MAIN Health Menopause

A Natural Change The Natural Way
Coping With Perimenopause & Menopause Symptoms

More and more women are seeking nontraditional and alternative treatments for symptoms of menopause. They are turning to more natural ways to cope with this change in their bodies and lives for a variety of reasons.

Perhaps the most compelling reason for many is the association between conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and a number of serious health risks.

Some studies have suggested that there may an increased risk of developing breast cancer or blood clots as well as other risks associated with this treatment. A higher incidence of these conditions occurs naturally among postmenopausal women. This makes it difficult to determine if the risks are really made worse by hormonal treatments. The link has by no means been proven, and the issue is currently the subject of serious debate among women’s health experts. Doctors may still prescribe HRT treatments to help women whose menopausal symptoms are severe.

Most experts believe that all of the common symptoms of menopause such as night sweats, hot flashes and effects on memory are caused by changes in hormones needed during the childbearing years. A dramatic decline and fluctuations in the body’s levels of estrogen and to some extent progesterone, and the balance between these two hormones, occurs in a woman's body during perimenopause and menopause. Approaches to alleviating symptoms generally focus around restoring these hormone levels.

Natural menopausal treatments are typically made from extracts of plants containing substances which are very similar to the estrogen and/or progesterone produced by the ovaries. The effectiveness of these treatments relies on the assumption that these phytoestrogens and plant progesterones have a similar effect in the body to the body’s own natural hormones. Some herbal treatments work by stimulating glands to produce natural hormones more effectively, rather than restoring the hormones artificially.

Another approach is to treat each symptom individually. There is a range of natural treatments which focus specifically on alleviating common menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, depression, libido problems, vaginal dryness and fatigue. Some of these natural treatments include the use of herbs containing phytoestrogens like red clover, Dong Quai and black cohosh.

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Related Web Resources:

Women's Health Issues: Hormone Replacement Therapy

MedLine Plus - Menopause Information

Menopause & Hormone Therapy