Menopause is the cessation of the female menstrual cycle and cannot be prevented. It is a natural occurrence in the life of a female. Women who are considered postmenopausal have not had a period for a year. This normally occurs when a women is in her late forties to early fifties. A woman going through menopause is no longer fertile. During menopause, many hormonal changes are experienced, decreasing estrogen and putting women at a higher risk of osteoporosis and heart disease.
Menopause comes with several symptoms including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, decreased sex drive, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Many of these symptoms are due to the hormonal changes that take place. Hormone replacement therapy of estrogen and progestin is normally used to treat symptoms of menopause. There are also several natural and herbal remedies to help decrease the symptoms experienced. Vitamin E and C are used to relieve symptoms, especially hot flashes. DHEA helps improve mood symptoms, and progesterone aids in reducing menopausal symptoms. Helpful herbs include black cohosh and sage for hot flashes, kava for anxiety and other symptoms, and St. John’s wort and Asian ginseng to improve psychological symptoms. Licorice, alfalfa, red clover, burdock, dong quai, wild yam, and motherwort are also used in reducing symptoms experienced during menopause.
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