Menopause

What is Menopause

Menopause is a normal, natural event—defined as the final menstrual period and usually confirmed when a woman has missed her periods for 12 consecutive months (in the absence of other obvious causes).

Menopause is associated with reduced functioning of the ovaries due to ageing, resulting in lower levels of estrogen and other hormones. It marks the permanent end of fertility. Menopause occurs, on average, at age 51. The years between puberty (when periods start) and menopause are called pre-menopause.

Peri-menopause:

Physical signs of menopause begin many years before the final menstrual period. This menopause transition phase is called perimenopause (literally meaning “around menopause”). It can last 6 years or more, and by definition, ends 1 year after the final menstrual period.
Peri-menopausal changes are brought on by changing levels of ovarian hormones such as estrogen.

During this transition time, estrogen levels gradually decline, but they do so in an erratic fashion. Sometimes they can even be higher than during the reproductive years. Irregular menstrual periods, hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and mood swings are common, normal signs of peri-menopause.
Some women experience low libido (sex drive) and/or vaginal dryness. During perimenopause, a woman may be able to conceive, although fertility is very low. If pregnancy is not desired, contraception is necessary until menopause is reached.

Treatment of menopausal symptoms

While some women are able to undergo the menopausal transition without incident, most will experience some combination of all 34 symptoms. In fact, up to 70% of women experience menopausal symptoms.

The duration varies; for many women, the symptoms cease after the occurrence of menopause (typically in the mid to late ’50s), yet other women will continue experiencing them well into old age. Though these menopausal symptoms may be unpleasant, it is important to remember that menopause, rather than being an illness, is a natural, normal change in a woman´s body.

Fortunately, as menopausal symptoms are a consequence of fluctuations in hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone, it is possible to come up with a treatment for this imbalance. Though it used to be in vogue to prescribe hormone replacement therapy as a menopausal treatment for this fundamental imbalance, persistent links to breast and ovarian cancer, along with heart disease and blood clots, have caused most healthcare professionals to rethink this drastic menopause treatment option.

Approximately 1 in 3 adults in the US tried some form of alternative medicine in the past year.

Many agree that the most effective treatment is to combine a few changes in lifestyle with alternative menopause treatment options.

Three approaches for treating the 34 Menopausal Symptoms:

Three levels of approaches can be considered as a treatment for menopause.

These are categorized as:

1. 1. Lifestyle Changes,
   2. Alternative Medicine and
   3. Drugs and Surgery.

It is recommended to begin with the least risky option, lifestyle changes, before progressing up to the next stage of menopause treatment. Drugs and surgery should be used only in extreme cases.

Get more information in our Free Menopause eBook.