Menopause
Help for WomenCreating
Physical and Emotional
Health and Healing
During the Change
a "midlife crisis" ? . . . . . . . . . . NO !
"Menopause is every woman's awakening, a way to empowering ourselves and look at the ways in which women can embrace their own self-knowledge and better their lives.
Menopause is a natural part of life. As your hormones begin to change through perimenopausal, menopause, and postmenopausal - you may feel a variety of emotions that may make this period in your life very difficult.
There are many herbal products for sale that claim to help menopausal symptoms.
The Facts About Menopause
Menopause is the medical term for the end of a woman's menstrual periods. It is a natural part of aging, and occurs when the ovaries stop making hormones called estrogens. This causes estrogen levels to drop, and leads to the end of monthly menstual periods. This usually happens between the ages of 45 and 60, but it can happen earlier. Menopause can also occur when the ovaries are surgically removed or stop functioning for any other reason.
Low estrogen levels are linked to some uncomfortable symptoms in many women. The most common and easy to recognize symptom is hot flashes ÷ sudden intense waves of heat and sweating. Some women find that these hot flashes disrupt their sleep, and others report mood changes. Other symptoms may include irregular periods, vaginal or urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence (leakage of urine or inability to control urine flow), and inflammation of the vagina. Because of the changes in the urinary tract and vagina, some women may have discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse. Many women also notice changes in their skin, digestive tract, and hair during menopause.
In the long term, some women experience problems linked to the low levels of estrogen found after menopause. These may include osteoporosis and increased risk for heart disease.
The Facts About Hormones
In the 60 years that hormone replacement therapy has been available, it has drawn both yea-and naysayers, each with some claim to scientific proof.
The bad news about hormone therapy just keeps getting worse. New findings from the largest study of hormone replacement therapy indicate that older women taking a combination of estrogen plus progesterone have twice the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other dementias as do women taking a sugar pill, or placebo.
Here's the line on hormones and cancer: Estrogen increases the risk of uterine cancer-except when it's combined with progestin. That combination, however, has other problems: It can increase the risk of breast cancer. Yet it cuts the risk of colorectal cancer. Confused? You're not alone.
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