What is Menopause?

Menopause, by definition, is the final menstrual period. It is a common and permanent part of the overall aging process, as it involves a woman’s reproductive system. The average age of menopause is between 48- 51 years, however women may transition as early as their forties or as late as their sixties. Some women don’t detect any change before their periods’ stop, but many experience symptoms for months or years before and after their last period.

Menopause Transition

Menopause occurs when a woman’s ovaries nearly stop producing hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which eventually results in the cessation of both menstruation and fertility. Though, the symptoms of menopause can commence long before the last period. Here is a list of 3 most common symptoms of menopause experienced by woman during the menopausal transition.

Irregular Periods

There are many reasons why a woman might experience an irregular period, but once women reach their 40s and 50s, menstrual irregularity is usually one of the first signs of menopause.

Hot Flashes

The most common reported symptoms of menopause are hot flashes. The usual age at which hot flashes become visible is between 45 – 49 years old, while lesser numbers of women experience them when they are older than 50 or younger than 40.

Vaginal Dryness

The symptom which typically occurs between 40 and 55 years of age is vaginal dryness. It is caused by a drop in estrogen, a hormone that works to maintain normal vaginal lubrication, tissue elasticity, and natural acidity

Why Menopause May Begin Earlier for Some Women

One reason menopause could begin early is radiation to the pelvis, which can damage your ovaries and affect estrogen production. Other factors that affect the onset of symptoms include how many pregnancies you’ve had, what type of birth control you use, and whether you breastfed your children. Women with eating disorders may reach menopause at an earlier age than they would have otherwise.

Other symptoms the patient could experience include stress, excessive exercise, headaches, Urinary Tract Infections, Low Libido, Poor concentration or memory, bloating or less control over urination. Treatments for breast cancer, certain medical conditions, and autoimmune diseases — basically, anything that causes your ovaries to produce less of the hormones estrogen and progesterone — can also accelerate menopause.

Menopause Onset and Health Risks

Women after menopause have a larger possibility of heart disease and osteoporosis. Before a woman can be certain that she has experienced menopause it usually takes about 6 to 12 months or longer for no menstrual bleeding (amenorrhea). Diet, change in lifestyle and regular exercise can help to reduce the symptoms associated with menopause.

Homeopathy in Menopause

In Homeopathy a person is not just treated for one menopausal problem like hot flushes only but the homeopath will look at the person as a whole. The overall imbalance will be treated, the woman’s hot flushes will go and her overall health will be improved with homeopathy.

Side-effects like bloating, breast tenderness or swelling, leg cramps, headaches, and vaginal bleeding comes with HRT (hormone replacement therapy) whereas Homeopathy is free from any side-effects. Homeopathy targets the mind and gently restores mind-body equilibrium- thus it treats the patient as a whole.