Menopause: The Change of Life
54-year-old Roshni was facing some unusual problem like intense hot flashes and palpitations and irregular periods since 3 months. She had approached her gynaecologist who advised her Hormone Replacement Therapy. A friend of hers referred Roshni to take homeopathy treatment to get relieved from menopause symptoms.
Based on her physical and mental menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, palpitations, irritability, talkativeness and jealous nature along with dreams of snakes, she was prescribed an appropriate homeopathic remedy which not only helped her tide over the menopause crisis but also elevated her moods and put her back on track.
Menopause implies a permanent cessation of menstruation in women. Menopause marks the end of a woman’s natural ability to bear children. Perimenopause encompasses this period of changing ovarian activity and also the first few years without menstrual cycling, typically characterized by hormonal and physical changes with, sometimes, emotional and psychological changes as well.
Menopause symptoms are part of a natural biological process experienced by all women as their child-bearing years come to an end. The transition can begin as early as the 30s and last even into the 60s.
The symptoms of menopause are not an illness, just a natural consequence of aging. All women experience ‘the change’ in different ways. Some have no menopause symptoms or have only mild issues while others battle a range of annoying alterations in their body like hot flashes or mood swings that can negatively affect their daily lives.
Signs indicating the onset of Menopause
Menopause manifests at different times and in different ways for every woman. Some are lucky enough to get through the experience with no significant problems; but for others, menopause disrupts both their lives and their interpersonal relationships. The experience of menopause differs among women, depending on differences in diet and nutrition, general health and health care, and even how women are taught to think about menopause. Not all women experience symptoms.
Both, the lining of the vagina and of the urethra, become drier, thinner and less elastic with the onset of menopause. Consequently, women tend to experience burning and itching and have an increased chance of urinary or vaginal infections. A frequent urge to urinate is common with minor incontinence, especially when laughing, sneezing or coughing. In addition, sexual intercourse may become increasingly uncomfortable, even painful.
One of the most common menopausal symptoms, the hot flash, is a result of dropping oestrogen levels that cause blood vessels to expand rapidly with a consequent increase in skin temperature. Generally, women experience sweating and have a flushed appearance. This can last from 30 seconds to several minutes and can occur as often as once an hour.
Although hot flashes can occur at any time of the day or night, night sweats are a related problem that severely disrupt the sleep cycle. Women report waking up from a deep sleep to find their night clothes and bedding soaked with sweat.
Most women gain some degree of weight during the onset of menopause, usually an average of five pounds. The increased weight concentrates around the waist and abdomen. Other changes in appearance can include fullness of the breasts, thinning hair, wrinkles, adult acne, and coarse hair (usually on the chin, upper lip, and sometimes on the chest and abdomen).
Management of Menopause
In order to relieve the symptoms of menopause, one can seek help of homeopathy. Homoeopathy is a holistic system of medicine. A woman suffering from menopause related problems for example hot flashes is not only treated for hot flushes but the homoeopath will look at the person as a whole and prescribe the medicine. This is called a constitutional medicine. If a homoeopathic remedy is prescribed in this way it will treat the overall imbalance and there will be great improvement of overall health.
HRT (hormone replacement therapy) have known side-effects like bloating, breast tenderness or swelling, leg cramps, headaches and vaginal bleeding. Homeopathy is free from any side-effects.
Underlying other hormone problems like thyroid problems can also be effectively treated with homoeopathic medicines. Homoeopathy is a mind-body medicine. Homoeopathy treats not only the physical complaints, but also targets the mind and gently restores mind-body equilibrium- thus it treats the patient as a whole.
Other ways of reducing the negative effects of menopause include eating a healthy diet, eliminating caffeine and alcohol, reducing sugar and salt intake, stopping smoking and taking vitamin supplements. Exercise helps to increase the conversion of androgens to estrogens and can help alleviate menopausal symptoms.
