Menopause
Menopause is a time to ‘pause’, take stock of your lifestyle and make positive changes for a healthy future.
Every woman will experience menopause differently. Commonly menopause starts between the ages of 48 and 52 and lasts an average of 5 years. Whilst many women see menopause as an end, it is also the beginning of a new phase of womanhood with a new set of expectations and opportunities. Menopause is not a disease, however, the phases of menopause often bring some frustrating and sometimes overwhelming symptoms including:
- Irregular periods
- Breast tenderness
- Bloating
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Sleeplessness
- Weight gain
- Hot flushes
- Night sweats
- Vaginal dryness
- Skin dryness
The first indication that a woman is approaching menopause is irregular periods when the ovaries begin to function less. This is the peri-menopausal stage when the production of the hormone progesterone begins to decline. During peri-menopause the symptoms may worsen a week or so before a period. Menopause occurs when the menstrual period stops and both estrogen and progesterone fall out of balance.
Herbal Medicine and Naturopathy have a long history of treating the signs and symptoms that occur with peri-menopause and menopause. Naturopathy offers an individualized approach to the treatment of these symptoms, supporting the body in adapting to a new state without the influence of progesterone and estrogen.
Menopause is a stage of life when it is important to reassess your nutrition, diet and lifestyle and make changes to ensure your body adapts without the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Women may have ongoing concerns during their post-menopausal years including:
- Decreased bone density leading to osteoporosis
- Rises in cholesterol and other lipids
- Weight gain and loss of muscle mass
- Low energy or poor memory.