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What is menopause?
Menopause is the time at "mid-life" when
a woman has her last period. It happens when the ovaries
stop releasing eggs - usually a gradual process. Sometimes
it happens all at once.
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 Postmenopause.
The average age for
a woman's final period is 51, but it can
occur as early as age 40 and as late as age 60. Each
woman's experience with menopause is unique. Some
women experience very few changes during this time,
while others report noticeable symptoms.
The more you know about menopause, the
better prepared you will be to manage any menopause-related
problems that might come your way.
Indications of menopause
- Achy joints
- Hot flashes
- Temporary and minor decrease in the ability to
concentrate or recall
- Changes in sexual desire
- Extreme sweating
- Headaches
- Frequent urination
- Early waking
- Vaginal dryness
- Mood changes
- Insomnia
- Night sweats
- Conditions commonly associated with PMS
Treatment, diet and lifestyle
Dealing with menopause is best accomplished
through a combination of diet, healthy lifestyle and
alternative or natural treatments.
Many doctors are early in prescribing radical
treatments such as Hormone Replacement
Therapy (HRT) without fully educating their
patients on the risks and side effects associated
with the treatment.
Before embarking on a radical treatment
plan, consider first the proven, 100% safe, effective,
natural remedy - MellowPause.
What is MellowPause?
Estrogen dominance is
also a factor in some of the more troublesome symptoms
of menopause as well as Pre-Menstrual Syndrom (PMS)
and complaints like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
Estrogen dominance is thought to occur when there is
a drop in progesterone production during menopause.
Black Cohosh is one
of the more thoroughly researched herbs which contains
phytoestrogens and is approved by the German 'Kommission
E" - a body similar to the FDA.
Because Black Cohosh has mild estrogen-like
effects it will bind to estrogen receptors, without
raising estrogen levels in the body - thereby lowering
the estrogenic activity of the body.
Phytoestrogens can compete with excess
systemic estrogen and xeno-estrogens and therefore
help to balance systemic estrogen production.
In addition, research suggests that Black
Cohosh also suppresses Luteinizing Hormone (LH), high
levels of which are responsible for hot flashes,
among other things.
Black Cohosh is one of the principle ingredients in
our MellowPause remedy, along with Pasque Flower which
is a well known tonic for the female reproductive system.
In the case of severe menopausal
symptoms, we recommend that MellowPause
be taken together with Dong
Quai, which has been
used for many centuries in traditional Chinese medicine.
Dong Quai is also well researched and
apart from its phyto-estrogenic properties, it has
also been shown to be effective in the induction of
progesterone receptor activity, thereby further balancing
the estrogen/progesterone ratios. |
