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FEATUREMENOPAUSE
Meeting The Menopause
It’s a natural part of every woman’s
life – so take a natural look at
tackling the unwanted symptoms.
What is the menopause? What are the symptoms?
Every woman has a pre-determined number of eggs from birth. Menopausal symptoms vary from woman to woman. Most
An egg is released each month from the time of starting commonly, symptoms can include hot flushes, insomnia,
menstruation, and when there are no more eggs left, the ovaries headaches, night sweats, mood swings, restless legs, poor
stop producing hormones. Levels of female fertility hormones concentration, tiredness, vaginal dryness, loss of sex-drive and
begin to drop when the body runs out of eggs. When levels of weight gain. Some or all of these may be experienced and every
oestrogen are consistently low, monthly periods will stop. When woman will have her own story to tell.
this happens, a woman’s body adjusts to these changes.
The cessation of the monthly menstrual cycle occurs at around Can the menopause be prevented?
the age of 50 – although it can be earlier or later – and this is the The simple answer is no. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
menopause. It is a natural process resulting from changes in artificially replaces hormones that the body has stopped producing,
hormone levels within the body. Prior to the last period, the peri- but this is drug therapy and is only available from your doctor. HRT
menopause is the time when symptoms first begin to appear, is not a reversal of the causes of the menopause, and there are also
signaling the end of menstruation. some associated health risks. However there are lots of things you
can do, such as a good diet and regular exercise, to help your body
“Don’t cut out essential fats,
during the menopause. There are also many natural approaches to
passing through this transition in life. It is sensible to think ahead.
as these are vital for the
A healthy diet will help. Don’t cut out essential fats, as these are
vital for the production of hormones – and good hormone balance
production of hormones –
will help you through the menopause. Regular exercise will help
to increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis (brittle
and good hormone
bones) after the menopause. Exercise also helps to keep excess
weight from developing, which is good for bones, hormone
balance will help you
balance and well-being during the menopause.
through the menopause”
How can symptoms be tackled naturally?
There are plenty of natural supplements used effectively by
women to tackle menopause symptoms. Hot flushing may affect
08 GOHEALTHYMAR/APR2009 READ THIS & PREVIOUS EDITIONS ONLINE AT WWW.GOHEALTHYMAG.CO.UK
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