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The menopause is a period of transition which
occurs in middle-aged women. It only occurs in humans and
usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55. It is
not a disease requiring treatment; it is a natural biological
change.
The menopause is defined as the final episode of
menstrual bleeding. This transitional time encompasses the
progressive loss of ovarian function and a variety of endocrine,
somatic and psychological changes.
Preceding the menopause, the pattern of
menstrual cycles is variable, but the interval between menses
usually becomes longer.
Hormonal Changes
The ovaries which have been releasing oestrogen
and progesterone slow down their production of these hormones and
eventually stop releasing them. During this slow down, the periods
may become irregular and when the hormones stop being released, the
periods will also stop. On the other hand, bleeding may be heavy
and prolonged due to the hormonal
imbalance.
The Body Adapts
Once a woman reaches menopause the adrenal
glands and fat cells become the primary sources for estrogen
production. The adrenals produce an androgen which is converted to
estrogen in peripheral tissues such as the skin, adipose and
muscles. Because adipose tissues are a primary location for this
conversion relatively lean women tend to experience menopause
earlier than heavier women.
Most of the difficulties women tend to encounter
as they go through the menopause years appear to be because of the
different amounts of hormones available in their
bodies.
However, this is complicated by other aspects
including emotional issues, a history of poor eating habits or lack
of exercise.
Problems experienced during
menopause
Women’s experiences during the menopause vary
greatly.
Some have no problems at all, while others will
often experience quite uncomfortable symptoms and be severely
troubled by them.
The most common symptoms are hot flushes, night
sweats, sleep disturbances, vaginal dryness, poor bladder control
and depression. Others are weight changes, headaches and lack of
energy.
In the long term, the lack of oestrogen can
cause two main problems: It reduces the body’s ability to absorb
calcium from food and so may contribute to the development of
osteoporosis and secondly oestrogen is believed to have a
protective effect against heart
disease.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
(HRT)
HRT is a controversial orthodox treatment for
menopausal symptoms and entails the introduction of synthetic
hormones into the bloodstream to replace the oestrogen supplies
that are waning naturally as part of the menopausal
process.
HRT only postpones menopausal symptoms and they
will reassert themselves whenever HRT is stopped. It can be argued
that the adjustments that are occurring during the menopause are
taking place at the natural time for the woman concerned and
postponing them with HRT could upset the delicate hormonal balance
and rhythm completely by overriding the body’s natural
process.
Both Oestrogen and Progestogens used in HRT have
huge side-effects including
- Increased risk of certain
cancers.
- Abnormal or excessive uterine
bleeding
- Fluid retention
- Increased blood
pressure
- Increased risk of gallbladder
disease
- Increased risk of migraine, stroke and
thrombosis.
- Breast tenderness and
enlargement
- Dizziness or
depression
- Weight gain or loss
- Nervousness, insomnia, somnolence,
fatigue
- Anaphylaxis and anaphylactoid- like
reactions
- Urticaria, rash, pruritis, acne and
sweating
- Nausea
HRT has an effect on the whole circulatory
system – blood circulation, veins and arteries. It can therefore
increase the risks of raised blood pressure, migraine, stroke and
thrombosis. It also increases the levels of oestrogen, the building
hormone and hence the risks of breast tissue changes, fibroids and
endometriosis. Then there is the “domino” effect on other vital
organs e.g. the liver which helps remove excess hormones added into
the body from HRT. Its function can be affected increasing the
possibility of liver damage.
The longer HRT is taken, the greater the side
effects.
Natural Treatment Options for
Menopause
Natural methods of treatment include remedies
which may address one or more of the symptoms experienced during
the menopause. Individuals therefore may find themselves taking
more than one remedy in an effort to address the combination of
symptoms. The choice of remedies
will therefore depend on which symptoms
are the most debilitating.
It is pleasing to know that there are so many
choices available to women who need to relieve the unpleasant
effects of menopause. Women do not have to suffer the devastating
side effects of introducing synthetic hormones into their
bodies.
Today’s menopausal woman would more than likely
have been exposed to the synthetic hormones of contraceptive pills.
If she now chooses HRT as well, it means that she would have been
introducing synthetic hormones into her body for more than two
thirds of her life, risking long term side
effects.
However, since todays’ woman is increasingly
aware of what is available to her, she can choose the form of
treatment to best suit her circumstances. She can use alternative
natural methods of treating these symptoms with the knowledge that
these natural products are relatively safe and free of disastrous
side effects.
The choices are numerous and varied and it
simply means that women only have to match the natural alternatives
to suit their symptoms. They thus can choose a single treatment or
a combination.
By doing this menopausal women can go forward
confidently and really enjoy the next phase of their
lives.
NUTRITIONAL
CONSIDERATIONS
A varied, unrefined whole-food diet based on
grains, fresh fruit and vegetables may help ease the transition,
and as such it is often worth looking paying more attnetion to
eating habits.
Time to Take
Action
Should you wish to relieve your menopausal
symptoms we’ll be waiting to help.
Simply ring 9879 9596 for a consultation or fill
in the form below to receive a more detailed fact sheet on
menopause.
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