to be menopause weight gain and a change in the overall shape of your body. About 90% of menopausal women gain some weight between the ages of 35 and 55, research now shows that weight gain during menopause is caused by shifts in your hormones, not over eating. Most women will gain about 10 to 15 pounds during their menopausal years.
As you enter menopause, maintaining weight becomes more and more difficult, and losing weight becomes almost impossible. This is because of the fluctuation in hormones, have a direct impact on your appetite, metabolism, and fat storage.
Hormones Involved in menopause weight gain are:
*Estrogen
*Progesterone
*Androgen
*Testosterone
Although it is natural to put weight on during menopause it is important to still maintain a sensible weight. Here are some tips to help you control menopause weight gain:
• Eat a balanced diet, with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables
• Avoid missing meals will only cause your metabolism to slow down, causing you to gain more weight later on.
• Don’t loose to much weight, being very thin can lead to an increased chance of developing osteoporosis and broken bones if you fall.
• Reduce your intake of caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol.
• Remain active by walking, swimming or taking up a low impact sport.
If you put on excessive weight during menopause, see your doctor as this could be a sign that something is wrong with your hormone levels, blood sugars, or eating habits.
Excessive fat stored around the abdomen especially in menopausal women can lead to an increased risk for heart disease and high blood pressure.
By admin
July 24th, 2007 at 09:54am
Under Female Menopause
If you experience Menopause before the age of 40 is termed ‘early menopause’.
It may occur spontaneously as a result of early failure of the ovaries, or be caused through a medical procedure where the ovaries are surgically removed or you maybe getting treated for cancer with chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
The physical symptoms of early menopause are the same as for menopause, but the emotional symptoms may differ greatly. Women who have or are experiencing early menopause can be at greater risk of depression, anxiety and mood changes. This is particularly so for women who have had a medical or surgical menopause. This could be because of a woman having to deal with the emotions that go with a serious medical condition such as cancer and the fact that she also has a sudden drop in hormone production from having a surgical or medical induced menopause.
Women who experience early menopause ‘naturally’ may also find they are more moody and sad due to the drop in hormone production and the fact they may be unsure of how early menopause will effect there lives and there self image as women.
It is important to realize that menopause is a natural part of life, all women at some point in there lives will go through it. The symptoms of menopause can be treated, and with time life will return to normal.
By admin
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