Can Herbal Remedies for Menopause Help Ease Menopausal Symptoms

By Wendy Jones | July 29, 2007

Going through the menopause is an experience every woman will experience in her life as it’s part of the natural process of female development and growth. The name given to this change of life – menopause – comes from the Greek meanings of “cease” and “month”. Roughly translated it means the end or ceasing of the monthly cycle or periods. In general, most women start to experience early menopause symptoms from their early 50s – but it can start as early as 40 and end as late as their late 50s.

One thing is for sure and that is every woman’s experience of menopause will be different. Approximately 80% of all women will go through the “change of life” – as it is often referred to – with very few symptoms other than their periods coming to an end.

Menopause symptoms occur due to the physical changes a woman experiences as she gets older. In particular, it is due to the reduction in the levels of hormones – namely estrogen and progesterone – in her body. This decrease causes an irregularity in the menstrual cycle and the eventual end of the menstrual cycle all together.

The three early menopause symptoms that signify the start of the process are irregular monthly periods, vaginal dryness and hot flashes (or hot flushes). Probably the most common – or classic – symptom is hot flashes. Hot flash symptoms are when a woman experiences a sudden wave of heat rising through your body, in particular in the chest, neck and face, which can be (usually is) accompanied by a “blushing” sensation or flushed/reddening skin. The feeling can last for quite a few minutes and become quite uncomfortable.

Experiencing a hot flash can also be accompanied by perspiration (or hot sweats) especially over your upper body, and at times can be pretty heavy. It can also bring on headaches, palpitations and dizziness. There’s not a lot you can do to eliminate the symptoms, but there’s plenty you can do to manage them. Wear multiple layers of clothing, so that you can remove some if necessary, drink plenty of cool liquids, and if you’re at home try a cool shower. Some people I know actually say a hot shower works well – not necessarily during the shower, but certainly when you get out – this is a method they practise in hot countries to keep cool so there’s no reason it can’t be effective to manage your hot flashes.

One of the other symptoms of menopause – that of vaginal dryness – are caused by the reduction in estrogen. This decrease in natural hormones makes the urinary tract a lot thinner, and can cause both the urinary tract and vagina to become more susceptible to infection. In certain cases, it can also make having sex quite a painful, or at least uncomfortable experience.

There are many natural herbs for menopause that you can take to ease the symptoms, but one of the best remedies for the dryness is to use natural creams and/or lubricants like ky jelly, apricot or vitamin E oil. All of these will make having sex a much more pleasurable experience again (but unfortunately can’t account for the performance of a partner!). There are other over the counter or prescription creams that your physician may also recommend, many of which contain extra estrogen.

About the Author: Wendy Jones runs a menopause support website. For handy tips and support on herbs for menopause visit her site Early Menopause Symptoms Support

Article kindly provided by UberArticles.com

Topics: Health and Fitness | Comments Off

Comments are closed.