Vaginal Dryness and Itching Treatment

When a woman is directed to post menopause, her vaginal skin and vulva becomes really thinner and the vagina will loose its capability of producing wetness during the time of sexual contact. Around 75% women suffering from post menopause will badly endure atrophic vaginitis that will be instigated due decreased level of estrogens. Due to this, post menopausal women will experience bad pain during sexual contact, irritation, itching and enlarged vulnerability to vaginal contagions. Post menopausal women with atrophic vaginitis will suffer from itching, redness, and vaginal dryness. Being active during the sexual participation with the best assistance of lubricant and in-taking good amount of water will be really advisable in order to stay safe out from atrophic vaginitis. Basically, vaginal dryness is merely simple to treat! It is really advisable to contact a doctor, to get the best medical advice to overcome this trouble. There are several treatments that can be easily handled. They are vaginal suppositories, estrogen contained creams, and estrogen therapy.

Vaginal dryness is caused because of the factors described below! They are:

1. Devolved level of estrogen is the major cause leading to vaginal dryness. This will decline in the production level of estrogen and as a result the vagina gets dried and grows thinner!

2. However, the devolved level of estrogen is quite common for the result of vaginal dryness it is really advisable to check with fundamental medical consideration. Failing to check will lead to several side effects like Sjogren's disease.

Treatments to cure vaginal dryness and itching are here for your understandings:

Lubricants - You can find quite several vaginal lubricants available in the store shops. You should try using different brands in order to find the best brand matching and satisfying your partner. It is always recommended to make use of lubricants that are water based. This could be used safe along with diaphragms and condoms. The most familiar condom brands are Slippery Stuff, Astroglide, ID and KY Gel. These condoms will give you complete happiness during your sexual contact.

Conventional Approach - If your doctor suggests you several branded lubricants, you never miss to inquire the effects of using it for longer, regular use.

Complimentary Therapies - Relief is very close and prompt at your house kitchen. It is good to give a massage with olive oil that helps you to battle with the vaginal dryness.

Herbal treatment for Vaginal Dryness & Itching Remedies - Itching or Scratching, whatever may be the case, will be cured by using two natural herbal made products. One is the Aloe Vera Gel and the other is the Calendula Cream! Along with, motherwort is being described as a branded remedial measure to stay relief from vaginal dryness and itching troubles.

Homeopathic Vaginal Dryness & Itching Treatment - Women suffering from vaginal dryness and scratching or itching can experience a better relief with the use of Belladonna. Cantharis and Natrum mur is highly recommended to get relief from itching alone!

Be sure with the indications of the post menopause symptoms, so that you can avail the best treatment to get complete relief.

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The Natural Cure for Nightsweats

Doctors and their herbalist ancestors have been treating nightsweats for at least 1800 years since the writing of the Shang Han Lun, a second-century Chinese medical textbook that taught that these bouts of nocturnal perspiration were the result of kidneys sending fluids backwards in the body.

The modern understanding of nightsweats is more nuanced. They often have a hormonal cause, but the cause is not always related to estrogen.

Hot flashes at night may be related to the increase of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) accompanying menopause or surgical removal of the ovaries, diabetes, or malaria. The causes of profuse sweating in winter in men are, of course, more likely related to diabetes or the parasitic disease malaria. Hot flashes occur day and night in men treated for prostate cancer.

The key to understanding menopause and nightsweats is that if the condition is related to menopause, then episodes tend to occur at the same time every night. They may be worse after drinking alcohol or sudden change of temperature. African-American women are especially susceptible to uncontrollable nighttime perspiration even without alcohol or sudden change of temperature.

There is a direct relationship between sweaty flushes and diabetes. Diabetics who get this condition tend to have episodes the same number of hours after eating, but not at the same time every night. Perspiration after going to bed and weight loss are a common warning of undiagnosed diabetes and are a reason to see a physician.

And nightsweats accompanying malaria are "tidal," that is, they build up and taper down. Malarial sweats alternate with chills, and occur on a regular schedule whether the sufferer is sleeping or not.

Male survivors of prostate cancer typically have their sweaty symptoms increasing or decreasing during the course of cancer therapy.

So how do you treat this condition naturally?

Nightsweats aren't really the result of "toxins," but rather of hormones out of balance that are acting as if they were toxins. In women who have reached menopause, this condition is often treated with estrogen, but black cohosh (300-1,000 mg daily) and soy isoflavones (not to be confused with soy foods, but a supplement of concentrated daidzein + genistein, up to 400 mg) daily offer relief to many.

Women who are planning to discontinue estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) may want to begin a supplementation routine up to six months before ending ERT. This allows the effects of the herbs to build up over time. It is also possible to use both ERT and herbal therapies.

Women who have had breast cancer may respond better to soy foods than to soy supplements.

What else can be done?

• Avoid sudden changes in temperature just before bedtime, such as taking a hot bath or moving from a warm living room to a cooler bedroom. Cooler bedroom temperatures, however, reduce the severity of hot flashes.


• A research study at Vanderbilt University found that magnet therapy does in fact relieve hot flashes, but it doesn't make any difference whether the magnets are magnetized or not. Small weights on limited areas of skin seem to reduce the severity of sweating during nighttime hours.


• Treating constipation and other digestive disturbances usually reduces the severity of nighttime sweating over a period of 2-3 months.


• The Asian herb dong quai may reduce episodes of nighttime sweating, but it is more effective in women who have completed menopause than those who are in perimenopause.

Nocturnal perspiration related to diabetes or malaria responds to treatment of the underlying condition.

There is one other, relatively rare cause of sweating at night: acid reflux, also known as heartburn. Controlling heartburn will eliminate nightsweats if it is the cause.

Menopause - Ways to Deal With Perimenopause

Perimenopause is the transitional stage before menopause occurs when a woman begins feeling some sort of irregularities in her menstrual cycle which accompanied by unpleasant menopause symptoms such as mood swing, hot flashes and unconditional irritations. Generally, menopause begins at the age of 50-55 however the perimenopause symptoms may begin bothering women from their late 30's to early 40's.

Even though menopause age sets in average 50-55 of a woman, perimenopause tends to set in average women by the age of 40-45. Some studies has been proven that over-exposure to environmental toxins is one of the main reasons for setting early perimenopause in most women, where stress is another main reason for this faster initiation of perimenopause in social scenario nowadays.

But as a woman who is in perimenopause cycle and she is still having her period, it is still possible to rebuild the lost normalcy in menstrual cycle and delay the setting of menopause by certain changing of her life style. If you are experiencing some of the unpleasant perimenopause symptoms, you should begin doing light exercise. Regular exercise can improves blood circulation level of body, logical frame of mind and brain function in order to deal with perimenopause symptoms.

Maintaining a normal stress life is a pre-requisite in order to live a healthy life and to avoid early sign of menopause syndrome. Besides you can try to lead a tranquil live. Thus you should have some healthy hobbies or some favorite pastimes to promote the well-being of leisure. Enjoying humor and funny activities is also a life style factor that maintains hormone arrangement alive and delays setting in of menopause.

By keeping a close watch on stress generation, this will helps efficiently in delaying menopause syndrome. You can try menopause remedies such as meditation, yoga, relaxation hypnosis and therapy in order to cope with the perimenopause issue.

A strict diet would definitely be useful in reducing the stress level and increase your immunity system. Moreover organic foods are free from environmental toxins. Thus it is better to take organic food to resist some minor however obvious signs of ensuing menopause.

Consumption of carbonated drinks, junk foods, tea and coffee should be avoided in order to deal with the perimenopause symptoms. As you keep the normal life style quotient, you surely can delay menopause in its true sense. Furthermore you can also take some herbs that mention in our website to deal with perimenopause naturally.

Vitamins For Menopause - The 5 Most Important Ones

The natural changes in your body during menopause can cause a few troublesome symptoms that disrupt your day, or keep you from getting a good night's sleep. A healthy lifestyle with nutritious meals and regular exercise can help alleviate these symptoms, but vitamins for menopause are just as crucial to finding relief. Existing studies show that these five vitamins ease the body's transition to menopause so that you don't have to suffer the excruciating symptoms.

1. Co-enzyme Q10: For Aging Gracefully

Co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a popular buzzword in nutrition these days, and for a very good reason. This vitamin-like substance is needed for cell energy production; without it, you experience decreased energy levels, faster aging, and increased vulnerability to disease. Although the liver can produce enough CoQ10 for the body's needs, its ability to produce this substance declines steadily after the age of 20. Current research shows that CoQ10 can increase energy levels, normalize blood pressure, and relieve headaches caused by menopause. Some studies also suggest that CoQ10 reduces the risk of heart disease among menopausal women. CoQ10 can be obtained from broccoli, spinach, and peanuts, as well as supplements from health food stores.

2. Vitamin E: A Powerful Antioxidant

Have you ever wondered why vitamin E has long been lauded as one of the most important natural antioxidants? That's because it is made up of eight antioxidants working together to protect the human body. Doctors noted that eating foods rich in vitamin E can reduce the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol that forms blood clots responsible for strokes and heart attacks. Some studies also suggest that the vitamin E alpha tocopherol can reduce hot flashes and restore vaginal moisture. The recommended dose of vitamin E for menopause is 600-800 IU. Take with caution if you have a history of hypertension.

3. Vitamin C: For Menopausal Stress Relief

Stress is a constant element of modern living, especially if you're the kind of woman who likes to take on multiple challenges at once. While your work and family life can be fulfilling, do try to take a break every once in a while. A stressed-out body can lead to adrenal fatigue, a condition where the adrenal glands produce high levels of cortisol. Although cortisol helps the body survive if released occasionally, too much of this stress hormone can interfere with your body's hormone production, which will only make your menopause symptoms worse. On days where you have too many things on your plate, take vitamin C to combat adrenal fatigue. Vitamin C is well known for its immuno-protective properties, but it is also the most important nutrient for adrenal health. Not to mention that the more cortisol is produced, the more vitamin C is used. To restore adrenal health, take around 1,800 - 2,000mg of vitamin C a day.

4. B Vitamins

Did you know that the B vitamins are critical to a woman's diet during menopause? Vitamin B6 can reduce mood swings and depressive symptoms because it aids in the production of serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for mood and happiness. Vitamin B5 works well with vitamin E in reducing night sweats and insomnia. And vitamin B12 raises the body absorption of the mineral magnesium. Get your B vitamins from a high quality multivitamin formula.

5. Calcium/Magnesium: An Essential Supplement for Menopause

The relationship between low levels of calcium and insomnia has long been observed by doctors. Do you know why a hot glass of milk before bedtime can help put you to sleep? Calcium induces relaxation, reduces tension, and triggers the secretion of sleep hormones. But all the calcium in the world won't do you any good if you don't have enough magnesium in your body. Magnesium is required to pull calcium into the bones and to distribute them to parts of the nervous system. Without magnesium, calcium cannot be utilized as efficiently. According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey, almost 60% of adults don't consume the recommended daily allowance of magnesium in their diets. Magnesium deficiencies are known to cause anxiety, irritability, sleep disorders, and calcium depletion. Since both minerals are so closely linked, experts recommend that menopausal women take calcium and magnesium supplements at a ratio of 2:1.

Perimenopause: Let It Be, But Not Too Early

When a girl turns to a young lady, she experiences puberty or adolescence where her breast and her hips start developing (leading to a more feminine figure) and her menstrual cycle begins. Such transition also occurs when a fertile woman has her period less than usual, and eventually loses it (menopause), and this transition stage is referred to as perimenopause. People usually interchange menopause and perimenopause although, technically, they are different stages. Menopause is the stage when the ovulation has completely stopped; meaning, the woman has become permanently unable to produce egg cells. Perimenopause, on the other hand, involves the ups-and-downs of a woman traversing from fertility to infertility.

If you have been asked are you in perimenopause? You probably need to check out some symptoms that you might be experiencing because perimenopause may actually occur as early as 30's. If you have not had your menstrual period for a year, then you are no longer in your perimenopause stage, instead, you already reached the menopause stage and after that, the post-menopause. Symptoms of perimenopause might include hot flashes, or sudden feverish feelings; mood swings like anxiety, depression and irritability; night sweats without any particular reason (hot weather); and, irregular or sometimes decreasing occurrence of menstrual period. These are the more common signs that you are on your way to menopause. It is a natural phenomenon, with all the hormonal changes your body experiences, but the onset of perimenopause can be delayed.

Are you in perimenopause and are you wishing to reduce the uncomfortable symptoms? There are varying approaches on how to slow down this process including hormone therapy where the patient is supplemented with either estrogen or progesterone (or a combination); however, many claims have gone against this because of the suggested risk leading to breast cancer. Nevertheless, natural therapy is fast becoming popular and it seems that patients are more positive about such treatment. For example, bioflavonoids, vitamin E and soy isoflavones are some suggested relief for hot flashes since they lower the severity of the symptom. Chamomile and kava root are natural sedatives that helps calm the mind and may lessen sleeping disorders.

Perimenopause and menopause will happen and there is no way to avoid it, however, the cases of premature perimenopause have been observed and this is primarily due to poor eating and health lifestyle. This will also help you with other severe effects of menopause like osteoporosis so as early as now (assuming you haven't experienced perimenopause), you should avoid foods high in cholesterol, exercise regularly, take in supplements for your bone and stop or do not smoke. Smoking has been regarded as a culprit for premature menopause.

When asked, are you in perimenopause? Do not be disturbed. It is only natural for women to experience such. It is not normal when you feel pain far from discomfort, like when you suddenly had excessive bleeding. While there is no way to delay what is to come, you can prevent it from happening too early, so starting today, you should make it a habit to live healthy.

Menopause Medication - Know Your Options

Menopause Medication: How Do You Decide Which Is Right For You?

If you are like most women, you are understandably confused when confronted with all the information, some proven, some scary and some downright ridiculous, when it comes to the treatments available for you and your menopause medication arsenal. How about some objective, sensible advice on how to research your options and choose a plan that will work best for you? Well, read on to get some of the best and most up-to-date information available which you will need to make the right decision regarding your personal regimen. Which is right for you? Prescription, natural therapies, or a combination? Let's look at them all.

Available Choices in Prescription Medication

Pills, oral or vaginal, creams, gels, rings; the choices seem to be endless. Let's look at our options in prescription medication often used during menopause.

Prescription medication which does contain hormones

• Birth control pills can relieve symptoms during perimenopause, but are not used after menopause. There are many contraindications to using birth control pills and only you and your healthcare provider can decide if they are right for you.


• Low-dose vaginal estrogen, which is available in cream, a pill inserted vaginally, or ring form, helps with localized symptoms such as vaginal dryness and loss of elasticity, but at a much lower dose that is not absorbed as much as when taken in oral pill form.


• Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, is also available in many forms such as pill, patch, vaginal ring, gel, or cream form, and is probably the most widely used form of medication used for the symptomatic treatment of menopause. However, it has been shown to have significant health risks for some women. To provide relief, experts recommend only the lowest dose possible be used for the least amount of time. Talk to your healthcare provider to get more information on whether this medication is a good option for you.


• Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is a form of hormones usually made from plants. Because it is believed to most closely resemble those hormones made by our own bodies, they are thought by many to be a safer bet than those available in the traditional form. There is quite a lot of controversy surrounding this form of hormone therapy, so be sure to do your homework and discuss this with your healthcare provider. Experts on both sides of the debate still feel that any form of hormone therapy should only be used in as low a dose and for the shortest time possible.

Prescription medication which does not contain hormones:

• Antidepressant medicines have been shown to decrease the amount and severity of hot flashes in some women.


• Clonidine, a high blood pressure medicine, may also help decrease hot flashes, but there could be problems with low blood pressure.


• Neurontin, a medication used to control seizures among other uses, can also reduce hot flashes. However, there are possible and significant side effects.

Femarelle: Safe and Effective Means of Treating Menopausal Symptoms and Bone Loss

Menopause, although a natural part of every woman's life, is very often accompanied by extremely uncomfortable symptoms, such as hot flashes, loss of libido, night sweats, sleep turbulence, significant mood changes, sometimes even clinical depression. As menopause progresses additional metabolic diseases may arise which can include vaginal dryness, urinary problems, bone loss (which can lead to osteoporosis) as well as other significant health issues including cardiovascular diseases.

Femarelle, is a safe and effective treatment for the management of both menopausal symptoms and bone loss. Femarelle's uniqueness lies in that it is a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator- (a SERM.) The selectivity in the estrogen receptor provides both menopausal symptoms relief and bone health, without affecting the sensitive tissues in the breast and uterus.

The scientific activity surrounding Femarelle has been published in major scientific and medical journals around the world and has received international recognition and acceptance by the medical community as a whole, both in their practices and in leading medical conventions.

Three out of four women report relief and alleviation of hot flashes in 76%, relief of joint & muscle pain in 70% and relief of headaches in 68% (the main symptoms associated with the menopause transition). Furthermore, the effect of Femarelle on the bones, exhibited a statistically significant increase of BMD after one year (12 months) of treatment. Most importantly, these clinical results were achieved without disturbing the hormonal blood profile and without leading to any change in endometrial thickness or other changes in the uterus. A study of its mechanism of action on BMD in human bone cultures showed that Femarelle exhibits unique bone-forming properties by increasing bone formation through osteoblast activity. Even further, Femerelle had no effect on breast cancer tissue formation in human breast cancer tissue culture studies.

The unique combination of coumestans and lignans in Femarelle provides an innovative and effective solution to menopausal symptoms. The selective mechanism of action of Femarelle allows it to act as an agonist on the estrogen receptors and thus exert a satisfactory effect on menopausal symptoms and BMD while having an aggressive effect on the estrogen receptors in the breast and in the uterus, without negative side effects or the risk of health issues down the line.

Relief is often felt within the first month of treatment, (in three out of four women) which is very encouraging to those who's lives are effected daily by the discomfort of bodily changes due to menopause.

Menopause Vaginal Dryness and How to Cure It

It is quite common for women to experience vaginal dryness post menopause and one of the underlying reasons behind this sexual problem is a drop in the production of the estrogen. Low levels of estrogen makes the walls of the vaginal thin and dry. Women tend to experience constant itching or burning sensation in the vagina due to a drop in the estrogen levels.

Excessive dryness of the vagina can make intercourse extremely painful and one of its implications is that women tend to lose interest in sex. It affects female sex drive adversely which can take a toll on your relationship.

How to Cure Vaginal Dryness Naturally

Here are a few steps that can help you get over vaginal dryness:

1. Drink a lot of water- This is likely to keep you well hydrated and help ease out vaginal dryness. What you need to remember is that dehydration can only aggravate the problem


2. Foods like soy, apples etc., can help increase estrogen levels.


3. Most people tend to believe that all fat is bad. This can be very misleading. Your body requires essential fats like omega 3 for the production of hormones like estrogen. Make sure you get enough of essential fats in your diet. The best sources include fish like salmons, olives, olive oil, nuts etc.,


4. Quit Smoking- Cigarettes contain dangerous chemicals that can aggravate dryness in the vagina

Over and above, there are some natural or herbal supplements as well as lubricants that can help ease out vaginal dryness.

Natural supplements are a rich and potent blend of herbs, vitamins, minerals etc., that not only increase blood flow to the genitals but also help increase estrogen levels without the side effects of hormone replacement therapy. Top of the line supplements comprise of ingredients like ginkgo biloba, epimedium sagittatum, black cohosh, ginger root, ginseng, red raspberry, melatonin, niacin etc.,

Such supplements increase blood flow to the genitals to ensure engorgement of the clitoris and also increase estrogen production in your body to ease out vaginal dryness.

Lubricants are a mix of various ingredients such as pure aloe, shea and cocoa butters, l-arginine, citric acid etc., A large number of women are buying such lubricants that make you feel and experience sensations which you might have never felt before.

The best thing such supplements and lubricants is that they do not have any side effects.

If you want to Get over Menopause Vaginal Dryness, check out the Best Sexual Enhancers for Women that are Natural and can make you enjoy most satisfying sex.

All About MellowPause

No woman is happy to go through menopause. Matter of fact, controlling their emotions is one of the side effects of the whole ordeal. The side effects that women deal with when they reach this stage in their life are not easy on the body physically, mentally, or emotionally. Even worse-the menopausal process (also called the climacteric stage) can have side effects that last for years for some woman. While it may only be a few months of distress for others, even a week of going through menopause is undesirable. There are ways to prepare for this time and help manage the discomforts. MellowPause is an example of a treatment used to help relieve symptoms associated with menopause and support estrogen balance in the body.

MellowPause takes advantage of natural ingredients to help comfort women going through either peri-menopause or menopause. Peri-menopause is what the body experiences when it is preparing for menopause. During the entire climacteric stage a female is left to deal with a serious estrogen and progesterone drop. This drop is what leads to these common side effects: hot flashes, night sweats, inability to focus, and mood swings. MellowPause takes into consideration both problems at hand during the climacteric stage-the internal imbalance of hormones and the discomforts that come with it.

There are two key ingredients that the MellowPause formula focuses on: Black Cohosh and Pasque Flower. Black Cohosh has become a popular ingredient over the years for the support of female gynecological health and support of the nervous system. The ingredient helps support healthy estrogen and is especially beneficially in the treatment of hot flashes. This is thanks to its natural ability to support temperature regulation in a female. Pasque Flower is used for soothing and supporting the reproductive organs of a female. It also has a natural ability to positively affect the nervous system.

MellowPause comes in the form of a tincture. The idea behind this is to ensure safe and quick delivery to the body. Women are instructed to dilute 10-15 drops of MellowPause into water, juice, or milk. This should be done three times daily and after a meal. For optimal results, women should pair this treatment with a healthy diet and exercise. This means eliminating excess sugar, artificial preservatives, stimulants, colorants, and keeping alcohol intake to a minimum.

This is just one of the many different products available to help women comfortably go through menopause. This particular treatment is said to delivery speedy results and each bottle should last about a month.

Natural Factors VITEX Product Info

Menopause is a difficult time in a woman's life as it signifies a drastic change in the reproductive system, which can come with a lot of unpleasant side effects and awkward symptoms. There are many supplements and remedies on the market, which are produced to target these symptoms and bring women back to feeling normal again. One of these supplements aiming to combat a whole host of menopausal problems is Natural Factors Vitex.

There is a legitimate argument between menopause supplements that contain a list of ingredients and those that contain only one or two. It is hard to decide which is better, however the positive aspects of a simple formula is that there are less ingredients that the body could react badly too and also that the one ingredient could be more potent in a higher, concentrated dose.

The ingredient found in Natural Factors Vitex is chaste tree berry. Chaste tree berry (also known as vitex) is well known for use during menopause. Chaste tree berry is known for balancing out female hormones. This occurs as the effects on the body mimic that of progesterone, an important reproductive hormone that often fluctuates during menopause. The flavanoids in chaste tree berry target the pituitary gland, which in turn has an effect on certain hormones, (progesterone). This effective 'progesterone' balances out with the body's estrogen levels which is another of the most important hormones in the reproductive system. The regulation of these hormones is essential in combating any unwanted side effects that can occur with an imbalance such as hot flashes.

This ingredient can also be used for the menstrual cycle to help keep it regular. It is helpful in treating irregular bleeding in menopause.

Chaste tree berry is often recommended to be taken with other herbal supplements during menopause. In the case of Natural Factors Vitex 1-3 tablets should be taken daily before a healthy breakfast. As with other herbal supplements such as black cohosh, vitex is powerful and should not be taken for extreme lengths of time. Therefore caution is advised and it is important to follow the recommended dosage. Vitex along with most other menopause pills should not display obvious results immediately but should work over time to provide relief for symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats. There are other useful herbs that can target symptoms such as fatigue and lack of libido. It is a good idea to consult a doctor or herbologist before combining ingredients.

Menopause and Anxiety - How to Bring Natural Relief

Even though menopause is a natural stage of a woman's life, it often creates anxiety due to misunderstanding of physiological changes. Menopause and anxiety should be understood as cause and effect due to the decline of estrogen level in woman's body. Thus, proper treatment for menopause can effectively bring emotional relief and eliminate depression and low-esteem in women.

Emotional Changes in Menopause

Menopause is characterized by a permanent cessation of woman's natural menstrual cycle. The production of the estrogen hormone reduces significantly in a woman during menopause causing her ovaries to stop producing eggs. As the estrogen level drops, the blood vessels expand rapidly leading to temperature rise in the woman's skin. This can further cause hot flashes that can be felt around the chest, shoulders, head, and neck. The sudden spread of warmth makes the woman to sweat and feel soaked. Many women also experience raid heart beating, insomnia, irritability, and restlessness. All those feelings then create psychological symptoms that include mood swings, depression and anxiety.

Sex and Weight Gain Factors

The feeling of anxiety during menopause could also be caused by misconception of sex and weight gain. There is a myth that a woman will lose her sexual desire during menopause, but in fact the midlife years can be a great time to enhance the sexual experience as there is no restriction from having to use birth control due concerns of possible pregnancy. In the case of vaginal dryness or painful intercourse, the woman can always apply lubricants or creams. After all, sex is about emotional feeling and is free of any hormonal changes.

Another factor that often leads to anxiety during menopause is the fear of weight gain. Biologically the fall of estrogen level can slow down the metabolism, which potentially results in weight gain. Because of this, it is important for women in menopause to maintain a balanced diet. Diet should be particularly high in Calcium and Phytoestrogens, chemicals that mimic and supplement estrogen-like hormones. Phytoestrogens are useful to maintain proper bone density post menopause. These chemicals can be found in soy bean, tofu, linseed, rice, oat, and red clover.

Other Useful Things to Do

Some other things that a woman can do to reduce anxiety and depression feelings during menopause are:

Regular exercise: doing routine exercise can significantly reduce hot flashes. Mild exercises such as walking, climbing stairs, swimming or lifting weight help to strengthen the bones and decrease the risk of osteoporosis.

Proper Sleep: if a woman has trouble going to sleep during menopause, it will be a good choice to take a hot shower before bedtime or drink a glass of warm milk. Taking sleeping pill occasionally is also recommended, with doctor prescription.

Social activity: post menopause, some women find a new hobby like writing, gardening or pottery. Others meet old friends once a week for social. Basically, focusing on other useful things can significantly increase the quality of life post menopause.

Physiological changes in menopause are inevitable and normal. They may bring feelings of anxiety, depression, and moodiness. However, understanding on menopause treatment can greatly increase the awareness of psychological effects of it.

Memory Problems - Simple Lifestyle Changes and Menopause Supplements For Memory Lapses

The Problem - Memory Lapses

During menopause, you may experience frequent memory lapses. Hormonal imbalance is an important factor in memory problems among menopausal women.

During menopause, the estrogen level fluctuate greatly, causing physical discomforts such as joint pains, headaches, hot flashes, sleep disorder, and mental problems including mood swings, anxiety, depression and irritability.

In case of memory lapses, declined level of estrogen affects the cognitive functions of the brain. Insufficient level of this female hormone causes the brain to slow down, leading to frequent memory lapses.

In addition, stress and disrupted sleep during menopause can worsen the condition. Some women also report fuzzy thinking as an accompanied symptom.

Memory problems may impede daily life. Misplaced keys, forgetting names, failing to remember appointments or important numbers, these can be very troublesome for many women.

Simple Ways to Alleviate the Problem

The good news is that: memory lapses are reversible and preventable, with some effective treatments, such as lifestyle changes and natural remedies.

Incorporate exercise into our daily route. Regular exercise sends more oxygen to your brain and relieves stress and tension. Increased oxygen and reduced stress can help the brain function better and reduce memory problems.

Limit intake of alcohol. Alcohol is harmful for the brain function as it damages never cells and depletes vitamins in the body, which are vital for building neural connections.

Get more snooze time. Sleep is essential for proper memory functions. Lack of sleep can affect mood, judgment and memory ability. A good night's sleep can improve your memory, especially for menopausal women. Aim for 7 to 8 hours sleep a night to get fully rested.

Natural Remedies to Relieve the Symptoms

Apart from memory lapses, you are very likely to suffer from other menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, weight gain, insomnia and anxiety. These symptoms are all hormone-related and can make your memory lapses worse.

To maintain a good menopause health and reduce the hormone-related symptoms, make sure you give body all essential nutrients for a good health foundation, as well as effective herbs to fight the unwanted symptoms.

Herbs can help stimulate the brain and boost memory. Herbal supplements for menopause can regulate hormone levels and alleviate menopausal symptoms. Effective herbs include Black cohosh, Dong quai and Red clover.

When you are combining lifestyle changes and quality supplements for menopause, you are treating the problems from inside to outside, from root cause to related symptoms.

With quality menopause supplements, memory lapses may be reversed.

Signs of Menopause - The Quick Reference Guide

Menopause is not a disease but is a normal phase in a woman's life and unfortunately you can't avoid it.

About Menopause

All women will experience differing signs of menopause and on average, women live more than 20 years after going through menopause. Menopause is commonly called the "change of life" because you go from being fertile to infertile. The average age that a woman reaches menopause is 52 although they will begin to feel symptoms a number of years before this, possibly in the mid to late 40s.

Perimenopause is the early stages of menopause and most often occurs in the mid-forties. The main menopause symptom is an irregularity of the monthly cycle. About 75% of women report experiencing hot flashes in the years leading up to the menopause.

Menopause is caused by a decrease in the body's production of estrogen and takes place gradually over several or more years. A decrease in estrogen increases the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. It also increases the occurrence of osteoporosis. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women. 40% of women over 40 suffer bone fractures and this can often be attributed to the loss of bone mass that occurs with menopause.

There is no direct correlation between ethnicity, age at puberty, number of children born or the use of oral contraceptives in determining when a woman will go through menopause. Smoking can cause menopause to occur one or more years early. Smoking also increases the risk of heart attack and stroke and so it is highly suggested that women give up smoking while in their menopausal years. Genetics is the major factor as to when menopause will occur. You are most likely to go through menopause at about the same age as your mother did.

HRT (hormone replacement therapy) is one way of treating some of the most severe symptoms of menopause. ERT (estrogen replacement therapy) is similar to HRT except that only estrogen is used. HRT can help prevent heart disease and osteoporosis by replacing the hormones lost through menopause. HRT also has a number of risks involved including an increased risk of breast cancer and possibly uterine cancer. You should talk to your doctor about the possible risks and whether HRT is right for you.

Menopause is considered complete after one year without menstruation i.e. without experiencing a monthly period. Until menopause is complete you are still able to become pregnant and so you still need to take proper precautions.

The most common symptoms of menopause include irregular periods, irritability, hot flashes, sleep problems and a decreased sex drive.

Good nutrition and exercise are two ways to decrease the severity of some menopause symptoms. Vitamin supplements are essential to ensure proper health during this time.

An FSH test can determine if you have started menopause. It measures the levels of FSH, which are usually below 10 MIU/mil. A level of 30 or 40 MIU/mil likely means you've reached menopause.

Strength training can help reduce bone loss and can actually reverse bone loss up to 1% a year while stretching exercises, such as yoga, can help to maintain suppleness and decrease the chances of suffering fractures and muscle tear.

Consult with your doctor to determine the best strategy for dealing with your menopause.

Peri Menopause Symptoms and Relief

Peri menopause may be a new term for you. It simply means the time “around” menopause. Peri menopause symptoms are caused by changing hormonal levels during the years that lead up to menopause. They may last as little as a few months or as long as ten years. Every woman is different. These differences may be related to nutrition, diet, exercise regimens, prescription medications or genetic factors. It may be that the ovaries gradually begin to produce less estrogen or estrogen levels may change suddenly from month to month. Much is unknown.

As early as their thirties, some women begin to experience changes in their menstrual periods. They may become heavier or irregular. Some women begin to experience premenstrual syndrome for the first time in their lives. Some doctors recognize these changes and refer to them as peri menopause symptoms, helping to educate women about what they can do to reduce symptoms. Other doctors leave it up to the women to educate themselves. And others suggest a variety of prescription drugs, which may or may not help.

To help regulate menstrual periods, thus relieving those types of peri menopause symptoms, some doctors recommend birth control pills. Women who take birth control pills may have less symptoms of shorter duration, but this is not always the case. Some women cannot and should not take birth control pills, because of the risks associated with them. Many women prefer not to take them, if they are not needed for contraceptive purposes. Birth control pills have known benefits and known risks. To learn more about them, a good website to visit is [http://www.fwhc.org/birth-control/the] pill.htm.

Worsening PMS symptoms may also be peri menopause symptoms. PMS symptoms vary greatly among women, from non-existent to severe. It may be helpful to keep a journal for a while, noting when symptoms like mood swings and breast tenderness appear. There are at least 100 different symptoms associated with PMS; thankfully most women do not experience them all. Women who take birth control pills do not experience PMS, because they do not ovulate, but may have similar symptoms related to varying hormone levels. Anti-depressants are commonly prescribed to relieve PMS and peri menopause symptoms, but may have side effects, including headache, drowsiness and sexual dysfunction. Regular exercise is one of the best PMS relievers, but without proper nutrition, you may not have the energy for it. A good daily multi-vitamin in addition to a healthy diet that is low in salt, fat, sugar, alcohol and caffeine will help increase energy levels and reduce PMS symptoms.

Hot flashes and night sweats may be the most frustrating peri menopause symptoms. Antidepressants may increase night sweats in some women. These symptoms are directly related to changing estrogen levels. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was at one time considered a safe treatment for all of the symptoms of peri menopause and menopause, but research has shown that those women using HRT had an increased risk of heart disease, breast cancer, stroke and Alzheimer’s.

All peri menopause symptoms, including the ones mentioned here and others are believed to be related to decreased levels of estrogen. Birth control pills and hormone replacement therapies contain synthetic estrogens, thus relieving symptoms, but increasing risks associated with synthetic hormones. Certain plant components have estrogen like effects. These components are referred to as phytoestrogens. Found in plant foods like soy and herbs like black cohosh, phytoestrogens can help relieve PMS and peri menopause symptoms, naturally without side effects.

Insomnia and other sleep disturbances are sometimes experienced in women during peri menopause. Night sweats are sometimes a major sleep disruption, but many women find that a full night’s sleep is just not possible. If you have a doctor that readily writes prescriptions and you tell him about all of your different symptoms, you may end up taking sleep aids, antidepressants and a variety of other drugs. I have known many women who were taking six or seven different prescription medications during peri menopause and still had problems.

Serotonin is one of the compounds circulating in the blood stream believed to regulate sleep and mood. It is regularly sold as a natural sleep aid, but precursors (those substances that the body uses to create serotonin) are more effective and safer for long term use. Tryptophan was heavily marketed at one time, but also had safety issues. 5-HTP is the newest alternative.

Derived from an African plant, 5-HTP is a serotonin precursor that in studies has been shown to act like a prescription antidepressant, without the side effects. It is recommended for use by women with PMS and peri menopause symptoms for many reasons. It promotes healthy natural sleep, without causing grogginess. It improves mood, without the side effects associated with prescription drugs or other herbal remedies. Studies have shown its effectiveness for migraine treatment. Women, who experienced migraines during puberty, often see them reappear during peri menopause.

Natural Menopause Relief - What Really Works?

Having a horrible time with perimenopause or menopause symptoms and need a natural menopause relief? Can't get a good night's rest because of hot flashes? Are you experiencing a woman's worst nightmare and gaining weight? Do your family and friends thing sometimes you are just grouchy and in terrible moods? If you are experiencing even one of these symptoms, you could be experiencing menopause or perimenopause symptoms. However, it's nothing to be alarmed about because there are natural menopause relief supplements available that will alleviate these horrible symptoms.

Perimenopause is the stage that leads to menopause. You may have missed your period a few times a year for example. You may not be at full blown menopause yet, but it's highly likely you're experiencing the same symptoms as a woman in menopause is experiencing. The remedies I am going to tell you about can help you in the perimenopause stage as well.

The menopause stage happens when hormonal imbalances start to change in a woman's life. Progesterone and estrogen are two hormones that play an important role in regulating a woman's activities. If one is reduced lower than normally, then hormonal imbalances occurs which leads to the menopause stage. This stage includes symptoms like weight gain, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings and more.

I have been through the perimenopause stage and is now comfortable living in the menopause stage of my life and boy, have I been through some ups and downs. I dreaded being a woman and having to go through these horrible symptoms.

However, it was not all bad. I am just recently living happily now than when I was younger. And it's all because I discovered a natural menopause relief that contains natural herbal supplements that alleviated these symptoms almost instantly.

It is vital that you try a herbal supplement rather than a prescription medicine to stop these symptoms. I have also taken prescription medicine and had horrible side effects. And this was medicine that my doctor prescribed. Every woman's body is different so there is no guarantee as to what ingredients may trigger something. What works for me may not work for you. However, using natural herbal supplements, you are much less likely to experience any side effects because they are natural and thus, safer for your body.

Natural Remedies For PMS - Wild Yam For Your PMS Symptoms!

Today, there is a lot of information available online and offline to help us understand the importance of herbals, botanicals and vitamins.

A couple of years ago, it was very difficult to know about all these herbs and alternative medicines.

We know that their active ingredients provide treatment for almost everything, from cancer to little wrinkles on our face. If you are suffering from painful PMS symptoms, there are many herbal medicines can help you with alleviating your PMS pain.

Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa) is one of nature's best sources of phytohormones (plant hormones).

These are the basic building blocks your body needs to produce the hormones that regulate your body. Since 18 century wild yam has been used to treat menstrual cramps, nausea, inflammation, menopausal symptoms, and more.

Medical researchers also discovered that if you take wild yam on a regular basis it could help to reduce the levels of cholesterol in the blood. Recent medical study shows that, wild yam also improve the level of sex hormones, antioxidants and lipids on postmenopausal women who regularly consumed wild yam on a 30 day period.

If you unknowingly skimp on phytohormones you may find yourself running out of energy sooner than usual, have irregular periods, stress out at the drop of a hat, lose your sex drive, and hit menopause way before your time.
When it comes down to solving our PMS symptoms many of us simply choose the over the counter medicines instead of trying natural remedies for PMS. In most cases the reason why people choose pain relief medications is just because they work faster on alleviating painful symptoms but there is nothing more than that. They only masks the symptoms.

That means we have to keep taking those drugs every month without knowing how it's actually weakening our body with its harmful side effects.

Unlike pain relief medicines, herbals and vitamins actually they assists the body's natural disease fighters, working in conjunction with the body's natural defense.

Can This Fruit Be the Key for All Women With Menopause

There is a new kid on the block that has been found to be beneficial to menopausal women, because of its ability to mimic estrogen. This can help menopausal women deal with mood swings, depression, bone loss, and fluctuating estrogen levels.

Even though pomegranates are new to the menopausal world they have in fact been around for centuries. They first date back to 750 B.C. and are often called the Chinese apple. And has also been used as the symbol for fertility by the Zoroastrians and other ancient cultures because of its resemblance to the female ovary.

Not only does it look similar to the female ovary but it also produces the same hormones - estradiol, estrone and estriol. It may therefore provide relief from depressive moods, and lower the risk of osteoporosis, breast cancer and heart disease.

How pomegranates can help:

Bone loss reversed - A study in 2004 removed the ovaries from rats and found that there was accelerated bone loss, a common symptom of menopause. They were then feed an extract of pomegranate juice and seeds for 2 weeks and found their bone mineral loss reverted back to normal rates.

Mood improvement - in this same 2004 experiment they found that the rats that were given the pomegranate juice extract had lower levels of depression indicators. The researchers feel that pomegranate juice would be clinically effective for women exhibiting a depressive state.

Heart health - pomegranates can help with the incidence of heart disease with menopausal women by:

• Lowering cholesterol - A 2000 study showed that pomegranates are rich in antioxidants, which prevent bad (LDL) cholesterol from oxidizing and leading to atherosclerosis.


• Lower blood pressure - in a small clinical study in Israel in 2004 showed that drinking one glass of pomegranate juice may lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol oxidation, and reversed the plague build up in their carotid arteries by up to 29%.


• Blood clotting - in another study in The Journal of Medicinal Foods showed pomegranate juice thins the blood and prevents platelet aggregation and clotting.


• Improves coronary heart disease - pomegranate juice helps heart health because it reduces plaque, increases nitric oxide as shown by studies.


• Increases oxygen flow - in a 2007 study they drank eight ounces daily for three months increased oxygen flow to the heart muscles in coronary patients.

Breast cancer - pomegranates have anti-cancer effects because of them containing anthocyanidins (sugarless plant pigments, flavonoids, and oils.

Pomegranates are a food that have estrogenic properties, although there is no risk of increase breast cancer because it is a natural adaptogen, that means it increases the levels of estrogen when they are low but they block stronger estrogens when it's too high. Even food has an innate intelligence to adapt its function, which is a much safer and more reliable way to restore health rather than pharmaceuticals that don't have this ability.

In a study researches suggested that pomegranate juice could prevent estrogen dependent breast cancers. This was compared in a 2011 study with Tamoxifen and Estradiol and turned out better.

All about pomegranates

Pomegranates have many benefits, for you to compare an 8 ounce glass contains 40% of the RDA of vitamin C, it is also rich in vitamins A and E and folic acid. It contains antioxidants called phytochemicals, antioxidants act on free radicals preventing cellular death. The level of antioxidants is one of the highest, even higher than cranberry, blueberries and green tea.

Symptoms of Female Menopause

Symptoms of female menopause can be intense changes that happen throughout a few years. The changes that take place can not only by physically as well as mentally exhausting. Millions of women each year deal with the symptom of female menopause and learning about each different symptom and how to react to it can help you get through this time with a lot less stress. Not only does menopause affect you but it affects your family as well. This can be a scary time but the more you know about each symptom of female menopause the more prepared you will be.

The most difficult part about menopause is that the symptoms may begin in advance to you actually going through menopause. The fact is that it really isn't technically called menopause until one year after your last period. Dealing with these symptoms is not something that is short lived; it can be a long strenuous period of time. A few crucial symptoms that in general affect every woman going through menopause include: difficulty sleeping, mood changes, heart palpitations, hair loss, and loss of sexual desire. Each symptom of female menopause can be intense or subtle and it all depends on your age and your body.

The difficulty of sleeping can be an extreme issue; this is something that can cause problems with your social life and your career. Often times difficulty sleeping can result in an awkward sleeping pattern where one may be awake at night and exhausted throughout the day. Going through this change will make it difficult to carry out a normal day; being sure to get to bed early and putting yourself in a relaxed sleeping environment is important. Mood changes are something that occurs often, and depression is quite possibly the most frustrating symptom of female menopause. Heart palpitations is one of the scariest symptoms of menopause, when you feel your heart double beat or beat too fast it can be a scary thing.

Being sure that you are eating correctly and exercising can make this particular symptom not seem so intense. Hair loss is a symptom that can make you feel depressed and give you an extreme loss of confidence. In general the hair loss is usually not too common, but it can make a definite difference in your look; if you are aware of this symptom it shouldn't take you as a surprise. This symptom is not common in every woman, and it is a rare symptom but is something that should be recognized. Loss of sexual desire is a crucial symptom that can affect relationships, this will eventually pass.

Each symptom can range from being extremely intense to subtle; with certain symptoms you may never even encounter. Dealing with each of these in the right manner is the key, and staying healthy and active can make you feel much better even if you are encountering every symptom. Menopause is a huge changing point for every woman, making it through this difficult time and still being happy and healthy is the goal.

STOP Pre Menopause Symptoms Naturally - Stay Healthy and in Control - Find Out How

Low levels of progesterone and estrogen are to blame for pre menopause symptoms, most women today opt to treat pre menopause symptoms the natural way. 2 reasons, they do not have to deal with the side effects from conventional medicine and natural remedies are a lot cheaper and a much healthier alternate. Below are a couple of symptoms and I have listed some natural ingredients that can be added to the diet to help, and STOP some of the common symptoms.

Just to name a few symptoms that can be successfully treated with natural remedies.

Vagina dryness

Estrogen or vitamin E cream can be used for this condition, you can find vitamin E naturally in:

• Cucumbers


• Liver


• Lamb


• Asparagus


• Mackerel


• Haddock


• Kale


• Brown rice


• Almonds mangoes

Vitamin E is excellent for the aid of vagina dryness, BUT please take into consideration if you suffer from rheumatic heart disease or high blood pressure it should not be taken in high doses.

Hot flashes 1 of the worst and most common symptom

Black cohosh will imitate estrogen which not only helps with vagina dryness and anxiety, it also stops hot flashes, you can get this in either a supplement or in tea from your favorite health food store.

Urine tract infections - Pre menopause symptoms

Echinacea, or vitamin C can be used to naturally treat this and can be found in

• Broccoli


• Parsley


• Kale


• Asparagus


• Tomatoes


• Salmon


• Liver


• Cranberries

These are just 3 of the many symptoms that can be treated with natural remedies. Using natural alternates not only reassures you of safety, BUT it also adds to your health by incorporating more fruit, and vegetables in the diet.This can only be a GOOD thing, RIGHT?

Vaginal Atrophy, Low Estrogen Levels & Natural Menopause Relief

About half of all perimenopausal and menopausal women experience vaginal atrophy -- the thinning and swelling of vaginal tissue. Along with this, women experience vaginal dryness. All of these symptoms result in painful sexual intercourse and urination.

Causes and Cures of Vaginal Atrophy

* Hormones: Vaginal atrophy is often hormone related. Since our progesterone levels are low during peri menopause, and our estrogen levels are low during menopause, these shifting hormones can be at fault for our soreness. Many women use estrogen cream and progesterone cream to boost their low hormone levels.

If you'd like to boost your estrogen level naturally, try eating 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed daily or use herbal supplements like chasteberry and black cohosh. (These can also relieve hot flashes and night sweats.)

A low level of testosterone could also be part of the issue. Your body needs decent levels of both testosterone and estrogen to maintain a healthy level of bacteria and blood flow in your vagina.

* Stress: It's hard to feel sexy when you are stressed. And there is a good reason for that. Besides the effect that stress has on our minds, stress also effects our hormones. When we feel stress, our bodies release the stress hormone, cortisol. If we are constantly stressed and constantly producing too much cortisol, the other hormones in your body are affected.

Incorporating some exercise into your life can help to relieve your stress. Or, focus on making some time for yourself. Sit down with a cup of tea and just breath for a few moments.

* Foreplay: Not enough lubrication during sex can be painful. If this is an issue for you, work with your partner to take sex a bit more slowly. By increasing foreplay, you increase the time for your body to respond and get naturally lubricated.

If you've done this and it's still not helping, consider using an over the counter, water based lubricant.

* Medications: Some medications like decongestants and oral contraceptives can irritate your condition along with smoking and drinking too much caffeine. See your doctor if you suspect your medications may be at fault.

* Sex: As the name "vaginal atrophy" implies, underuse won't do anything to help your symptoms. Keeping an active sex life will help your vaginal tissue to stay healthy. And, the more sex you have, the more sex you will want.

Amberen Reviewed - Don't Buy Until You Read About Amberen Here!

Stevie Nicks once said this about menopause, Rock and menopause do not mix. It is not good, it sucks and every day I fight it to the death, or, at the very least, not let it take me over.

Yes. Menopause is that dreadful. Hormone levels goes out of whack. Irregular bleeding, hot flashes, mood swings, extreme fatigue and insomnia could happen because of it. Frankly, it sucks. I'd bet everyone in that state thinks, "if there only something that I can take to make this go away."

Well, medical sciences have improved and there are many menopause relief product on the market. One of the new ones is called Amberen. So here's my opinion:

Good things:

1. Amberen have double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study to back it up. Meaning that, simply, it worked on them.

2. It's a non-hormonal treatment yet it have the function to restore energy metabolism like a hormonal treatment. Strictly speaking this enables women to roll back their biological age. Maybe not entirely, but it's a start.

3. It doesn't have to be taken 365 days a year. This is the funny thing, it works like this: take Amberen for 3 months, rest for 3 months, take it again for 3 months, and another 3 months rest. So it's cheaper to maintain.

4. They have a free trial, a BBB (Better Business Bureau) accredited business badge, and a 30-days money back guarantee.

5. It only contains only 100% natural ingredients. All are on FDA's approved Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) list.

So as you can see, there are many things that's good about Amberen. But what about the bad things? Do they have them? Of course they do.

Sex and Libido After Menopause

Menopause is a major event in a woman's life bringing many physical and emotional changes. Production of certain hormones is obviously affected and can have a major effect on a woman's libido. Whatever a woman's sex life was like before the event of menopause, there will definitely be a major difference, in most cases, after the event. While some women can bear the thought of having sex at this stage, others find the thought of having unprotected sex without the fear of getting pregnant, sexually liberating.

The main cause of changes in a woman's body after the onset of menopause is due to the decreased production of hormones relating to sexual activity. Progesterone is the hormone responsible for libido. Testosterone generates sexual desire and is responsible for lubrication. Oestrogen creates enhanced sensitivity of the erogenous zones, not just the vaginal area. The production of all these hormones decreases markedly during menopause, many times leaving a woman out of sync with her male partner.

Because of the decreased level of hormone production, many women find that they can take longer to become sexually aroused and also take longer to reach orgasm, if they can achieve this at all. Because of the thinning of the vaginal walls they may also experience some pain during intercourse and some minor bleeding. This thinning is the result of decreased Oestrogen.

There are other physical symptoms which a woman can experience during this time which lessen her overall desire to even have sex. Such things as insomnia, hot flushes and night sweats are not much of an aphrodisiac. A woman may also feel self conscious about other physical changes such as changes in the breasts, possible weight gain and incontinence.

The psychological aspects of menopause also play a large role. Many women going through menopause feel old and undesirable, which is enough to kill their libido totally. Some women have an even stronger reaction and cannot even stand to be touched, most likely a psychological reaction rather than physical. This can create obvious problems with partnered women who have to deal with a sexually frustrated partner. This can cause further issues involving guilt and depression, which just add to the situation.

On the other hand, some women seem to be able to relax and enjoy sex more after menopause. They no longer have to be concerned about becoming pregnant and even using any form of contraception. For some women the monthly cycle is like an emotional roller coaster and so when menopause arrives they feel relief that they can finally experience some emotional stability. This facto alone can result in them feeling better about themselves resulting in a better relationship and a better sex life.

If a woman is experiencing difficulty having sex after menopause, there are a number of things that she can try to help the situation. One is more extensive foreplay, perhaps involving massage using favourite scented massage oil, or even taking a bath or shower with their partner.

For some women full intercourse may be out of the question because of the pain involved. Other methods of sexual pleasuring can be employed. This may even spice up their sex life because they are forced to try new things. However, if at all possible regular intercourse should be attempted, perhaps with the aid of a lubricant, as this will actually improve muscle tone and aid with lubrication of the vagina. For this reason one should not avoid sexual intercourse entirely. Regular masturbation can also assist a woman to become aroused more easily and achieve orgasm.

A woman can also get help from her health care professional, possibly a naturopath or herbalist. They often would prescribe a hormone cream, such as natural progesterone cream to keep the vaginal area healthy.

Although the menopause can have a dramatic effect on a woman's sex life and life in general, it does not have to mark the end of her sex life. Although sex may change, there are many solutions available to having a fulfilling sex life both for a woman and her partner.

Can Acupuncture Help Control Menopause Symptoms

The treatment for migraines and other menopause symptoms is not the same in every part of the world. Different cultures have different medicine practices and beliefs. However, it is interesting to note that the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupuncture, is becoming a popular therapeutic method in Western culture to treat a variety of psychological and physical conditions including menopause.

TCM views menopause as the time in a woman's life when her body shuts down her natural monthly reproductive cycle because she can no longer reproduce. However, it is believed that her body stops menses to conserve her qi (body life energy), so as she ages she can retain all of her resources.

Unlike women in western culture, for most women in the East, menopause is rather uneventful. It is thought the reasons for this is because Western women lead a more fast-paced, stress-ridden lifestyle, and tend to consume poorer diets. Thus, as a result, women in Western culture tend to experience far more intense menopausal symptoms than their sisters in the East.

Despite the real causes of menopausal symptoms, the fact remains that Traditional Chinese Medicine does not consider menopause to be a syndrome. The thought is that women suffering through menopause have a variety of qi problems such as constrained liver qi and kidney yin deficiency. In other words, their qi is imbalanced and is wreaking havoc on their mind and body.

Thus, the goal of TCM is to uniquely treat each woman based on her specific symptoms. This means that different techniques aside from acupuncture may also be suggested, such as Chinese herbs, lifestyle or dietary changes and exercises - all of which are used to help restore balance to the body.

How does acupuncture work? Acupuncture is based on the belief that there are approximately 2000 acupuncture points (trigger points) throughout the body. These trigger points are linked to one another via a group of 20 different meridians (pathways). Meridians are responsible for conducting qi between the surface of the body and the internal organs. Qi has a specific affect on each point it passes through. When qi properly flows throughout the meridians and all its points, it maintains a healthy balance in the mind and body.

During an acupuncture treatment for menopause, an acupuncture therapist will help a woman bring balance back to her body by focusing treatment on the trigger points related to her symptoms. Only some trigger points are used, and will vary depending on the symptoms. Thus, every menopausal woman is treated individually based on her problem.

Acupuncture is administered through the use of tiny, solid needles that are inserted into the targeted trigger points. The purpose of the needles is to help stimulate the meridians to encourage qi production. This might mean needles could be inserted into the shoulders, arms, legs or even the feet. If inserted properly, needles shouldn't cause pain or bleeding; however, their may be slight discomfort or a tingling or numbing sensation which fades fast. Treatment is often very relaxing, and sessions usually last for 30 minutes.

Does acupuncture benefit menopause? Yes. Research has found that most women who participated in different acupuncture studies found relief from menopausal symptoms including:

o Hot flashes

o Insomnia

o Stress

o Anxiety

o Vaginal dryness

If you are interested in using acupuncture for alternative or complimentary treatment to ease menopause symptoms, it is imperative that you visit a qualified and experienced acupuncture therapist, in order to realistically determine if this method is an effective treatment option for you.

Remember, no two women are treated the same, and acupuncture therapy is often long term, ongoing treatment.

Red Raspberry Leaf Strengthens The Uterus During Menopause

The situation that goes on internally when a woman goes through menopause is not something to look forward to. The new balance of chemicals throws the entire flow of the body off. Just the lowered amount of estrogen alone can cause a whole team of side effects. Low amounts of estrogen will provoke mood swings, night sweats, hot flashes and more. The hormone effects how calcium is distributed in the body, helps maintain a healthy amount of cholesterol, and it keeps the vagina healthy. It also affects the condition of a woman's uterus. The uterus depends on a healthy amount of estrogen and progesterone to thicken its walls. Without being replenished by hormones it is not able to have that thick lining. If you are going through menopause then you will need some form of substitution to help balance estrogen and strengthen the uterus. Red raspberry leaf is an example of an extract that strengthens the uterus and has a number of other beneficial characteristics for women going through menopause.

Red raspberry is delicious on its own as a luscious and sweet berry fruit. However, it goes even further than being a tasty treat. The fruit and leaf of the red raspberry are quite beneficial for their medicinal use as well. For centuries it has been used for its medicinal properties. In the case of menopause it can be very helpful for relieving side effects. Even during regular menstrual cycles the red raspberry leaf can help calm painful and heavy periods. Others use the leaf for overall cleansing of the skin and blood.

The chemicals in the fruit may be antioxidant and therefore help relax blood vessels. This why women may use red raspberry root during labor and while giving birth because it can help relax or contract muscles.

The reason why red raspberry leaf is used by menopausal and pregnant women alike is because it helps keep the uterus healthy. A healthy uterus is key for preparing the body for the trauma related to both cases.

Red raspberry leaf also contains vitamins C and E, iron, magnesium, and calcium.

This is a great substance to help promote an all around healthy immune system. It is a great ingredient to look for in a menopausal relief formula. Not only does it promote a healthy uterus but it can help relieve the symptoms associated with menopause. Other ingredients it works well with are sage, false unicorn root, black cohosh root, dong quai, and soy isoflavones.

Early Signs of Menopause - Are You Having Irregular Periods?

For many women, one of the early signs of menopause is irregular periods. While many woman experience irregular periods at some point in their lives for various reasons, if you are a woman in your mid-40's or older, it is very often a sign that you are approaching menopause. Clinically speaking, menopause occurs when a woman has not had a period for twelve consecutive months. 

To determine what constitutes irregular periods, you must first understand what regular periods are. While it is often thought that the menstrual cycle occurs every 28 days, this can vary quite a bit from woman to woman. Some women have shorter cycles, while others have longer cycles. This is determined by a woman's hormones and physiological makeup.    Some women find it helpful to keep a chart of their periods. Regular periods mean that the number of days between the start of each of your periods is consistent, usually give or take a day. You may also take into consideration the typical length of your period. On average, a woman's period lasts about 5 days, but again, for some women they are longer and for others they are shorter.    Your periods are considered "irregular" when these timeframes start to change. You may notice variations in the length of time between each period, some occurring sooner than normal for you, and some occurring later. Or, you may start to occasionally skip a period altogether. 

Another aspect of irregularity has to do with the amount of bleeding during your period. You may also have a month where you don't have a full period, but rather just some light spotting for that month. Another month you may have an unusually heavy flow. Also, you may experience some spotting in between periods.    When you enter into perimenopause, the period of time preceding menopause, your hormones are beginning to fluctuate and your estrogen levels start to decrease. This in turn leads to changes in your menstrual cycle, and eventually to it stopping altogether. For some women, this can be a very emotional time, as they realize that their childbearing years have come to an end. For others, it signals a newfound freedom. No more periods can be a great relief!   If you suspect you are experiencing the early signs of menopause, such as irregular periods, it is always a good idea to consult with your doctor. The best approach to menopause is to be prepared, take very good care of yourself, and understand what is happening to your body along the way.

The Symptoms of Menopause Can Last Anywhere From Two to Five Years - Here's How to Find Relief

As women, we like to complain about our periods. A lot. But as much as we hate getting "the curse," when we eventually stop getting those periods, it's not always easy to deal with.

Unfortunately for most women, menopause doesn't mean your periods just stop, like switching off a light. Instead, it is a long, drawn-out process that can start as much as five years before your last menstrual period (a time known as perimenopause), bringing with it hormonal shifts, hot flashes, mood swings and more.

Think it might be happening to you? Here's what to expect when you're reaching menopause.

Menopause? More like meno-stop

We might call the end our menstrual cycle (or menses) menopause, but it's really about the eventual stop of your monthly periods forever.
"The easiest way to think about it is that you're born with a certain number of follicles, or eggs, and each month they get released and we have our periods. With time, our hormones change and our estrogen levels go down, and we stop releasing those eggs each month. Then we go into a menopausal state.

How can you tell if it's happening to you? The average age of menopause (i.e. the last menstrual period) is 51, so most women will start going into perimenopause sometime around age 45. It's rare to go into menopause before age 40 which is instead considered premature ovarian failure. But for 95 per cent of us, we'll be done having our periods by the time we reach 55.

The first symptom is a change in your menstrual cycle, with periods becoming more erratic. For some women that can mean periods that become lighter and farther apart; for others, it can mean periods that are heavier and closer together.

Then, there are the basal motor symptoms of menopause, which include:

-Hot flashes
-Night sweats
-Sleep disturbances
-Difficulty concentrating
-Irritability
-Vaginal dryness
-Bladder problems

The good news is that menopause doesn't really last forever. These basal motor symptoms do tend to dissipate with time. For some women, they last a year. For some, five years. But they rarely last longer than that.

Wish it were gone in a (hot) flash?

One of the best ways to deal with the symptoms of menopause is lifestyle therapy. That means eating a healthy diet with fresh, whole foods, limiting alcohol and caffeine and getting lots of exercise to help reduce stress.

There is also some evidence that acupuncture is helpful in dealing with menopausal symptoms. So are certain medical treatments such as antidepressants or even pain medications that have been shown to be effective at easing menopausal symptoms. There are also topical medications that can improve vaginal dryness, so check with your doctor if you are experiencing any discomfort.

And while hormone replacement therapy has gotten a bad rap in the media over the past few years, Maker says there are times when it can be safe for women to be on HRT. It's something women should discuss with their doctors. It isn't for everybody, but it can be a good option if someone is having symptoms she just can't deal with on her own.

Understanding Bad Menopause and How Natural Remedies Can Help

Hormonal Balance in Menopause

The quality of your hormonal balance during your reproductive life will affect the quality of your transition through menopause. Like puberty, menopause is an inbuilt timing mechanism and the two together are the bookends on either end of your childbearing years.

Think of menopause as a plane coming into land. If your hormones are in good shape as you enter into it, you will be lined up with the runway and come in for a smooth landing.

However if you have an existing hormonal imbalance as you commence menopause, your wings will be tipped off to one side and you will not be in alignment with the runway. The result is what is commonly referred to as a 'bad menopause' - when you crash and burn. This burning often takes the form of the dreaded "hot flashes".

Your body has a good reason for giving you hot flushes - the heat and sweat are designed to eliminate any excess oestrogen. Rather than suppress the hot flushes with HRT (which, incidentally, will only add MORE synthetic oestrogen to your body), consider removing the cause of the problem. Several herbs are very high in natural progesterone and natural progesterone is known to displace synthetic oestrogen from your oestrogen receptors.

Not all women experience hot flushes in menopause. Hot flushes are simply a symptom of oestrogen dominance and if you are in good hormonal shape you won't get them at all, or only experience them mildly. For this reason, hormonal problems in peri-menopause (from age 40 onwards) can be a blessing in disguise. They alert you that things are not quite right and give you an opportunity to seek help and give you plenty of time to bring things back into balance before your hormones begin the more intense shift of menopause. It's a lot easier (and wiser) to adjust the tilt of the wings and realign with the runway when you are a long way out than it is upon final approach.

Symptoms of Oestrogen Dominance in Menopause:

Hot flashes
Poor Memory
Mood Swings
Insomnia
Irregular periods
Heavy periods
Fibroids

All of these can be treated with natural remedies.

In my experience the vast majority of women experience rapid and lasting relief from hot flushes and other unpleasant symptoms of menopause with flower essences and professionally prescribed herbs. You are best to consult with a professionally qualified herbalist or naturopath who specialises in Women's Health for individualised assessment and advice, rather than self treating or buying standardised remedies over the counter.

Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is another major concern in menopause. Contrary to what most of us have been told, oestrogen actually causes us to lose bone mass. It is progesterone that stimulates us to lay down new bone.

A word on Calcium Supplements
Make sure you are taking natural calcium.

Your liver looks at synthetic calcium and doesn't recognise it. So it doesn't know to send it to your bones. If your kidneys aren't up to filtering it out of your blood and straight into your urine and toilet, you will store it. Not in your bones, but in your joints (arthritis) and blood vessel walls (hardening of the arteries).

How to know if your calcium is natural? Do you recognise the source on the bottle? Or is it a chemical name?

Dolomite, Coral and Slippery Elm are very high sources of natural calcium. Your liver knows what they are, and your body knows how to store them in the place it stores natural calcium - in your bones.

Flower Essences can help

The good thing about flower essences is that anyone can use them. They are totally natural, and completely safe for everyone - from the cradle to the grave - and even during pregnancy.

If you take the wrong one it simply won't work. If you take too much, your body eliminates it immediately.

They are easy and pleasant to take and inexpensive, which makes them accessible to everyone.

Many flower essences can be helpful in menopause, including She Oak, Mulla Mulla and Bush Fuchsia.

Copyright Linn Wiggins
All rights reserved

Hot Flash Natural Relief and Natural Progesterone

Hot flashes are so common that about 80% of women have them during the menopause transition. A hot flash means you have a sudden wave of extreme heat occurring any time, causing heavy sweating. They can last 30 seconds or longer.

Hot flashes are tough to get rid of. Some women resort to HRT for relief, despite the warnings of high risk that link it to cancer and other life threatening diseases. They were unaware that a safer effective alternative existed that could offer effective relief.

What is the cause of a hot flash?

Dr. John Lee believes, "Hot flushes are not a sign of estrogen deficiency, per se, but are due to heightened hypothalamic activity (vasomotor ability), secondary to low levels of estrogen and progesterone, which, if raised, would produce a negative feedback effect to the pituitary and hypothalamus. Once progesterone levels are raised, estrogen receptors in these areas become more sensitive and hot flushes usually subside."

Hot Flashes and Bio-identical Progesterone

Why is bio-identical progesterone so effective for over 150 symptoms? Progesterone is a precursor to all other hormones in the body including estrogen, testosterone, and corticosteroids (the stress hormone). Progesterone is made from the cholesterol in your body, which is the fatty tissue. Progesterone balances your hormones if you have high or low estrogen or high or low progesterone. It affects your entire endocrine system. It may address the cause of all your hormone symptoms. Progesterone is the only bioidentical hormone that may effectively achieve relief for your symptoms.

Dr. John Lee's identified the benefits of natural progesterone cream:

• Natural diuretic

• Creates the myelin sheath over nerves

• Gives people more energy

• Helps with sleep disorders

• Helps with Fibrocystic Breast Disease

• Normalizes and restores sexual desire

• Promotes youthful skin appearance

• Resists facial hair growth

• Reduces risk of breast cancer

• Reduces risk of uterine cancer

• Improves blood sugar control

• Brings hormonal balance back into your body

• Balances estrogen dominance

• Improves lipid profile

• Improves blood sugar control

• Improves burn up of body fat

• Rebuilds lost bone mass at a rate of 5-15% per year

• Improves new bone formation

• Natural anti-depressant

Progesterone is anti-aging as it promotes youthful skin appearance. The late Dr. Robert Atkins, M.D. endorsed its use because he found it the best wrinkle eradicator he ever had experienced.

Perimenopause symptoms. The following may reflect early hormonal imbalances:

• Hot flashes

• Fibrocystic breast disease

• Insomnia

• Night sweats

• Mood swings

• Depression

• Vaginal dryness

• Reduced sexual desire

Until recently, hormone replacement therapy for this menopause symptom was drug therapy. When research proved that HRT drug therapy had serious risks and side effects, women searched for natural solutions.

Natural progesterone cream supports relief of hot flashes by addressing the cause - balancing the hormone ratios of high or low estrogen and high or low progesterone. Backed by over 50 years of clinically used by doctors. Natural progesterone cream is recommended by health care physicians to be an effective natural choice for hot flashes..

This is for education only. It is not intended to treat, prevent or cure a medical disease. If you have a medical condition, please consult a health care professional.

Helpful Tips For Surviving Menopause in One Piece

As a woman reaching that "certain" age in life, you know that menopause is coming. You can plan for it all you want, but that doesn't make the symptoms any easier to deal with, right? These symptoms of menopause can last for many months, even years, and can sometimes continue after menopause. That is because your body is slowly learning to live with a reduced level of hormones. Let's talk about some of the challenges you may face after the "change" and give you some easy tips that you can use in your everyday life to make post menopausal life somewhat more pleasant.

For many women, it can feel like you're at the mercy of your own body, but there are things you can do to minimize the impact of hormone reductions. For a start, nutrition and exercise play a major role in the health of women in this time. It may mean being disciplined enough to make a significant change in your lifestyle, but you'll feel much better about yourself in every way. If you think of this as a chance to improve yourself and your habits, it will be much easier than if you try to fight it!

It's also a good idea to start taking a multivitamin that is high in Vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and folic acid. Vitamin D will help your body to absorb calcium, for bone building that is so important. Also if you are battling with night sweats then take a cool shower before bed, wear lighter cotton clothing to absorb sweat and keep yourself comfortable. Depending on what climate you live in, you may want to dress in layers so you can remove clothing as you get hot.

Another trick the body has in store for you is the diminished levels of estrogen have a direct effect on the hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for controlling your appetite, sex drive, sleep cycles, and body temperature. This big drop in estrogen confuses the hypothalamus, which is sometimes referred to as the body's thermostat, and this causes the body to overheat. Yes, even older women are "hot" sometimes! (Although they wish they weren't)

Your heart pumps faster, the blood vessels in your skin dilate to circulate more blood to radiate off the heat, and your sweat glands release sweat to cool you off even more. Eighty-five percent of the women in the United States experience hot flashes of some kind as they approach menopause and for the first year or two after menstruating has stopped. Once the post menopausal stage has been reached, this symptom should disappear, hopefully forever.

Welcome to Your Surgical Menopause

Menopause is the stage where you move from childbearing years to post childbearing years. Menopause marks a difficult period in ones life. You might think of it as a return to childhood where you are experiencing body changes that you do not understand and have a difficult time coping with. Menopause denotes a loss of production of hormones that your body previously produced every month. These hormones balanced your body, but now you are no longer producing the hormones so mood swings, depression, loss of sexual drive, hot flashes, weight gain, and many other symptoms become your everyday life. So what is surgical menopause?

Surgical menopause refers to a hysterectomy. A hysterectomy is the removal of your reproductive organs. This is not the typical procedure a woman would go through if they did not want to have more children that would be having your "tubes tied." A hysterectomy removes your reproductive organs so that you can no longer have children. There are many reasons for this surgical induction of menopause.

Most women that have a hysterectomy have cancer, cysts, or unstoppable bleeding. In other words the reproductive organs have, mal functioned in some way that the doctor has recommended the organs be removed surgically. This means the women can be any age. Most of the time a hysterectomy is performed when you are already heading in to menopause, but not always.

In most cases of surgical menopause, you will be given hormone replacement therapy to help you over the menopause into post menopause. Things you need to consider when you are speaking with your doctor about hormone replacement therapy should be the information below.

First when you under go a hysterectomy the change is immediate. Your body no longer has the reproductive organs where as when you go through menopause naturally your body has a period of adjustment for the loss of function of the reproductive organs. This makes the transition from normal life into menopause that much more difficult. That is why hormone replacement therapy is so important. There are natural methods for this therapy, but most often, they are not as effective as the medical method.

Second when you under go a surgical menopause you are going to feel depressed. You have lost a part of your body, the part that gave you children. Most women feel this loss and have a more severe case of depression. You will want to tell you doctor if you are experiencing any form of depression and have your family help you through this time.

Surgical menopause is perhaps more difficult than letting your body go through menopause through a more natural method, but you may not have a choice in that.

How to Safely Use Natural Remedies to Stop Menstrual Flooding

Three years ago I was shopping with my husband in a small town several hours drive from home. I suddenly had to rush back to the car when I realized that I was experiencing a menstrual flood. This had never happened before. I was shocked and became frightened that the bleeding wouldn't stop! I thought that there must be a natural method that could help me. After cleaning up in a nearby restroom, pale and weak, but not ready to give up, I asked my husband drive me to the town's natural health store.

'No', the woman who worked there assured me with an amused smile, "there's nothing that stops menstrual bleeding or slows it down." The bleeding eventually did stop on its own, but that comment by a well-meaning, but ignorant employee, left me annoyed and inspired to search for herbs I knew must exist that could do what she said was impossible.

I found them.

Red raspberry leaf, ladies mantle, shepherd's purse, and yarrow all slow or reduce menstrual bleeding. With a little digging and experimentation, I found many other solutions to prevent the problem.

Use one or a combination of herbs to make an infusion, which is also known as a herbal tea, or buy a herbal tincture at the natural food store. I chose to drink an infusion made from a blend of 1-2 tsp each: dried red raspberry leaves and ladies mantle leaves, I covered the pot and steeped the herbs for 10 minutes in just-boiled water. This treatment works best if you have one cup a day for about week before menstruation and 1-2 cups during your period. If you like it sweeter, add several pieces of licorice root or a few lemonbalm leaves to steep with the red raspberry and ladies mantle leaves, or 翹 tsp honey after the tea is ready.

An effective aromatherapy treatment is to rub your abdomen several times a day with 1 tsp olive oil or sweet almond oil blended with 2-3 drops sage or vitex essential oil.

I also came across an unusual suggestion for reducing profuse menstruation in an old herbal by Dian Dincin Buchman in my personal library. 'Grate and dry carrots and eat one piece at a time several times a day, as a potent aid to regulate menstruation. Grate about a pound from the heaviest part of the carrot. Dry it on paper in the sun for a week or two until it shrivels up into small pieces." She also suggests adding a few grains of cayenne pepper to the herbal tea of your choice, drinking diluted lemon juice during your period, eating lentils and drinking a half cup of strong thyme tea, morning and evening. She suggests making shepherd's purse tea by infusing a handful of the herb in a pint of boiling water. Drink the tea warm if possible. Use 2 cups three times a day.

A long-term solution to address the underlying cause of hormonal imbalance, is the wonderful woman's herb Vitex aka Chasteberry, which helps balance hormones. A 1930s scientific study using a tincture of dried vitex berries found that a month or two of using this herb normalized menstrual cycles and reduced flow.

Since excessive menstrual bleeding (or menorrhagia) can indicate several serious problems, be sure to consult your doctor for a diagnosis before beginning self-treatment.

An excess of estrogen and prolactin or an excess of a hormone-like substance called prostaglandin 2 are two possible causes for heavy menstrual periods. A sluggish thyroid also increases menstruation. So can endometriosis, uterine fibroids, an IUD birth control device, and blood thinning drugs.

Menstruation normally causes a decrease in physical energy, and if you bleed heavily you may find that your blood pressure becomes low, leading to a feeling of exhaustion and an irresistible desire to take a nap during the day! Excessive menstruation can lead to anemia and that can also lead to extreme fatigue. Some medical researchers believe that iron deficiency stimulates bleeding, which leads to an even greater iron deficiency.

To correct anemia, drink herbal teas made from herbs that have high levels of iron including stinging nettle, oatstraw herb, red clover, red raspberry, goji berries, and rooibos. Your natural food store will have pills or liquid Floridix which is highly absorbable, unlike iron pills dispensed through conventional drug stores.

If you experience cramping along with heavy bleeding, use the same herbs suggested for alleviating menstrual cramps-wild yam root, false unicorn root, cramp bark and American spikenard-to reduce the severity of both of the problems.

Herbs to Reduce Excessive Menstruation

Vitex (aka Chasteberry)- regulates and normalizes hormones connected to the reproductive system. It is especially beneficial and the herb of choice for many women to relieve menopausal changes. It has a profound action in lessening 'hot flashes.' Studies verify that vitex increases the production of lutenizing hormones, enhancing the progesterone cycle. At the same time it inhibits the release of the follicle-stimulating hormone, FSH, and normalizes the estrogen cycle. Vitex may be used for acute situations but it is most effective if taken over a prolonged period of time. No side effects have ever been reported from extensive and extended use of this plant.

Red raspberry: Due to the drying effect of the tannins it contains, Red raspberry is used to treat profuse and painful menstruation. It relaxes uterine and intestinal spasms and strengthens uterine walls. Red Raspberry leaves are nutritious too - containing vitamins A, B, C, and E - they're also rich in calcium, phosphorus, niacin and iron. They are an excellent source of manganese, a trace mineral used by the body to produce healthy connective tissue, such as bone matrix and cartilage and an important factor in energy metabolism. Red Raspberry promotes healthy nails, bones, teeth and skin. Drinking 1-2 cups of red raspberry leaf every day is a nutritious tonic tea.

Lady's mantle:Lady's Mantle's astringent and styptic properties help reduce period pains and lessen heavy menstrual bleeding. It helps a woman's body adjust to changing hormone levels during menopause. It is an anti-estrogenic herb that helps regulate irregular cycles, relieves cramps.

Yarrow:A catalyst for the female reproductive system, it has a positive effect on ovarian problems, menstrual irregularity, menstrual cramps, and menopausal symptoms, insomnia, nervous tension, stress related conditions;. It is used to reduce excessive menstrual bleeding, to ease menstrual cramps and to stimulate delayed or absent menstrual cycles. Famous German herbalist Maria Treban writes: "Yarrow is a medicinal herb that would be difficult to be without; it is of great value for many illnesses but first and foremost, it is a herb for women. I cannot recommend Yarrow enough for women...A woman during menopause should take advantage of Yarrow tea and save herself a lot of inner restlessness and other problems." Drink a cup of yarrow tea daily;

Shepherd's purse:Shepherd's purse is used to stop heavy bleeding and hemorrhaging, particularly from the uterus when taken internally. It has also been used to treat postpartum hemorrhage. It is considered most effective for the treatment of chronic uterine bleeding disorders, including uterine bleeding due to the presence of uterine fibroids. Shepherd's purse has been used internally to treat cases of blood in the urine and bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, such as with bleeding ulcers. An astringent agent, shepherd's purse constricts blood vessels and reduces blood flow. Shepherd's purse is also thought to cause the uterine muscle to contract, which also helps reduce bleeding. It is a remedy for blood pressure problems, nosebleeds, irregular heartbeat, wounds and burns.

Cautions: Pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with kidney stones or kidney disease should avoid Shepherd's purse. Consult with your doctor before taking Shepherd's purse if you have blood pressure, thyroid gland, or heart problems.