Women’s Health Information

A lot of women in the world suffer from menopause and the affects of menopause. Although some women can go through this period in life without feeling any of the affects, there are certainly many more that do.

My mother was quite lucky not suffering from any the symptoms at all while a friend of mine’s mother suffered… please read on as Summer shares her story… and if you are looking for an alternative therapy then perhaps Menozac is the answer…

I remember very distinctly my mother’s menopause. I was a teen at the time, and her doctor placed her on HRT – Hormone Replacement Therapy – which was the most common treatment at that time. I was certainly at a sensitive moment in my own life, but it was improved by having my mother turn into a hypochondriac monster who was liable to fly into a rage or into tears at any moment for any, or no, reason, or who was often too ill to participate in my life.

She is over it now, and with hindsight and the advanced medical knowledge now available, has also discussed with me her feeling that many of her problems were actually side effects of the HRT.

My children are teens now, and it was with a faint feeling of horror that I began to recognize the signs of menopause in myself a few years ago. Hot flashes, night sweats, and insomnia were unpleasant enough, but worse of all, to me, were the anxiety, mood swings, and depression. I soon noticed my family walking on eggshells around me. My unpleasant memories of my teen years returned to me and I feared a repeat for my own children.

Since my mother’s experience, ERT has been linked to cancer, and HRT to the significant side effects that she experienced. Menopause may be unpleasant, but cancer can be life threatening! That doesn’t seem like a fair trade to me.

I set out to find an alternative. I believe many of our health problems are caused by diet and can be resolved with diet. My research turned up facts such as soy being helpful for menopausal women, as well as certain herbal teas. These helped me, but not enough.

Menozac is a blend of herbal extracts designed to ease the transition of menopause, and provide relief from many of the symptoms, from the uncomfortable and even embarrassing hot flashes, to the dreaded mood swings. Two tablets a day, easy to remember, easy to take, eases my menopausal symptoms so that I can make the transition easily and without causing myself or my family unnecessary grief.

After all, menopause is a natural transition all women make at this time in their life. It shouldn’t be traumatic, but a perfectly natural change in our life cycle. Menozac helps me ease through this change, without all the drama. I recommend it highly to anyone who feels they are “suffering” menopause.

Menopause should not equal suffering, it is not a disease. It is a natural change, and there are natural substances that can help your body and you cope with the changes. Menozac blends those substances into an easy to use form so you can get on with your life – and keep up with those teenagers!

Summer

Frieda Luke shares an interesting article she has written titled Perimenopause and Me. I am sure that many women can relate to these symptoms and will understand that they are not alone in the world…

Perimenopause and Me

There it goes again! It starts around your neck and creeps up to your face and soon, you are feeling the burn, the burn of a hot flash that you would much rather not have at all and you wish your profuse sweating could extinguish the burn as soon as it starts. This is one of the many symptoms women who are going through perimenopause face daily.

But, what is perimenopause?

Well, perimenopause is the time that a woman’s body prepares for menopause. Due to hormonal fluctuations, symptoms can be varied from woman to woman, but all say that it’s a very uncomfortable time in their life. And, just as symptoms from woman to woman vary, so does the intensity. Some women can go through perimenopause with little or no symptoms, while others get it head on and it makes their lives just miserable.

What are the symptoms of perimenopause?

As I mentioned earlier, some women experience no symptoms at all. I know a few in my family that just breezed through it, while others suffered mild to extreme symptoms. But the varied symptoms of perimenopause one may encounter are:

Hot Flashes

Generally starting around the neck area, hot flashes cause a flush-like feeling to an intense heat and profuse sweating. My own mother described the feeling as “It feels like your entire body is on fire!” Hmmm… I can’t say as that is something that I look forward to!

Mood Swings

Because of hormonal changes, a woman may be more emotional, teary eyed for no apparent reason, depressed, nervous, anxious, decrease in energy, increased appetite, nausea, fatigue, low motivation. Also, due to lowered estrogen levels a woman may experience vaginal dryness which can cause painful intercourse and even low sex drive. Itchy vulva is common among women going through perimenopause, due to the thinning of the vaginal lining. This in itself can be distressing and can lead to mood swings. It’s highly uncomfortable!

Change in Menses

During perimenopause, menses can become very irregular, heavier, lighter, more or less frequent, longer and shorter.

Forgetfulness

Sometimes, during perimenopause, a woman can become somewhat forgetful, forgetting things a little easier than before. Yes, estrogen levels even affect our brains and memory.

Urinary Problems

For some women, stress or urge incontinence is a real concern. She has to use the washroom much more than usual and often times can’t make it to the washroom quick enough without leaking some urine. Perimenopause also brings about a higher incidence of urinary tract infections, mainly due to the changes in the normal vaginal bacteria during perimenopause

Other symptoms include: heart palpitations, digestive disturbances (heartburn), flatulence, gas pains, increased or decrease in headaches, joint and muscle aches and pains, decrease in body hair, increase in facial hair, difficulty concentrating, mental confusion, sleep disturbances, lightheadedness, dizziness, breast tenderness, dry skin, tingling in extremities, thoughts of doom or even death.

Although some women do breeze right through perimenopause, many more do not. But, take heart, there are some things, aside from standard hormone replacement therapy (HRT) that you can do to manage your symptoms.

Eat a nutritious diet - Choose a healthier lifestyle, leaning more toward lower fat and high fibre diets. Lots of fresh vegetables and fruits are a good way to cool down! Frozen grapes and watermelon chunks nibbled on during a hot flash can cool the body naturally and will refresh you, not adding high calories that can add to the loss of waistline that is so common in menopausal women.

Eat soy! It’s a fact that a diet low in fat and high in soy products (40 grams per day) is an effective way to alleviate the hot flash symptoms of perimenopause. Eat high soy products such as, tofu, soybean milk, tempeh and add soy powders for making cooling fruit smoothies)

Exercise! Long walks are an excellent way to battle depression and stress. It’s a known fact that exercise is an excellent way to reduce the number of and intensity of hot flashes and it’s good for your heart and overall health.

Drinking plenty of ice water to help ease hot flash symptoms. Put a nice glass of ice water at your beside, should you need to cool down quick.

Vitamin E has become well known for reducing the number of hot flashes. A daily does of 800 IUs of vitamin E can help ease your hot flash woes.

Drink Aloe Vera Juice! Aside from the benefits of healthier skin and increased immune system, aloe vera juice taken one teaspoon before each meal and before bedtime will help cool down your body and lessen the heat of a hot flash. Make sure you drink the aloe vera jel for internal use, not external.

Black Cohosh is well known in Germany and Britain for its use in treating symptoms of menopause. Menopausal women are required to take at least 40 mg per day for it to be effective. Most health food stores carry black cohosh.

Dress in layers! That way, at the onset of a hot flash, you can remove a layer as needed and make yourself feel cooler and more comfortable.

Avoid overheated rooms and keep your own living area cooler. Talk to the members of your family about what you are going through and explain that by keeping the home cooler, you will be more comfortable. If someone complains about it being too cool, suggest that he/she puts something warmer on, so that everyone will be comfortable.

Seek support! You are not alone and there are many others, just like you, who are going through the same things that you are. Having a supportive friend or group of friends to talk to, works wonders during the stressful and uncomfortable times of perimenopause.

Talk to your doctor! Before you begin any treatment for perimenopause, be sure to consult with your health care provider to plan the course of treatment that is best suited you.

Although perimenopause and menopause is a part of every female’s future, there is help. By educating yourself, talking to a health care professional and taking actions needed to keep positive and healthy, you will accept this change as a door opening in your life and understand that despite a little heat and bouts of sadness, you will make it through to a new sense of freedom and adventure.