Menopause

Menopause -- The cessation of menstruation and fertility in women.
Menopause is a normal phenomenon that every women experience in late periods of her life. The girl who gets puberty must experience the menopause. Menopause is a natural spot at which a woman stops ovulating and menstruation ceases. It is the common observation that tremendous amount of changes found in body during pubertal phase similarly changes are also produce inside body and physical appearance during the phase of menopause. ^[1] Clinically, menopause is a date that applied on those women who still have a uterus but menstruation ceases. ^{[2, 3]} Menopause in clinical is the day at which woman's final period finishes. This date is fixed retrospectively and it is set when once 12 months have gone with no menstrual flow at all. ^[3] The representative range for menopause is between the ages of 45 and 55 ^[3] while the average age of menopause is 51.3 years and is calculated from long standing Brigham and Women’s Nurses’ Health Study. ^[2] There might be a few deviations in this range, for example women whose menarche (first period) occurred later in their teens may go through menopause later on or near to age 60. ^[2]

A natural or physiological menopause is that which occurs as a part of a woman's normal aging process. ^[3] At birth a girl has about half a million ova, but at age 40 she has about 50 percent left over. ^[2] The major cause of menopause is decline in level of commonly named sex or female hormones. These hormones include estrogen, progesterone and testosterone By the time a woman attains her late 30s or 40s; her ovaries begin to shut down, producing less of the hormones estrogen and progesterone and releasing eggs less often. ^[1] The motive for this less discharge of female hormones is that as store of eggs gradually diminishes in the ovary, the estrogen-secreting layer of cells in ovary become less responsive to the signals from the brain. That will lead to anovulation or disturbed menstrual bleeding means heavy or absent bleeding that are a huge symptom of beginning of menopause. ^[4]

Decline in female hormones production occur slowly during aging but its great ebb and flow is seen just before the menopause. ^[1] This period is entitled as perimenopause and it is a period when a women body is get prepared itself for menopause. ^[1] Estrogen also works on non reproductive organs, so lack of this will cause plenty of other symptoms in non reproductive organs of body. ^[1] The most common symptom that a women experience in menopause include:

Hot flushes are the hallmark indication for progression of climacteric or menopausal changes inside body. It is characterized by a sudden feeling of extreme heat in upper torso that generally is an adjunct to extreme sweating on neck, face and chest. This sweating is most common during night. ^{[2, 4]}

When a woman entering perimenopause her period become more irregular; they become heavier or lighter; periods may come closer together or farther apart. Missed periods are also common. ^{[3, 4, 5]}

Mood changes are also common that include depression, irritability, tension etc. ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}

Sleep disturbances are very common in menopausal period. ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}

Vaginal dryness is a well-known complaint in menopause and is the main cause of pain during sexual intercourse. ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}

Declining levels of estrogen produces a direct effect on a woman's sex drive and women feel lack of interest in sex. ^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]}

Use of herbs and supplements are beneficial during problems of menopause.

Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga Racemosa or Actaea Racemosa), ^{[1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7]} Chinese Angelica (Angelica Sinesis), Red Clover, ^{[1, 2, 6, 7]} Licorice (Glycyrrhiza Glabra) ^{[1 ,2, 7]} Sage (Salvia Officinalis), ^[1] Vitex Or Chaste Berry,^{[1, 2, 7]} and Dong Quai ^{[1, 2, 6, 7]} are valuable herbs in order to give their favorable effects in condition of hot flushes, mood swing, irritability and other menopausal symptoms. Damiana is another herb shows favorable effects on sexual desire and pleasure and hence supports body during menopause. ^{[1, 7, 9]}

1. Phyllis A. Balch, CNC & James F. Balch, M.D. (2000). Prescription for Nutritional Healing. (3rd edition) Page No. 90, 93, 95,102 and 108. Penguin Putnam INC. New York: Avery.
2. Marcia Zimmerman, CN & Jayson Kroner, CSN. (2006). 7-Syndrome Healing. Page No.231, 232, 233 and 236. Chico, California: Nutrition Solution Publications.
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menopause
4. http://www.faqs.org/health/topics/32/Menopause.html
5. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/menopause-000107.htm
6. DR. Richard Firshein (1998) The Nutraceutical Revolution. Page No. 290, 292 and 329. London: Vermilion
7. James A. Duke (1997). The Green Pharmacy. Page No. 286, 287, 323, 324, and 325. Pennsylvania: Rodale Press Emmaus.
8. Michael T. Murray, N.D. (1995) The Healing Power Of Herbs. (Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition) Page No. 376. New York: Gramercy Books.
9. Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D. The Scientific Validation of herbal Medicine. Page No. 152. New Canaan, Connecticut: Keats Publishing, Inc.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent any disease.

Black Cohosh (60 Tabs) by Rainbow Light

Menopause Multiple (120 Tabs) by Source Natural