Manage Menopause Naturally

Menopause is just one day. The day you celebrate 12 months without a period. Isn’t it strange how the before and after is just a peri and a post? When all the symptoms go through all three stages, if you’re unlucky to have symptoms that is. Perimenopause can  start as early as in your 20’s, and in even rarer cases there have been girls that have gone through perimenopause before they’ve even started their periods.  This is in very rare cases and is called primary ovarian insufficiency. More women than you would believe actually start having perimenopausal symptoms in their 30’s and 40’s. Most women start having symptoms around 10 or even 15 years before they have menopause. By the time they have reached menopause all sorts of changes could have happened to their mental and physical health.

Sometimes it can hit you like a rock, other times it can be so gradual that you don’t even notice until it gets to be a big interference in your daily living, and you don’t know how to change it. This is what happened to me. I didn’t realise I had symptoms until I was well into them, almost accepting them as part of my life now. The scientific side of me came out and I started observing my symptoms as if I were another entity, commenting on them to my husband, also a Chiropractor, and we would discuss the physiological changes quite happily, without really relating them to me. Then suddenly I realised what was going on! You can read about my journey here.

Common symptoms in perimenopause/menopause include erratic and irregular cycles, hot flashes and vaginal dryness, mental confusion, changes in body odour, swelling, weight gain, water retention.

Which symptoms do you have?

Perimenopause is when the estrogen production in the body begins to lessen. This is the job of the ovaries, your adrenal glands and even your adipose tissue (body fat) secretes a certain amount of estrogen too. Once estrogen is released into the blood stream, it attaches to estrogen receptors found on the surface of your cells, of which we have over 100 trillion making up our body. When this begins to slow down or stop altogether, it’s almost like withdrawal symptoms from a drug, even though it’s a natural drug and essential up until this point, and the body reacts.

Common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause include:

• Breast tenderness.
• Weak or brittle bones.
• Hot flashes and night sweats.
• Irregular periods or No periods.
• Headaches.
• Lack of concentration, clouded thought process.
• Fatigue, trouble sleeping.
• Mood swings, irritability, depression.
• Vaginal dryness leading to painful intercourse.
• Dryness around the labia, perineum and anus.
• Dry and skin all over the body.

How can I avoid Menopause?

Well you can’t really avoid menopause. It’s a natural process that every woman goes through, whether you have had a hysterectomy or not. It’s nature’s way of letting go of what isn’t needed at this stage in life.

As we age, the digestive system breaks down, that’s why as you get older you can’t eat as much at night, you have less appetite and certain foods begin to disagree with you. Your body can no longer cope as it used to. So in order for the digestive system to cope better, and for your muscles to have strength to carry you and your heart and blood circulation continue to work, things like the reproductive system suffer, and attention is no longer given to that system. Sounds harsh? For some women it is harsh, that is why I believe that we should help our system with a healthy outlook, promoting health and wellness before relying on chemicals. Most women do well with a natural approach, and only in certain cases do they have to turn to pharmaceutical care. The natural way can sometimes take longer, but you know it’s a way of lifestyle, rather than ignoring the problem with a pill and hoping it will resolve itself. In other articles I will talk more about estrogen and the different types and I will also be linking perimenopausal/menopausal symptoms with traditional Chinese medicine through the 5-element theory.

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