Menopause Managing Naturally

It is easy to say that menopause is merely a state of mind until it actually happens and you feel there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. Although menopause is a natural process, and you know you are not alone, the symptoms persist year after year, and then it really is not that easy!

- Dr Ruth Hull

Although menopause is a natural stage of life, certain physiological changes – such as inappropriate hot flushes, uncontrollable mood swings, insomnia, headaches, weight gain and bloating – not only make a woman very uncomfortable, but also put her more at risk for specific disorders such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, urinary tract infections, thrush and even depression. So an understanding of what these risks are and how they can be reduced will help you manage menopause more easily.

THE IMPORTANCE OF OESTROGEN

From puberty through to menopause, ovarian follicles produce the majority of oestrogen in the body, known as oestradiol. The follicles also produce the corpus luteum, which secretes progesterone. The ovaries are, therefore, vital to the production of a woman’s two most important sex hormones – oestrogen and progesterone. As she ages, her ovaries shrink and there is a rapid decrease in these hormones with the ratio between them changing. A balanced ratio between these two vital hormones is paramount for physical, mental and emotional health.

Although we always curse oestrogen during our menstrual years, it has many protective functions in our bodies and, unfortunately, it is only once we lose it that we appreciate its importance.

Oestrogen is responsible for a woman’s female sexual characteristics such as her breasts, widened hips and body hair distribution. It also helps regulate her reproductive cycle, as well as her fluid and electrolyte balance; it helps lower her blood cholesterol; helps build strong bones and muscles through a process known as protein anabolism; and helps prepare the uterus for pregnancy and the mammary glands for lactation.

Oestrogen decline