Menopause Lifestyle

When will you have your menopause

Ada — Sat, 03 May 2008 20:24:24 +0000

There are a good number of us that would like to know the answer to that question and soon there may be an answer.
Research into the hormone anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) suggests that analysis of this hormone may be able to predict when menopause will occur.
AMH is produced in women and can be detected from the onset of puberty. It is currently being used in women undergoing infertility treatment to estimate how many ovarian follicles they have left. This helps to give an indication of how successful infertility treatment will be.
Naturally, some experts are still very skeptical and are waiting for the results of the study. For you and me, it could be very useful to know, especially for women who have postponed having children for one reason or another.

Can chocolate prevent heart disease in postmenopausal women?

Ada — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:07:19 +0000

Scientists at the University of East Anglia in the UK are carrying out a study to see if chocolate can reduce the risk of developing heart disease in post-menopausal women with type 2 diabetes.
Chocolate is made out of cocoa which is rich in substances called flavonoids which are thought to be good for the heart. Unfortunately, the process of making chocolate removes a large amount of flavonoids from the cocoa. To make up for this, a special type of chocolate in which much of the flavonoids have been retained will be used for the study. Soybeans which is also rich in flavonoids will be added to the chocolate. The women taking part in the study will be asked to eat a bar of chocolate every day for a year.
After menopause, women’s heart disease risk increases and equals that of men. However, more studies are carried out in men than in women. In addition, having diabetes increases the risk of developing heart disease three-fold.
It is hoped that an increased intake of flavonoids coupled with the use of medication can reduce the risk of heart disease in vulnerable women.

Guidelines for using natural progesterone cream

Ada — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:08:21 +0000

Natural progesterone cream can be used to manage a number of problems that are related to hormonal imbalance.

General guidelines for using natural progesterone
PMS
Hysterectomy
Premenopausal women
Fibrocystic breast disease
Endometriosis
Menstrual migraine headaches

General guidelines for using bioidentical progesterone cream

Spread the cream thinly over a large area of skin for maximum absorption.
Make sure skin is clean and clear of cosmetics. Do not apply other skin creams in the same area on the same day.
Apply to areas like the breasts, chest, inner thighs, buttocks and neck where skin is thinnest.
Donâ€™t be concerned about getting the exact amount of cream correct. The progesterone is absorbed continuously from the skin.
If you are using a large dose, split it. Use 1/3 of the dose in the morning and 2/3 at bedtime. The higher dose is especially useful if you have trouble sleeping at night.
Buy good quality bioidentical progesterone cream from a reputable vendor. You have to be careful for the following reason
1. the cream will not be effective if it is not suspended in the right medium
2. creams containing mineral oil will not be absorbed properly
3. the progesterone in some creams is not properly stabilized so it breaks down fast, making the cream useless
4. some products containing wild yam extract don’t contain any progesterone
5. some creams contain other chemicals that may cause allergic reactions and rashes

Dosage guidelines

PMS

Start counting with the first day of your period as day 1. Starting on day 12, apply 1/2 teaspoon of cream morning and night until day 26. If your period starts before day 26, stop using the cream. Once you see your period, start counting day 1 again, then start the cream on day 12. This dose should help relieve your symptoms much faster. When they are less severe, you can reduce the dose to 1/4 teaspoon twice a day.

Hysterectomy

Whether your ovaries have been removed or not, choose a day of the month (the 1st day is easiest to remember) and count it as day 1. Start applying the cream on that day,1/4 teaspoon morning and night until day 25 when you stop. From day 25 to the end of the month do not apply any cream. Start again on the 1st day of the new month. If you have just had a hysterectomy, you may double the dose to 1/2 teaspoon twice a day for the first month if your symptoms are very severe.
If you experience severe hot flashes and vaginal dryness, you may wish to use a combined estrogen/progesterone cream.

Premenopausal women

Whether you are menstruating regularly or irregularly, use 1/4 teaspoon cream twice daily starting from day 12 (the 1st day of your period is day 1). Stop applying the cream on day 26. When you see your period start counting again until day 12 then start applying the cream again.
If you have irregular periods, it may take up to 3 months for them to become regular.

Fibrocystic breast disease

Use 1/4 teaspoon of cream twice daily from the middle of your cycle till you have your period, then stop, repeat again from midcycle. After 3 to 4 months, symptoms should have improved so the dose can be reduced.

Endometriosis

Use 1/4 teaspoon daily starting from day 8 to the end of your cycle. Once symptoms are reduced you can start applying the cream from day 12 until your period starts.

Menstrual migraine headaches

Use the cream for the 10 days before you expect your period e.g. if you have a 30 day cycle, start on day 20, a 26 day cycle, start on day 16 etc. Use 1/4 teaspoon twice daily.
When you get the familiar feeling or aura that comes before your migraine, apply 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cream every 3-4 hours until symptoms have subsided. Applying the cream directly to the neck or temples may bring faster relief for hormonal headaches.

Calcium and osteoporosis

Ada — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:37:53 +0000

Menopause is a condition that many women dread, mostly because they don’t know exactly what to expect. One of the most common symptoms of menopause is osteoporosis. Virtually every woman will have osteoporosis to varying degrees after menopause. The severity will depend on factors like heredity and how much care you took of your body before the onset of menopause. Other factors which may increase your risk of getting osteoporosis include premature menopause, removal of the ovaries and/or uterus before the onset of menopause, smoking and some medications like asthma medicine.
Apart from lifestyle changes, one of the things you can do to limit the rte and amount of bone loss is by using calcium supplements.
Studies have been done on the relationship between calcium and osteoporosis and they have shown that calcium does make a difference in reducing osteoporosis, especially when it is combined with Vitamin D.
Preventing osteoporosis begins even before the onset of menopause. If you build up your bones by eating healthily and getting enough exercise, this makes your bones thicker so that when you eventually reach menopause, bone loss will have less serious consequences.
If you are going through or have already gone through menopause, you can still help yourself:

Take 10000 to 12000mg of a calcium supplement with 400-600 IU of Vitamin D every day.
Do weight-bearing exercise including walking and climbing stairs for 30 minutes about 3 times a week.
Eat a diet that’s low in fat and high in fiber

Estrogen dominance symptoms

Ada — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:20:46 +0000

This article is part of a series - Estrogen dominance

Estrogen dominance- Problems of relative estrogen excess
Estrogen dominance symptoms

Estrogen dominance symptoms include most of the symptoms of menopause you will experience.

Symptoms of estrogen dominance include:

Irregular periods
Irritability
Mood swings
Bloating
Memory loss
Sore breasts
Migraine headaches
Hair loss
Weight gain
Decreased sex drive
Tiredness
Sleeplessness

Dr. Lee revolutionized the treatment of menopausal (estrogen dominance) symptoms. He concluded that natural progesterone, especially applied to the skin in the form of a cream, would relieve these estrogen dominance symptoms.

Natural progesterone as an estrogen dominance supplement corrects hormone imbalance by opposing many of the effects of unbalanced estrogen.

Progesterone increases sex drive, helps normalize sleep patterns, prevents bloating, works as an antidepressant, helps memory loss and mood swings, normalizes periods, helps with hair loss and reduces breast tenderness due to estrogen dominance.

Progesterone is absorbed through the skin and into the blood when applied to areas where the skin is thin and there are many capillaries (tiny blood vessels). In contrast, about 80% of the progesterone thatâ€™s taken orally is lost in the liver by what is known as the â€˜first passâ€™ effect. Thus much higher doses are required for treatment.

A good natural progesterone cream, especially in combination with exercise and a healthy diet will go a long way in relieving your estrogen dominance symptoms.

Previous in series

Introduction to chronic (migraine) headaches

Ada — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:36:06 +0000

This article is part of a series - Migraine Headaches

Introduction to chronic (migraine) headaches
Treatment information for chronic headaches

Migraine headaches (sometimes called chronic headaches) are moderate to severe recurrent headaches, often occurring on one side of the head, which may last from a few hours to several days. It is estimated that about 6% of men and 18% of women sufferer from migraines in the U.S.

Characteristics of chronic headaches

The pain of migraine headaches is throbbing or more

Next in series

Increased heart risks with severe menopause symptoms

Ada — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:44:16 +0000

Women who have severe menopause symptoms are more likely to develop heart disease according to a recent study. Those who had the most hot flushes and night sweats had higher cholesterol levels, higher blood pressure, higher BMI and a higher risk of developing heart disease over the next 10 years. It is possible that the deficiency in estrogen that leads to the hot flashes may also have a negative effect on the cardiovascular system.
Seeing as research has shown that taking hormones to reduce the risks of heart disease has shown that it does the opposite over time, taking HRT to prevent heart disease is not a good idea.
The only other option is a healthier lifestyle - a balanced high-fiber diet and 20-30 minutes of exercise at least 3 times a week even before menopause.

Obese women and cancer testing

Ada — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:46:02 +0000

Obese women are less likely to have mammograms and pap smears (screening tests for breast cancer and cervical cancer) than women who are not. In view of the epidemic of obesity that is sweeping across the US, this is a problem. This problem was found more amongst white women than black women who were more likely to get screened even though they were overweight/obese.
Obese women may feel more self-conscious when going to their healthcare provider. They may also have other problems like high cholesterol which may seem to make cancer less of an immediate problem.
Presently, about 75% of women have a mammogram every year or two after the age of 40to detect early breast cancer, and about 85 % get Pap smears to test for cervical cancer .

Breast cancer survivors, yoga and menopause symptoms

Ada — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:43:42 +0000

Breast cancer survivors often have problems when it comes to managing menopause symptoms. Use of hormonal therapy may lead to a relapse of the cancer. In addition, some of the medication used to treat breast cancer can themselves worsen menopause symptoms.
According to a recent US study, breast cancer survivors can find relief from menopause symptoms like hot flashes, through yoga.
The “Yoga of Awareness” program included stretching, breathing exercises, meditation and group discussions.

“Yoga of Awareness” is based on traditional yoga techniques that go beyond the teaching of specific postures to incorporate practices aimed at reducing stress and creating a heightened sense of awareness and acceptance about one’s physical and mental state.

The beneficial effects included:

reduction in frequency and severity of hot flashes,
fewer sleep disturbances
less joint pain
more energy

This isn’t the usual run of the mill yoga course. Get in touch with an experienced yoga instructor if you want the similar results.

Uterine fibroids more severe in black women

Ada — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:30:32 +0000

A study in the American Journal of obstetrics has shown that there are marked differences in the way uterine
fibroids present in black women and white women.
In black women:

fibroids tended to be discovered at an earlier age
they were more likely to have severe disease
they had more severe menstrual pain and
they had fewer days between periods

compared to white women.
The participants in the study were women who had at least one sister who had been diagnosed with uterine fibroids. This suggests that race plays and important part in the age at diagnosis and the severity of symptoms arising from uterine fibroids. Researchers are trying to find the genes that may be involved and associated with an increased risk if developing uterine fibroids.