Archive for the ‘Menopause’ Category

Menopause symptoms

Hot flashes, flushes and/or cold flashes
The estimate is that 75 to 85% of women in America will get this when they reach menopause.

Night sweats
Night sweats is usually related to hot flashes, but is usually more intense. This is a common perspiration disorder that occurs during sleep.

Irregular periods
Most women will experience short, absent or irregular periods at some point in their lives. This can be caused by a wide range of conditions, but the most common one is hormone imbalance.

Loss of libido
Low libido should be addressed when it is perceived as a problem, for example in the framework of a relationship.

Vaginal dryness
A loss of moist and soft feel of the vaginal area can be associated with irritation and itching.

Mood swings
Mood problems can make a person into a human roller coaster. Up one minute, and down the next. And what’s worst, the person never seems to be able to get of the ride. Mood swings are often a result of a physical problem and it can be treated with for example progesterone cream.

Bouts of rapid heart beat
A heart that is racing and pounding is one of the most common symptoms related to perimenopause. Many women are scared by it since it shows up so suddenly and unexpected and is seemingly unstoppable. It is very important to report these kinds of symptoms to a doctor.
What you can do when this occurs, is trying to relax and take deep breaths. If this happens when you are in bed, try to change the position and take a few deep breaths.

Irritability
This is common, and can result in sleep and eating disorders, withdrawal from friends and family, and loss of interest in usual activities. This condition can be treated with progesterone cream.

Fatigue
Next to pain this is the most common symptom doctors see in patients undergoing menopausal transition, and it can have a drastic impact on daily life, work productivity, quality of life and relationships. It is defined as an persistent and ongoing feeling of tiredness, weakness and low energy levels. Furthermore, decreased attention, apathy and irritability can also be a part of it. As many of the other symptoms of menopause, this too can be treated with progesterone cream.

Hair loss
The hair follicles need estrogen, so many women will see this as one of the first signs of menopause and loss of estrogen simply because it is something that is obvious. It can be both sudden and gradual loss of hair, both on your head and other parts of your body. Even if this is common, hair loss combined with bad health in general would be something to see your doctor about.

Sleep disorders
Tossing and turning, waking up in the middle of the night and insomnia can all be connected to menopause. This usually have it’s roots in changes in your hormone levels. Progesterone cream applied at bedtime can help you enjoy sleep and wake up refreshed in the morning.

Disorientation, difficulty concentrating, mental confusion
Trouble remembering things, having trouble concentrating and experience mental blocks can be something many women experience during early menopause. This can caused by not getting enough sleep or having their sleep disrupted.

Loss of balance, dizziness, lightheadedness
Dizziness can be the symptom of a number of medical conditions. There are however a few things that people can do to cope with the dizziness, and the reason for the dizziness might be a trivial problem. It can however also be a symptom of a serious illness, so it can be a good idea to visit a doctor if you are experience this.

Incontinence
This can happen when you for example laugh or sneeze, and it falls into three main categories: Stress incontinence, that is urinating by accident when laughing, cough, or sneeze. Number two is urge incontinence (the bladder can develop a “life on its own”) – emptying when it’s full despite the individual’s efforts to resist. The last one of overflow incontinence. This will make you lose the sensation that you have to go. This would be a good reason for seing your doctor.

Weight gain
A thickening of the waist is a sign of changing hormones and may happen because of their metabolism is slowing down. Some studies indicates that hormone levels are tied to weight gain and redistribution of fat. Regular exercise and a good diet can help with this.

Changes in body odor
No, we’re not necessarily talking about the smell of sweat. Eccrine sweat doesn’t have a smell, and is all over our bodies. The smelly kind is aprocrine and is the kind produced under the arms. This one too is actually odorless until bacteria act upon it, and so antibacterial soap will help a lot against smell.

Depression
It’s pretty common to have feelings of sadness due to setbacks and losses, and even to have the feeling of unhappiness for no apparent reason. If these feelings persist and/or affects your daily life, however, you may have some kind of disorder. Loss of appetite and sleep, withdrawal from friends and family, and loss of interest in your usual activities can follow if you have a depressive disorder. If you experience this you should contact your doctor.

Anxiety
Panic attack, rapid heart beat, palpitations and shortness of breath can all be connected to anxiety. If the diagnosis are set at an early stage, recovery will be fast and it will be prevented from becoming worse and develop into depression.

Breast pain
A general discomfort and pain associated with touching or pressure to breast.

Headaches
Headaches can be caused by several factors for example too high intake of alcohol or muscle tension, or it can occor with the flu.
Some women may experience more and worse headaches in the early stages of menopause. The reason for this is the dropping of estrogen levels, and it can be minimized with progesterone cream.

Memory lapses
Most people have or will experience memory loss one way or another. They are nothing to worry about, as they are momentary and it can happen to anyone. If you however experience this on a regular basis it can be a good idea to seek medical advice.

Increased bleeding in the gums
Usually bleeding in the gums are caused by inflamation, and it is not too serious. It can however be a overture to more serious problems, so it would be a good idea to take care of it before it becomes too bad. The solution for this is use of a good toothbrush and flossing.

Itchy skin
With dropping estrogen levels, collagen production usually drops too. Collagen keeps your skin toned, resilient and fresh-looking, so when you run low on collagen it will show in your skin. The result will be drier, flakier, thinner and less youthful-looking skin.

Osteoporosis
This is something that can happen after several years, and is a degenerative bone disorder where the bones get thinner and weaker, and the bone mass and density will decrease. When this happens, the person will be more susceptible for bone breaks and fractures.
Menopause will slow down the regeneration of bones – estrogen levels will drop with menopause, and estrogen is involved in the calcium absorption into the bones.

Nausea, gas pain, flatulence, indigestion, digestive problems, gastrointestinal distress
Flatulence is perfectly normal, but when people switch to more healthy diet sometimes worry when they produce too much gas. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains is considered healthy, and these, and more, are likely to make your digestive system churn out more gas. If you get gas pains from eating this kind of food and if you have the pain for more than three days, you should see your doctor right away.

Pain in muscle, tendons and joints
This is some of the most common symptoms of menopause. About half all postmenopausal women experience this in one degree or another, and it is basically and unexplainable soreness in the muscles and joints. You should not ignore these symptoms. Herbal aids, nutritions foods, plenty of rest, organic food, fruits, vegetables and avoiding know stimulants and toxins are all healthy strategies for fighting these pains.

Menopause

Menopause is the term that describes a permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries: the release and ripening of ova and the release of the hormones that is causing the creation of the uterine lining and the shedding of the uterine lining (that is the period or the menses). Women in midlife usually experience this in their 40s or 50s, and this is the signal that the fertile phase of a woman’s life is over.

The passing from reproductive to non-reproductive is a consequence of a great decrease in the female hormonal production by the ovaries. This passing usually happens over a period of years, and is a natural result of getting older.

For some women, the effects of the menopause transition can significantly disrupt their day-to-day-life and their feeling of well-being. Furthermore, women who have different kinds of functional disorders affecting the reproductive system, for example cancer of the reproductive organs, endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, can go into menopause sooner than that what is considered normal. The functional disorders often greatly speed up the menopausal process and can create additional health problems, both emotional and physical.

“Menopause” in Greek literally means the “end of monthly cycles” – men- (month) and pausis (cessation) and the word “menopause” was created to describe this change in females, where the stopping of monthly menstruation is traditionally the indication on the end of their fertility.

The date of manopause is medically defined as the time of the last menstrual period in women that have not had hysterectomy. Women that have their uterus removed but retain their ovaries do not go into menopause right away, even though their periods stop. Adult women that have their ovaries will however immediately go into surgical menopause, even if they are young.

Menopause is a change that every woman will experience, and it is unavoidable assuming the woman reaches the middle age and beyond. It can be helpful to learn as much as possible about what to expect and what options that are available to assist this transition, if what is to become necessary.

Even if normal menopause are expected in the age range of 42-58, it would be normal to experience this around 50 years of age. Early menopause can be related to high body mass index, cigarette smoking, radiation, illnesses, racial and ethnic factors, chemotherapy, and the surgical removal of the uterus and/or both ovaries.

The doctor can declare menopause when the woman has had an absence of any menstruation for one whole year, but there are many signs that lead up to this point, and many can extend well beyond it as well. Some of these are irregular menses, atrophy of genitourinary tissue, vaginal dryness, mood changes, forgetfulness, breast tenderness, increased stress, hot flashes and/or night sweats, and in some cases osteoporosis and/or heart disease. All of these are results of the hormonal change the body is going throug, and each woman can be affected differently. The only thing that in the end will be the result for all, is the complete cessation of menses.

Progesterone deficiency and menopause

While most healthcare providers now know that progesterone deficiency occurs even before menopause, it is still true that progesterone deficiency and menopause are two terms that go hand in hand with one another. Women who are experiencing menopause suffer from symptoms such as swelling, carbohydrate craving, tenderness of the breasts, irregular menstruation, and menstrual cramps because they have lowered levels of progesterone. Other undesirable effects of progesterone deficiency and menopause are inexplicable if not sudden weight gain (specifically in the stomach area), memory loss, hair loss, intense mood swings, loss of sexual desire or appetite, and migraines. To get rid of these signs and symptoms, one can avail of natural creams that can off set estrogens without any hazardous side effects.

Estrogen and progesterone are the most important hormones created by women’s ovaries during their menstrual period. The adrenal glands also secrete these hormones. It is integral for a fertilized ovum to survive. It is also very crucial to embryos and fetuses during gestation.

Progesterone and estrogen are the two main hormones made by women’s ovaries when they are menstruating. Smaller amounts of these hormones are also secreted by the adrenal glands. It’s necessary for the survival of the fertilized ovum, its embryo as well as the fetus during gestation.

Progesterone deficiency and menopause brings many problems, since progesterone is responsible for many things that go on in a woman’s body. It is a precursor to testosterone and estrogen, maintains the lining of the uterus, helps in gestation, converts fat into energy, serves as a natural diuretic, alleviates depression, helps thyroid hormone action, reinforces a woman’s libido, normalizes the clotting of blood, brings back the natural levels of oxygen, zinc, and copper, and helps prevents osteoporosis. Many doctors find that many symptoms associated with menopause, heart diseases, and osteoporosis may not be results of estrogen deficiency. Instead, these can be credited to the excessive amounts of estrogen due to progesterone deficiency.

HRT drugs such as provera (a synthetic chemical), is known to have negative side effects on women who wish top treat their menopause problems. Side effects such as water retention, depression, tenderness of the breasts, jaundice, cervical erosions, and blood clotting are the downside of taking this product. This makes natural progesterone a more sensible choice for women. In contrast to HRT, women who experience progesterone deficiency and menopause could safely turn to natural progesterone, which has no known side effects. In addition, natural progesterone is found to help ease the symptoms of PMS and hot flashes. It also contributes to the prevention of osteoporosis.

Here you can read more about progesterone deficiency and how to treat the symptoms you may experience.