About Menopause and Its Symptoms The first thing to remember is that menopause is a completely natural part of life. It happens to every woman. Our reproductive systems have a natural cycle and menopause is a natural part of this cycle. For most women the onset of menopause will begin at about age 40, although sometimes it can occur either earlier or later. Early on there are few if any symptoms and you might not even realize that you have begun going through menopause. One of the early signs is that menstrual cycles will not be as regular as before. You may also experience differing levels of both estrogen and progesterone, the natural female hormones, in your body. Menopause is not always brought on merely by age. Some surgeries will also cause menopause symptoms to appear. A hysterectomy (removal of uterus) or a oophorectomy (removal of ovaries) may cause menopause to begin immediately, regardless of age. Hormones, Change and Menopause Symptoms Menopause Signs and Symptoms Heart, Bones and Relief from Menopause Symptoms Staying Healthy During Menopause Hormone Replacement and Menopause Treatment Pyhtoestrogens and Menopause Treatment Hormones, Change and Menopause Symptoms Throughout life a woman's body is always changing. Many of these changes have to do with hormones. During puberty, beginning usually at about age 12, most of these changes begin. Pubic hairs start to grow, breasts start to grow, you begin experiencing periods. Prior to reaching the Menopause stage there is a period known as perimenopause. During this time your periods may become less regular, and you might also start experiencing early menopausal symptoms such as night sweats and hot flashes. Generally speaking perimenopause begins between 2 and 4 years before your last menstrual period, and will last until roughly one year after this last period. Menopause begins with this last period. However, you cannot know for sure that you are experiencing menopause until you have gone without a menstrual cycle for one complete year. After menopause comes postmenopause: this lasts for the rest of your life. After menopause pregnancy is no longer possible, and some symptoms of menopause such as vaginal dryness may persist after menopause. Menopause Signs and Symptoms? Because of the changing levels of hormones in your body, you may experience many symptoms that might last only a few months to a few years and perhaps even longer. Every woman is different and will experience these symptoms to different degrees. If you find yourself having difficulty dealing with the changes of menopause, it is recommended that you consult your doctor. Some of the most commonly seen symptoms of menopause include: Period changes. This is one of the first signs that you may be heading towards menopause. For some women this might be irregularity in periods, for others it might mean a lighter flow, for others it might be a heavier flow. Those women who have difficulties because of severe periods and period cramps will find relief from these problems when menopause begins. Hot flashes. This is another common sign and symptom of menopause. A hot flash is a suddenly occuring feeling of heat that affects the upper part of your body. Sometimes hot flashes can be felt throughout your entire body. You might also find red blotches on your back, arms or chest. Hot flashes are sometimes followed with heavy sweating or cold shivering. Symptoms can persist from between 30 seconds and up to 5 minutes. Some cases are very light, others can be severe, even enough to wake you from deep sleep. Vaginal and bladder problems. As the hormones in your body change, you might find that your genital area is drier and thinner. This dryness can sometimes cause sexual intercourse to become extremely painful. Also, infections of both the genital area and your urinary tract can become more common during this period. You might find yourself having to go to the bathroom more often. For some women they also find that urine leaks during various times of the day, including while laughing, sneezing, running, coughing or performing exercise. Sex. This can be greatly effected by the onset of menopause. Because of vaginal dryness, some women can find sex to become extremely painful. Some women feel a reduced sex drive. For others, they experience the exact opposite: without the possibility of pregnancy, they find sex much more enjoyable. However, it is important that until you have gone a complete year without a period, that you do not assume that you can no longer get pregnant. Even without the possibility of pregnancy, there is still danger from STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases).Some women find that their feelings about sex change with menopause. Sleep problems. Sometimes women will find that they have difficulty sleeping during menopause. This is often referred to as insomnia. Cirmunstances vary: some women find they just can't fall asleep, other women find that they wake up too early in the morning. Sometimes they might have to use the bathroom during the night and when they return to bed find they can't go back to sleep. As mentioned above some women might also find themselves wakened in the night due to hot flashes. Mood changes. When hormone levels change in your body, you might find that they are acommpanied by changes in mood. Mood changes can also be caused by stress and other factors. It is important to note that depression is not a direct symptom of menopause. Body Changes. During menopause you might find that your body is changing. This can take various forms. For some women their waists thicken, the skin might get a bit thinner, fat might increase. Other women experience muscle and joint stiffness that is associated with pain. A good diet and regular excercise can prevent and/or ease many of these changes in your body. Heart, Bones and Relief from Menopause Symptoms There are some problems which can arise with menopause which you might not even notice are happening or associate with menopause. Specifically, you can find that you begin to lose bone tissue, weakening your bones and even causing osteoporosis. Secondly, along with weight increases you might also find yourself at greater risk for heart disease with increases in blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Osteoporosis. In order to keep the bones in your body healthy and strong, your body is constantly breaking down the old bone tissue in your body and replacing it with new, strong, healthy bone tissue. During and after menopause the loss of estrogen causes more of the old bone tissue to be destroyed than is replaced with new bone tissue. This can be a serious problem, creating frail and bitter bones that are far easier to break. This is especially dangerous in the wrists, hip and spine. Your doctor can test the strength of your bone density to see how much at risk you are for osteoporosis. The risks of osteoporosis can be lessened through proper exercise, especially weight lifting exercise, as well as insuring you get a good diet that is full of both calcium and Vitamin D. Drugs can also be used to assist with maintaining strong and healthy bones. Talk to your doctor to find out what options are available and which are best for you. Heart disease. Heart diseases more commonly affects men than women. Younger women will find their risk of heart disease to be less than that of a man the same age. This changes after menopause, however. As a woman ages her risk of heart disease grows greater and greater. In fact, heart disease is one of the top causes of death among women, killing more than both breast and lung cancer. One of the keys to maintaining a healthy heart is to make sure you keep track of your blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels in your body. You can also reduce the risk of heart disease by eating right, exercising regularly and not smoking. Talk to your doctor to find out more about how you can keep your heart healthy. Staying Healthy During Menopause It is entirely possible to stay healthy through menopause. However, you might find that it takes a little more work than it used to when you were younger. Here are some helpful things you can do to keep your body healthy during this period of your life: *       If you smoke, quit. If you don't smoke, don't start. *       Keep a healthy diet low in both fat and cholesterol. A good diet should include lots of fiber, fruits, whole-grain foods and vegetables. It should also contain plenty of vitamins and minerals, particularly calcium. *       Decrease your weight if you are overweight or obese. *       Start a regular exercise routine that you do at least 3 days out of the week. Good activities include jogging, running or even just walking. You should also take part in weight-bearing exercises to keep muscle and bones strong. *       If prescribed by your doctor, take any medications required to keep blood pressure low. *       For helping with vaginal discomfort, you can use a vaginal lubricant that is water-based (do not use petroleum jelly) or try an estrogen cream. *       For urinary problems, consult your doctor. Various methods such as biofeedback, bladder training and pelvic muscle exercises can be used to help with urinary problems. *       Ensure that you get regular checkups including breast exams, Pap smears and mammograms. If you notice any lumps in your breast contact your doctor immediately. *       Keep a diary of when you experience hot flashes. This can assist you in figuring out what triggers these flashes and possibly avoid them. *       Here are some more tips with dealing with hot flashes: *       Go to a cool place as soon as the hot flashes start. *       If you experience hot flashes during sleep, try sleeping in a cooler room. *       Dress in layers: this allows you to take off layers if you start getting too warm. *       Wear permeable clothing and use sheets that allow your skin to breathe. *       Drink something cold such as juice or water as soon as a hot flash begins.   Hormone Replacement and Menopause Treatment The most recent medical science recommends only temporary, short-term use of Hormone Replacement therapies using either estrogen or progestin. Estrogen replacement therapies have been shown to increase risk of cancer, however estrogen used in combination with progestin has shown that this increase risk does not occur. If using estrogen only therapy close watch should be kept for precancerous signs so that action can be taken quickly if they appear. Pyhtoestrogens and Menopause Treatment Phytoestrogens are compounds which occur naturally in plants. They behave similarly to estrogenic hormones and can imulate estrogen in the human body. Their chemical structure is very similar, and can function as hormone regulators. Herbs and plants containing phytoestrogens have long been used in the treatment of menopausal symptoms, in fact they have been used for centuries if not millenia. Part of the reason for this is that they can minimize the negative effects of estrogen already in the body while boosting the positive effects that estrogen has. They have also been shown to have both anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties and to even reduce the negative effects brought on by viruses.  Menozac is a natural menopause treatment that has been developed to be an alternative support product using herbs and plants that contain these phytoestrogens to help restore hormonal balance after menopause.