When approaching the end of the childbearing years, many women have questions. Some of the questions differ from person to person, but others can be addressed.
1) When will menopause start?
Menopause actually starts after your last period. The time leading up to it is called perimenopause, and there are several signs that you are in it. Not every woman will have every symptom.
2) What are the symptoms of perimenopause?
There are a lot of possible symptoms, I will list a few here. Hot flashes, irritability, irregular heartbeat, mood swings, trouble sleeping, changes in menstrual flow and timing, loss of libido, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, incontinence and depression are fairly normal symptoms for perimenopause.
3) What can I do about the symptoms?
That depends on the decisions you and your doctor make. Some women go on hormone replacements, but the dangers to your health increase if you do so. This is especially true if you have, had, or are at risk for hormone related cancers.
Some women choose to use herbal products, including black cohosh and soy isoflavones. Each of these have drawbacks. One of them is the same as prescription HRT; an increased risk for hormone related cancers.
Many treat the symptoms rather than take the risk of the above mentioned products. This can be done with medications or herbs. Before starting any supplement or medication, get all the information you can about them so that you make an informed decision.
An example of treating the symptoms would be using St. John’s Wort to relieve the depression and kava kava for bouts of anxiety. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you if there are any interactions between these and medications you may be taking.
3) What causes hot flashes?
The simple answer is that low estrogen causes these uncomfortable episodes. This can be because of perimenopause, but it can also happen with other conditions. Even some medications can cause it. The problem is with the hypothalamus, your body’s thermostat. Lower estrogen levels can cause it to malfunction.
4) What causes depression?
While the hormone changes will play a part, no one really knows all about it. One theory makes some sense, and it also explains the feelings of anxiety and doom some women report feeling. At one point in time, women seldom lived long after menopause. While this is no longer true, a lot of women still have that subconscious fear that they are approaching the end of life in a hurry. Fortunately, most menopausal women still have as much as half their life ahead of them.
5) About this loss of libido thing…anything we can do about that?
Here again, it depends on what you and your doctor decide. There are prescriptions that may help. There are also some herbs that may be useful. Damiana is sometimes called the “Female Viagra.” Maca, muira puama and catauba could be useful.
Bear in mind that many herbs are subtle in their effects. Herbs like damiana, maca, muira puama and catauba will take weeks or months before full effects take place. Other herbs, like kava kava, can only be taken for short periods of time. Kava kava can only be taken for a week to ten days before a break has to occur.
For more information about herbal remedies and the conditions they may help, see my site: http://healing-home-remedies.com/
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