Thursday, January 6, 2011

Menopause and you

A gray-haired old woman from the United Kingdom.Image via Wikipedia
When you think menopause, you think of things like hot flashes, moodiness, irritability, hormonal changes and the numerous jokes and skits about women going through this inevitable life transition.  What can you do to make your journey a little easier?

Please consider some of the information from this blog to make your time of change a little less harrowing.

What is menopause?

Menopause is defined as when the ovaries stop making estrogen and progesteron and, when a woman ceases to have a period for 12 consecutive months.  The average age in the US is 52.

Common complaints of menopause are:

Hot flashes
vaginal dryness
urinary problems
Mood swings
Depression
Sleep disorder
Memory loss
Wegiht gain
Decreased sex interest
night sweats

(http://www.mayoclinic.com/, "Menopause")

Treatments

Some common treatments for menopause have been HRT (hormone replacement therapy) to alleviate some of the symptoms described above. But, over the past 30 years or so, research has shown that these therapies place women at higher risk for breast and uterine cancers, blod clots-especially if the woman is a smoker- stroke, heart attack and weight gain.  Because of this, many women are seeking alternative treatments.  However, it is best to discuss all options with your health care provider, or nutritionist.

However, a woman can eliminate many food sources that contibute to some of the symptions of menopause such as sugar, hot and spicey foods and by exercising regularly.  Also, avoid the artificial sweetneners on the maket, which may also contribute to some of the symptoms of menopause.  Besides, they are controversial anyway as far as overall health is concerned.

Source:

What is menopause" http://www.mayoclinic.com/
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