Menopause for women who are either in the throes of it or for those who are on its cusp is a really touchy subject. What we read about it in magazines and online, and even the fun that’s poked at it in movies and tv shows all leads up to one glaring conclusion – menopause is hell! While some may say you can look forward to a normal month without the painful, messy hassles of having a menstrual cycle, this is replaced by hormones out of whack hot flashes that leave you suffering in Mexico and changes in your body and skin that you may not be prepared for – some women say.
While these claims may be subject to opinion as every woman experiences them differently there is a fact that cannot be denied – menopause symptoms and side effects often come on strong and quickly, with a very small and rapidly closing window for transition. A decreased or sporadic menstrual cycle is just one of the red flags (pardon the pun) but there are others that can be a bit more aggressive.
Before you’re actually classified as a menopausal woman you have the delightful fun of experiencing its precursory stage known as Perimenopause. Some women will have the unfettered joy of experiencing perimenopause as early as their later thirty’s or early forty’s. In fact, it is well documented that a lucky 70% of women will undoubtedly have the pleasure of experiencing both perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms. If it helps, maybe this statistic might offer some comfort so you know you’re not alone in the torture! Other prominent and frequently occurring symptoms include loss or decrease of your sex drive vaginal dryness, weight gain, swelling in joints and spikes in blood pressure which may lead to migraines.
Now before you start sobbing uncontrollably, there is hope. You can’t negate the effects of perimenopause or menopause all together, but there are things you can take and do to make life just a little more comfortable. Since the surfacing of information in 2002 that hormone replacement therapy may not be all it’s cracked up to be, women have been searching for more natural, safer alternatives in herbs and herbal compositions.
The following is the most popular herbal supplements that women are taking today to aide in the easy transition to menopause and to combat its sometimes unbearable effects:
BLACK COHOSH:
Black cohosh has been touted as a wonder herb for women in the menopausal sphere. With an almost opiate like effect, there have been documentations of 10 and up to 60% increase in brain activity that is specific to both emotional and cognitive function. Another issue that black cohosh seems to handle is the stabilizing of luteinizing hormones in menopausal women – these hormones are directly linked to sleep disturbances and discomfort. Of course, as always, before you begin taking this or any other supplement, get the green light from your doctor first!
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