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Posts Tagged ‘perimenopause’

Menopause anxiety and depression are caused by a hormone imbalance. You may begin to think you are on high speed, crazy rollercoaster. Menopause anxiety can be rather multifaceted and may not immediately react to treatment, especially if you are not one who chose to go with HRT. It is becoming common knowledge that herbal remedies are is a very effective approach for menopause symptoms, though a bit slower than the Hormone Replacement Therapy. Menopause anxiety and depression seem to go hand in hand, in most cases. For a small percentage of women, depression is very serious, and this can be accompanied by such things as low self-esteem and achiness.

Menopause depression and anxiety are two menopausal symptoms of the transition in an aging woman’s body, and they can be taken care of like most menopause solutions. Many naturopaths believe that focusing on the basic forms of relief can help most women.

Menopause symptoms are based on when the ovaries begin to slow down their production of assorted hormones, including estrogen. These hormone fluctuations will begin to wreak havoc with a woman’s body. Menopause symptoms are not “one size fits all” So basically, menopause is the result of a gradual (or even sudden loss) of the female hormone, estrogen. This is why it is different for everyone, because the beginning of menopause symptoms may be either gradual or sudden, or anywhere in between, depending on the individual.

Across the board, all experts agree tht exercise will greatly reduce depression and anxiety. It gives a sense of stimulant and reduces stress by altering the levels of serotonin and endorphins, primary chemicals that affect how you feel. Here’s some tips: exercise yourself, watch a funny move and laugh a lot, raise 5 pound objects repeatedly, or do similar movements that cause your heart rate to raise for a period of time. The opposite is true, however.  Putting off this kind of exercise can contribute to the symptoms of menopause and depression.

Participating in exercise, it stimulates endorphins and boosts serotonin. Serotonin is a “neurotransmitter,” a chemical that sends messages from one nerve cell to another.  Exercise sends signals that reduce anxiety and menopause.

Before we finish, I want to highlight what I said about HRT in the opening paragraph.  Many doctors talk about hormone therapy to counter menopause weight gain, which can decrease the risk of heart disease.  However (and a big HOWEVER), HRT has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Traditional practitioners may say this is still inconclusive.  Hormones like estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are extremely powerful agents that exert a potent influence on numerous areas of the woman’s body . During pre-menopause, a decreasing level of these hormones are produced.

As your body travels through the seasons of change into the menopause, depression can often strike.When someone has menopause depression they'll experience the same level of despair and heaviness as any other depression sufferer. Menopause depression can attack suddenly and with all the intensity of any other kind of depression, the sufferer can experience many if not all of the symptoms that other depression sufferers will experience too. Menopause depression can be an ongoing symptom that can outstay it's welcome long after the menopause is over.

Menopause weakens the defenses against depression however is not the culprit. Although menopause and depression seem to go hand in hand, menopause is not the direct cause.When the body is going through such radical changes due to the rising and falling levels of hormones, a feeling of emptiness and apathy can very easily occur.Energy and estrogen goes hand in hand, so when it begins to dwindle so does your energy.No amount of rest can seem to shake your lethargy.   

The mind also feels this tiredness.Some women find the menopause one of the hardest stages of life for them to cope with, the loss of the ability to bear children is replaced with grey hair and aging skin, whereas some women just seem to take it all in their stride.This is the time of life that some claim to have a midlife crisis and it's widely known that men can go through similar feelings of being useless and unwanted, that life has passed them by with nothing more to look forward to.Strong feelings and emotions of wasted youth can echo round your head with a strong feeling of being out of time to fulfill your dreams.

Many find they experience a feeling of emptiness around this time.Menopause depression is almost certain and more often than not, strikes during the perimenopause stage.This is an important time in your menopause where you can reach out and make use of the many resources available to help you through your feelings of helplessness.One of the ways to get over menopause depression is to seek traditional medical help.

Shortfalls in serotonin, a chemical found in the brain that governs moods, is created by sharp falls in hormone levels and therefore antidepressants are often prescribed in order to combat this.Hormone replacement therapy is a well known treatment for menopause depression as this aims to boost the decreasing estrogen levels.Sharp drops in estrogen is responsible for causing reductions in the hormone that governs our moods.Estrogen suppliments have been hailed as a 'happy' tablet as they help regulate the body's deficiency and even out low moods that affect your sense of wellbeing.

 
If you're going through this now, make sure you talk to someone about how you're feeling, just talking can ease pressure and uplift your general emotions, it's also good for others to understand how you're feeling so that they can offer support. Reaching out and discussing feelings is sometimes all that’s needed to combat the effects of menopause depression.

Menopause bloating is one of the most uncomfortable symptoms to experience, clothes feel too tight and belching and passing wind becomes an uncontrollable side effect Oh yes, hot flashes are merely the start.

Menopause bloating is usually a sign that full blown menopause is on it’s way Progesterone and estrogen are the guilty parties for causing this disturbance in your bodies function. The bloating is very similar to that that you experienced prior to your period:the hormone levels altering cause you to retain water and feel heavy and uncomfortable. Your body’s hormones are so erratic at this phase of your life that water is being stored instead of flushing away, we call this stage perimenopause.
The amount of bile that your liver produces to keep your intestines well lubricated is governed by the hormone estrogen. The lower the levels of estrogen, the lower bile levels get too. When this happens then bowel movements become slower and constipation can occur all of which leads to menopause bloating. The increase in flatulence is a result of the changing hormone levels and the presence of bacteria in the bowel. 
Choosing the right diet is a must if you want to reduce menopause bloating, we all know that foods that have a high sugar content can lead to diabetes and kidney disease, but they also cause the bacteria in the intestines to increase which in turn produces an over amount of gasses.
Although bloating is uncomfortable and miserable the good news is that it’s usually a temporary symptom that occurs in the perimenopausal stage, it can easily be treated by tweaking your diet. Most doctors prescribe a simple solution: lifestyle change.
You can reduce the bloated feelings by cutting out or at least reducing your intake of foods such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, soft cheeses and milk and try to cut out salt altogether.  Yoghurts don’t fall into this list as there are many on the market that actually work in harmony with the intestines to reduce the bad bacteria’s naturally. Replace these culprit foods with plenty of fruit like grapes and bananas and substitute tea and coffee with herbal or fruit teas instead. If you’re finding that you’re suffering from constipation then increase your fruit and fibre intake and possible look at having a colon cleanse. Taking regular exercise has the effect of speeding up the bodies system, it naturally promotes a detox which will help reduce bloating and discomfort. It’s a good opportunity to drop a hint at a spa day when it’s your birthday, relaxation does wonders for reducing menopause bloating.
Occasionally menopause bloating goes on for a long time, if this happens, you may want to take a quick trip to the doctors just to be sure everything’s ok especially if you’ve developed sharp pain or any blood in your stools. The piece of mind will in turn relieve anxiety which doesn’t help your symptoms.

Changing hormones are what brings on all the symptoms associated with menopause. Some women have a lot of problems managing the transition through menopause while other women experience minimal difficulties.

The most common signs of menopause are:

A change in the period and bleeding cycle is quite common. Regular periods becomes irregular with more or less bleeding. You will still have regular periods as you go through menopause, but they start to change. You may actually have periods that are closer together with increased bleeding but some women actually have a sort of tapering off of bleeding, both are perfectly normal.

By far, the most common menopause symptom is hot flashes. Hot flashes are a sudden heat flushing over the upper part of the body and redness in the face and neck. You can also get hot flashes while trying to sleep and these are referred to as night sweats. Both hot flashes and night sweats may vary in intensity from woman to woman, typically, they go away after a few years.

Many women also experience urinary tract infections, trouble holding urine and a more frequent need to use the rest room.

An additional commonly observed symptom is vaginal dryness, and sex might feel uncomfortable. Signs of menopause include changes in sex drive and desire; some women have a sudden loss of interest in sex.  In some instances though, some women feel freer since pregnancy is no longer an issue and become more sexually active. Even though pregnancy is no longer a problem, you should still use a condom to protect yourself against sexually transmitted diseases.

Emotional ups and downs are not unusual and so is feeling exhausted. Sudden changes in mood may happen due to changes in hormonal levels. Women in menopause also tend to get easily exhausted, sometimes having major fatigue. Although the urge to go to sleep might be greater, that doesn’t mean you will have a good nights sleep, as in many cases sleep may be interrupted by night sweats or other irritations.

An additional sign of menopause is weight gain; in some instances the waist becomes thicker, while fat levels tend to increase. Skin becomes less flexible and loses its elasticity. The metabolism starts to work against you a little at this point, it is increasing more difficult to keep lean muscle and lose weight.

It is not uncommon to have minor heart palpitations or an irregular heart beat. This usually only lasts for a short time period and isn’t usually dangerous or life threatening. In some cases though these signs might mimic symptoms of other diseases and conditions, therefore you should confer with an expert to avoid complications and additional problems.

The symptoms of menopause will be different for each woman. Menopause is a sometimes uncomfortable fact of life. It is a period of aging that has it’s ups and downs but millions of women have managed to endure it and you will too if you can keep your sense of humor intact. By getting the required eight hours of sleep, reducing stress, and doing weight bearing exercises to combat bone density loss, menopause symptoms will be less severe and you will able to deal with the emotional mood swings more effectively.

perimenopause

Perimenopause is the phase leading up to menopause. During this time, ovarian hormone production begins to fluctuate or decline. This can cause a variety of symptoms that are actually very similar to menopause. Like menopausal symptoms, the symptoms of perimenopause can be treated so that you can continue to enjoy the activities you love. In this article, we have some valuable information about perimenopause and your quality of life.

Menopause actually occurs when a woman permanently stops having menstrual periods. Perimenopause is the transitional period of time before menstruation completely stops, and generally starts between one and six years before menopause. Some experts believe that it can actually start up to 10 years before menopause. Women typically experience mood changes, changes in sexual desire, difficulty in concentrating, headaches, night sweats, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbances, joint and muscle aches, extreme sweating, frequent urination and symptoms that are similar to premenstrual syndrome.

Lifestyle counseling is important for all perimenopausal women, because good health habits can reduce the incidence of chronic health problems later in life. A healthy lifestyle should include good nutrition, exercise, and abstaining from smoking and drinking to excess. A healthy diet, low in fat and high in grains, fruits, and vegetables can benefit women going through pre-menopause and menopause because it reduces their risk of hypertension, osteoporosis and weight gain. Adequate calcium intake is especially important to maintain bone density as estrogen levels decline. Women should get calcium from dietary sources, such as low-fat or non-fat dairy products, greens, broccoli, canned sardines and salmon, fortified orange juice and cereal.

Exercise has a variety of benefits for peri menopausal women. However, exercise may the last thing on your mind when your hormones are raging and you feel exhausted. Instead of giving up before you even start, keep in mind that no one is expecting you to run a marathon. Start with a brisk walk and work your way up from there. To get the benefits of aerobic exercise, you have to get your heart rate up for twenty minutes. If you really dread exercising, then try working out with a friend, play a team sport instead of opting for the monotony of a treadmill, and try a variety of exercises and activities to keep your routine fresh. Women who exercise regularly report a marked decrease in sleep disturbances and muscle pain and an improvement in their mood and sex drive.

The years leading up to menopause don’t have to a roller coaster ride of physical and emotional ups and downs. If you are experiencing symptoms like fatigue, an irregular menstrual cycle and depression, then consult your doctor for treatment options that are available to you. Even if you have a hectic schedule, women experiencing perimenopause and menopause have to make a commitment to taking care of their health in order to combat the drop in estrogen. Even minor lifestyle changes can significantly improve your overall feeling of wellness.

menopause and menopause and

While menopause is a familiar term to most women, perimenopause isn’t. It is the process of change that leads up to menopause. It can start as early as your late thirties or as late as your early fifties. How long this phase lasts varies, but it usually lasts from 2 to 8 years. You may have irregular periods or other symptoms during this time. In this article, we’ll examine menopause perimenopause and the impact it has on your health.

Women often began to notice their symptoms between the ages of 35 and 45. Pre menopause and menopause and hormonal changes seem to go hand in hand. Most pre menopausal women experience changes in their menstrual cycle. When estrogen levels begin to drop, the follicular phase of the cycle may be shortened, and this can shorten the total cycle from 28–30 days to 24–26 days, resulting in more frequent periods. However, other women begin having longer cycles because they are not ovulating as frequently. This declining or fluctuating estrogen level can produce a host of symptoms like hot flashes, increasing vaginal dryness, sleep problems, mood swings, breast tenderness and many other complications.

Sudden mood changes are an extremely common sign of menopause perimenopause. You may notice yourself feeling sad, anxious or depressed. Doctors believe that this is related to a drop in the body’s estrogen levels. Other factors like diet, sleep habits, physical inactivity and smoking can also influence your mood. While it is perfectly normal to get a case of the blues, depression that continues for more than two weeks can indicate a problem. If you do experience these symptoms on a continuous basis, then see your doctor. He can recommend a course of medication and lifestyle changes that can help you to feel better. It is important to describe all of your symptoms to your physician so that an accurate diagnosis can be made.

Specific treatment for menopause, perimenopause and hormone fluctuations will be determined by your physician based on your age, overall health and medical history. Your doctor will also take into account your specific symptoms and your treatment preferences. Typically, treatments can include low-dose birth control pills to keep hormone levels more constant, antidepressants to stabilize mood swings, and lifestyle changes. This could include dietary modifications, regular exercise, and abstaining for smoking and drinking. You may also choose to consult a homeopathic doctor or a dietician for natural treatments.

If you are having abnormal periods, frequent mood swings, and are extremely fatigued, it may be time to see a doctor. A number of illnesses can cause these symptoms, so be upfront with your doctor about your concerns and describe as many symptoms of your menopause perimenopause as you can. Work with your doctor to determine a course of treatment best suited to you. Diet and exercise are factors that can greatly influence how you feel, so trade fatty, salty or sugary foods for fruits, vegetables, grains, and foods rich in calcium, like leafy green vegetable and dairy products. You should also step up your physical activity. Not only will you look better, you will feel better as well.

of menopause

Menopausal women often feel like they’re going through the toughest time of their life. The hormonal changes can wreak havoc with her body and emotions, and life seems like a never ending cycle of hot flashes, fatigue and mood swings. In this article, we’ve got some great advice to get you through this stressful time.

Menopause is a natural occurrence in women as they age and is not a physical disorder. Menopause is the absence of menstrual periods for 12 months and beyond, and most women begin menopause in their late forties or early fifties. Some women experience difficulty during this time because of the changes in hormone levels. While some women have few or no symptoms, others have many moderate or severe symptoms. The clearest sign of the start of menopause is irregular periods, and when blood flow becomes lighter or heavier.

Women going through the change of life can experience a variety of symptoms or no symptoms at all. To predict what your experience may be like, look at the history of the women in your family. Medical evidence shows that genetics may be a factor in how mild or severe your symptoms are. The symptoms can include weight gain, hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, vaginal dryness, joint pain, fatigue, short-term memory problems, bowel upset, dry eyes, itchy skin, mood swings and urinary tract infections. Most of the time, these symptoms will lessen or go away after a woman has finished menopause. Research has shown that the severity of symptoms can be related to many things, including genetics, diet and lifestyle.

Menopausal women don’t have to suffer in silence. If you are experiencing severe symptoms, then talk to your doctor about treatment options. There is also a lot of social support available to women now. Learn about menopause through books, articles and other reading materials, talk to friends and relatives who have already gone through menopause, or join a menopause or midlife support-group in your area. To combat the symptoms and boost your mood, enjoy a nutritious diet and regular exercise. It really does make a difference in your quality of life.

No matter how busy their lives are, menopausal women must invest some time in themselves. Lifestyle changes can greatly improve your overall sense of wellbeing. Instead of loading up on junk food, opt for more nutritious snacks. Also, if you don’t already exercise regularly, then introduce some more physical activity into your routine. Join a swim club, grab your spouse for a daily walk or take up rollerblading with your teen. The endorphins released during exercise are a natural antidepressant, so you’ll feel better immediately. You’ll find that not only will your discomfort wane, but you’ll enjoy life a lot more.