Living With Menopause
Going through menopause can be a challenging time for women. The amount and level of side effects can vary from person to person so for some women it can be extremely challenging, especially since it has both emotional and physical effects on the body. Because it can have such an impact it doesn’t only affect the woman going through it, it often affects her close family and friends as well.
It’s a natural part of life and there isn’t a way to avoid it so it’s best to be prepared for it. Perimenopause is basically premenopause; it begins the transition to menopause. It refers to the changes that begin before menopause actually sets in.
Menopause and pre-menopause begin at different ages for different women. Most commonly it starts in a women’s mid 40′s, but for some women it can begin as early as 35 years of age. The length of the transition varies as well; for some it may only last a couple years and for others it can last up to 10 years. The severity of the side effects varies as well.
When the female hormones begin to alter the emotional and physical changes start to happen. This change can cause periods to become irregular, it can also cause weight gain. Weight gain is the way your body tries to hold on to some of that decreasing estrogen.
Another common symptom, probably the most well know symptom, is the onset of hot flashes. A hot flash is a sudden increase in body temperature that is caused by decreasing estrogen levels. For some women these hot flashes can feel pretty intense and they can cause sweating or weakness.
Another potentially difficult symptom includes mood swings. Women who haven’t had problems with depression before perimenopause may suddenly find themselves depressed or they may suffer from regular changes in mood. This can be compounded by the psychological impact of aging. Menopause signals the beginning of a different phase of life for most women, which can be difficult.
Low energy and lack of sleep are other symptoms that can exacerbate emotional side effects and just make day to day life a little more difficult. Anyone who has suffered from fatigue knows it’s harder to function when you’re feeling tired. Many women have a hard time sleeping through the night during menopause, partly because of the hot flashes.
For women who have a mixture of these symptoms life can be a bit more challenging because they get to have a feeling that they don’t have control anymore. Like their body is playing tricks on them.
Talk to your doctor if your symptoms are becoming difficult to handle or if you feel you need help. If you want to learn about natural treatment options or if you want to blend natural and conventional you may also want to talk to a naturopath. Naturopaths are specifically trained for using natural remedies.
It’s also important to focus on a healthy diet and an exercise routine you will stick to. Avoid foods high in fat, sugar and salt and be sure to get a variety of foods and colors of foods so you make sure you are getting a range of necessary nutrients. Exercise can help relieve stress, help you sleep and help with mild depression.