Menapause – more accurately spelled menopause, but since 1000’s of women search for “menapause” we decided to make it easy for them – is a change of life, that time in a woman’s life in which the menstrual cycle ends, according to WordNetWeb.Princeton.edu/perl/webwn. For some women, menapause can be a very difficult time, while others just sail through it serenely, and you cannot predict which, if either, is likely to be your scenario.

Now when a woman first starts menstruating, it is on one day – a date that you are often asked about later in life! – but menapause, or menopause doesn’t just start. There are changes that lead up to this and these can occur over several years. In fact we often talk about menapause when it should strictly speaking be perimenopause, which is the time leading up to menopause when a few changes are starting to occur.

menopause or menapause - all women go through it

Menopause can start anywhere between the ages of 30 and sixty, with the average being in the early fifties, and it generally lasts anywhere from 2 to ten years. However, every woman is different, and not even the timing of your mother’s menapause can accurately predict your own, or how long it is likely to last. The doctor can have you take a blood test to see whether you are in the menopause cycle, or whether thyroid health issues are causing you symptoms similar to menopause, but we say that menopause has begun when a woman has not had a period for twelve months.

It should be noted that menapause, or menopause is a natural event in a woman’s life, and is not a disease, or an illness. That is not to say that it cannot be a difficult time for some women. Again, the signs of menapause vary for each woman, with irregular periods, either closer together, or further apart, and with heavier flow, or lighter flow. Some women have a lot of signs, some very few, and none of this is predictable!

Other signs can include weight gain, the infamous hot flashes which can come in the form of night sweats, causing difficulties sleeping. There can be vaginal dryness, fatigue, joint pain, mood swings – as if we haven’t had enough of those!- itchy skin, urinary tract infections, dry eyes, bowel upsets, and there could be short term memory problems too. The good news is that not every woman has all of these signs of menapause, or has them at the same strength. They can be mild or hardly there for some, but severe for others.

Menapause is different for the different cultures too, for different lifestyles and genetics as well, and also depends on health and stress levels as well.

A report in ScienceDaily.com quoted a report saying that Japanese women reported fewer problems with menopause than other cultures, which is interesting, but doesn’t really help if you are American! However, it does confirm that cultures do in fact play a part in women’s health.

If your ovaries have been removed, or you have undergone chemotherapy or radiation, or have had an ovary malfunction, then you could experience “induced” menopause, which could result in more severe symptoms of menapause, caused by the non-production of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, but this can be treated with hormone replacement therapy, HRT. Of course you need to talk to your doctor about this, as there are some issues that you need to be aware of.

Be aware that although some women sail through menapause with no problems, for others, (and their families!) it is a very challenging time. The best way to prepare for this is to eat a good balanced diet, and to exercise regularly. Also try to reduce stress, and perhaps join a support group for women going through menapause. Remember that every case is different, but menopause, or menapause is something women all go through in the cycle of life.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• menapause
• what is menapause
• mena pause
• www menapause com
• Menopause hell
• menapause com
• what is menapause?
• menapausesanity com
• men apause
• what is mena pause

Premenopause is officially the time before menopause for women, with perimenopause being the time when changes are occurring signalling that the menstruation cycle is changing and will soon stop. Officially this perimenopause stage includes that first year after menstruation has stopped, but both pre menopause and perimenopause generally get lumped together and called menopause, or by the wrong spelling of menapause, by most women.

As the time before menopause, premenopause for some women can bring with it a range of symptoms that are difficult to handle, while others just sail through with no problems whatsoever. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, there is no way to know how you are going to react to pre-menopause, as every woman is different. Lifestyles plays a part, but so does genetics, overall health, stress levels, and also culture, so even if you know when your mother went through pre menopause, this does not mean that you will have the same symptoms at the same age.

keeping fit helps many premenopause women

One of the symptoms of premenopause is the onset of irregular periods that may last longer than normal, or be shorter, that may have a heavier flow, or a lighter flow. In other words, the start of irregular periods could be a pre menopause symptom. However, it may not be, and you may need to see your doctor to find out for sure what is going on, as the symptoms of thyroid malfunction are similar.

Of course, irregularity is not the only symptom of premenopause, there is also the possibility of headaches, body aches and pains, tiredness, mood swings, irritability, a decreased sex drive, tiredness, weight gain, especially around the hips and stomach, breast tenderness, water retention, and insomnia. Now the good news is that not every women has all these symptoms, and they can all occur at different levels, with some women experiencing very few problems, while others have a very challenging and difficult time.

Now although pre menopause is not an illness or disease, it can make some women feel rather rough to put it mildly, especially if night sweats cause havoc with your sleeping patterns and you end up more irritable and moody than ever.

However, there are some natural remedies for premenopausal symptoms, and they do not need a prescription like you do to take hormone replacement therapy, HRT. (Note that HRT does have side effects which you need to discuss with your doctor.) You may want to check with your doctor though about anything mentioned on this site, just to make sure, and to make certain that there will be no conflict with any other prescription drugs you take.

The first thing you should consider is a lifestyle change, but this does take some work and dedication to achieve. However, stress reduction can help, and to do this, yoga is recommended. Also, since pre-menopause involves the reduction of hormones, a diet that is rich in estrogen may help. This means eating soy, cherries, apples, potatoes, yams, rice, wheat and alfalfa which are all rich in estrogen, but are found as a natural source.

This may not help some women, and they may prefer to look at an alternative approach to help those premenopause symptoms. Acupuncture and herbal remedies have been shown to be successful for some women, and are thought to be safer than other treatments. Acupuncture does involve very fine sterile needles being inserted into the body at certain points, to complete the energy pathways. Obviously you need to find a practitioner that is recommended by others. This option is not possible for all women, as it does need both time and money.

There are herbs however that are much less expensive and have given some good results that may be worth a try for pre menopausal women. The aim of the herbs is to try to balance the hormones, and this is done with phytoestrogen or non-estrogenic herbs. Phytoestrogen herbs such as Black Cohosh, and Dong Quai are plants that have an estrogen component, but they are low levels of estrogen. They do have the side effect that the body itself will start producing even less estrogen, and cause a further reduction of hormone levels, though.

However, the non-estrogen herbs help the hormonal glands produce their own natural hormones, and this ends up balancing progesterone, testosterone and estrogen. Said differently, the non-estrogenic herbs are able to stimulate women’s own production of hormones, and because of this they are considered to be a safe option.

As mentioned before, you should talk to your doctor about your premenopause symptoms, and make sure that the plan to alleviate your symptoms makes sense for your overall health.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• premenopause
• pre menopause
• premenopausal
• what does premenopausal mean
• premenopausal problems
• pre-menopause
• pre menopause problems
• pre menapause
• can i be premenopausal
• could i be premenopausal

Many women need to know how to ease menopausal symptoms naturally, and it is not something that doctors always inform us about. So, we shall take a look here at some natural options for you to try so that you can start feeling better – not that you are ill or have a disease, but menopause can have some undesirable symptoms.

The first thing you might want to try is a diet that helps your depleted estrogen levels. Many women have found that if they eat foods that are rich in phytoestrogen then they do feel much better, and their menopausal symptoms are relieved. The phytoestrogen rich foods are foods like soy, potatoes, rice, wheat, alfalfa, cherries, lentils and chickpeas, and can help balance your hormones naturally. However, this diet can be a little hard on family members, and you don’t really want to have to cook one meal for the family, and a different meal for you, because we all typically have way too much to do as it is. (Many women choose to have hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, to deal with their lower hormone levels, but you need to talk with your doctor about this option, and the side effects it has.)

menopausal symptoms can be helped with yoga and meditation

Alternative medicine does offer some alternatives to life style choices for women who want to ease their menopausal symptoms.

Acupuncture can work well for some, and although the description of having sterile needles stuck into you doesn’t sound too appealing, it has helped many women. There are a few disadvantages, namely the time involved for treatments, the cost, and the need to find someone you trust.

The next alternative is to use natural herbs to help control your menopausal symptoms naturally. Plant estrogen which is derived from red clover, called Promensil has been found to reduce the intensity of hot flashes, as well as reduce their number, for some people, but as with most research other sites report that red clover is not effective for this.

Black Cohosh is regularly used for reducing hot flashes, and again there are differing reports about its effectiveness. However, since there are very few side effects, it may be worth looking into some more. In rare cases, black cohosh has been said to be responsible for vomiting, nausea and general stomach discomfort.

Exercise is always considered a good thing to do, and for helping with menopausal symptoms it again seems to be a benefit. One study states that exercise reduced the incidence of hot flashes in up to 55% of women, so over half gained relief. Remember that weight bearing exercises are good to help keep bones strong, which is especially important because as we get older, our bones lose their density and become more brittle. Exercises of the right kind can help to reduce this outcome.

Vitamin E has said to reduce the symptoms of hot flashes, but again studies have shown that this is not so for all women, but it may be an option for you.

As you can see there doesn’t seem to be any one thing that can reduce and ease menopausal symptoms naturally in all women, but discuss your options with your doctor to see if there are any new options available to you.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• menopause symptoms
• easing menopause symptoms naturally
• symptoms of Menapause
• menopausal symptoms
• how to ease menopause symptoms naturally
• menopause
• easing menopause naturally
• ease menopause symptoms naturally
• how to relieve menopause symptoms naturally
• post menopausal weight gain

Menopause can be a challenging time for women, but post menopause weight gain can add another aggravating problem as women emerge from those sanity-threatening menopausal years. Here we shall look at some of the solutions to deal with this weight gain.

But first a word about menopause, or the change of life as it used to be called. Menopause does have a lot of symptoms, but it is not an illness or a disease. All women go through it, so you know that it is not something you have to go through by yourself. Plenty of others have had the same problems you might be facing, but instead of being negative about it, look at the positive – no more periods!

Now during menopause, about two thirds of women have problems with their weight, with the majority gaining roughly 10 to 15 pounds during those years of menopause. That’s only about a pound or two a year, but it adds up, and can affect your self-esteem at a time when you may feel a little shaky anyway, with all those hormonal changes going on.

exercise is important for post menopause weight gain

During the early stages of menopause, you may find that maintaining your ideal weight becomes more and more difficult, so that by the time you are post menopausal, it has become so much harder to lose any weight at all. Once again your hormones are to blame, because they affect your appetite and your metabolism, which now stores more calories and uses less than it did in the past, resulting in unwanted weight gain.

If you notice an excessive weight gain, then it may indicate a problem with your hormone levels, or your eating habits. You might want to see your doctor to find out what is going on, as an increase in weight, especially stored around the middle can lead to an increased risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, breast cancer, or high blood pressure.

However, if your post menopause weight gain is relatively low, then there are some easy changes you can make that will result in better health for you in the future.

Eat a well balanced diet, one with plenty of fruits and vegetables, but avoid the refined foods, like sugars and flour. Eat foods that are low in fat, low in saturated fat, and low in cholesterol too. Eat plenty of fiber every day, about 20 – 30 grams daily.

Remember that as you age you do not need as many calories, so reduce your food intake a little, and this should help with your post menopause weight gain. This is easily achieved by reducing the size of your portions just a little, especially the high calorie desserts! You can still eat your favorite foods, but just not as much of them.

Drink plenty of water – your body is made of high quantities of water, and it helps with so many aspects of your health, so keep well hydrated. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water is generally recommended, and this can include a couple of drinks of tea or coffee in that count. Note that the coffees are regular home brewed coffees, not lattes from the nearest coffee shop.

Physical activity is important throughout your life, and it actually becomes more important as women age. High blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, and coronary heart disease are more likely to be suffered by women who are less physically active, so exercise regularly to keep your muscles strong as well as your bones. It will help you feel better too.

Remember that to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you are consuming. Aerobic exercises will help you to increase your metabolism and burn some of your stored fat. Walking and cycling are weight bearing exercises that will help your bones stay strong as well as your muscles and tendons. If you haven’t exercised in a while, start slowly and build up gradually, but regularly several times each week.

Do not try the latest fad diets – most dieters gain back the weight that they lose during these diets, plus some more, so this is not the way to go. On the other hand don’t lose too much weight either,  as being under weight can increase your risk of developing osteoporosis.

Be aware that losing your post menopause weight gain is better for you to do sooner than later, before you give your body the chance to pack on more pounds and cause other health problems.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• post menopausal problems
• post menopausal weight gain
• menopause weight gain
• post menopause weight gain
• post menopause weight loss
• menopausal weight gain
• menopause weight gain solutions
• post menopause weight gain solutions
• post menopause problems
• weight gain post menopause

Post menopausal women are typically in their fifties or older, so it would seem natural that with this age comes the risk of other health problems. But first of all, if you have completed menopause, then congratulations, you have got through what may have been a very challenging time for you, and you are now moving towards your golden years.

A recent Women’s Health Initiative Study, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, was based on some 130,000 US women of post menopausal age, and these women were followed for about six years. It was discovered that those women who were taking anti-depressants  were at a much higher risk of death from all causes during this study, than the non-users, a 32% higher risk which is significant, and the risk was greatest for having strokes. The researchers did stress that this is actually just a small percentage of women, perhaps 1 in 200 of those post menopausal women who take anti-depressants. If you are taking antidepressants, you may want to consult your doctor and talk about these risks and what they mean for you and your health.

all women go through changes to reach post menopause

Now as part of your healthy life style, post menopausal women should already be eating a healthy balanced diet, as well as exercising regularly a few times a week, and if you are not currently doing that, then you need to get started. By eating well and exercising you can reduce the risks of certain diseases like diabetes and heart attacks or strokes, not to mention osteoporosis, all of which can affect post menopausal women if they are not careful.

Let’s take a look at osteoporosis, which is linked to the decrease in the levels of estrogen in the post menopausal woman. As women age, their bones lose some of their calcium and they become more brittle and easier to break. Now while this might not sound life threatening, breaking bones can cause great hardship, and a broken hip can be devastating, one that is not easy to recover from. If you have never broken a bone in your life so far, then you are very lucky. As you get older the challenge of dealing with a broken arm, say, becomes more challenging as the body cannot adapt as easily as a younger body. In our youth we tend to be more flexible and the challenges of using the other hand and arm for everything may not be as challenging. However by post menopause the body is more rigid, and less able to stand the strain of the extra work it has to do to compensate for the injured arm.

With a broken arm it becomes incredibly difficult to eat, shower, wash your hair, peel vegetables, write, use the phone, open doors, open jars, and the list goes on. This means that as a post menopausal woman, any bone fracture can bring a great loss of independence, and a reliance on others that can be hard to accept.

So, what can you do about the risk of osteoporosis? Eat good, healthy foods, and exercise regularly, particularly bone strengthening, weight bearing exercises such as walking, climbing stairs, jogging, dancing or weight lifting. Make sure that your diet includes plenty of calcium and vitamin D, but check with your doctor for the levels needed for your particular case. Reduce the amount of caffeine you consume as caffeine increases the calcium loss from your body.

Another thing for post menopausal women to watch is their cholesterol levels, and the amount of fat they consume from animals versus plants.

Animal fat when eaten regularly, things like butter and meats, can cause your cholesterol levels to rise, putting you at increased risk of a heart attack or strokes. A simple blood test can tell you your cholesterol levels, which you can then discuss with your doctor.

When all is taken into consideration, the best thing you can do for yourself as a post menopausal woman is to eat well, and exercise regularly several times each week. Since you could spend as much as a third of your life as post menopausal, you need it to be a healthy stage for you, and much of that depends on your eating and exercise habits.

By taking care of your body, it will be more able to fight off diseases and cause you fewer health problems. But whether you do this or not is entirely up to you, as it is your life to live as you see fit. So, enjoy your life as more post menopausal women are living much longer lives than their predecessors, and hopefully you will not be at increased risk of other health conditions as a post menopausal woman.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• postmenopausal
• post menopausal
• postmenopause
• menopausal stage
• post menopausal stage
• conditions of postmenopausal women
• post menopausal risks
• postmenupausal
• health problems of postmenopausal women
• can post-menapausal women loose weight

New Abortion Guidelines in Peru a Victory for Women and Girls, But More Work Ahead

Sadly, such stories are becoming more and more familiar to those of us who follow women's health and rights issues around the world. When a …
See all stories on this topic »

Depression and the Young: Exercise Can Help

Sometimes mental health issues and substance abuse go hand in hand. Williams had a very private side but was open about some of his problems.
See all stories on this topic »

Menopause: Questions women are thinking, but not asking

And although menopause symptoms — night sweats, mood swings, sleep problems, weight gain — make it seem like a daunting time in a woman's life, …
See all stories on this topic »

Senior Director, Special Issues in Women's Health

The College is currently seeking a Senior Director, Special Issues in Women's Health to provide leadership and direction to the programs in Women's …
See all stories on this topic »

Activists Explain Why The Mike Brown Shooting Is A Feminist Issue

But women of color want to change that, pointing out that Michael Brown's mother … thanks to racial and economic disparities in the health care sector, it's also … This is hardly a new issue for activists of color, who coined the term …
See all stories on this topic »

Women's health PAC to spend half a million on Michaud, others

Both have been highlighting their stances on abortion and other issues important to women in the three-way battle with incumbent Republican Paul …
See all stories on this topic »

Spousal Illness Impacts Women More Than Men

Now, a report published in the Journal of Aging and Health quantifies this … declining health could put Taiwanese women at risk for health issues.
See all stories on this topic »

Women's Health 101: The exams you need in your 20s and 30s

Making time for check-ins ensures you catch any early issues and stay healthy for the long haul. Hopefully you're up to date with all of your necessary …
See all stories on this topic »

Dear Pharmacist: Here's some sage advice about hot flashes

Dear Pharmacist: Please help me and my daughter. I have hot flashes. What is the best herbal supplement to help with that? Are there any home remedies for …
See all stories on this topic »

Menopause cause? It may well be men, scientists say

For decades, anthropologists and biologists have been puzzling over one of nature's great mysteries: Why do women go into menopause?
See all stories on this topic »

Menopause Caused By Men?

With menopause, just look on the world-wide web, even under 'natural remedies' or metaphysical definitions, you will still be hard-pressed to find any …
See all stories on this topic »

The Hot Flashes Trailer – Rotten Tomatoes

Critics. Upcoming » The Hot Flashes ». The Hot Flashes Trailer. and Clips. The Hot Flashes. Next Trailer >. Get Adobe Flash player. Hot Movie Trailers · View all  …
See all stories on this topic »

Ethiopia's game-changing abortion law

Before, women would drink a tea made of plants to induce abortion, said one health extension worker in the northern village of Mosebo. The women …
See all stories on this topic »

ACTRESS Alex Kingston fears the intensive in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments she underwent in …

I put on weight with all the IVF – it's so insidious because it happens so … “Some women, around 1 to 4 per cent, experience an 'early menopause' …
See all stories on this topic »

Ferguson's massive problem: What Mike Brown's death means for black families

But those sort of rights aren't the full spectrum of concerns that women of … Does treating substance dependence as a criminal rather than a health …
See all stories on this topic »

A husband's declining health could put Taiwanese women at risk for health issues

PRINCETON, N.J. The death of a spouse undoubtedly brings with it stress, anxiety and uncertainty. Now, a report by Princeton University's Woodrow …
See all stories on this topic »

Hot Flashes Can Happen Before Menopause

Experiencing random hot flashes in middle age? Don't worry, it doesn't necessarily mean you're about to enter menopause. A new study reveals that more than half of middle-aged women who still have regular cycles experience hot flashes. Researchers …
See all stories on this topic »

55pc women have hot flashes or night sweats before menopause

Washington, June 13 (ANI): A new study has revealed that more than half of middle-aged women who still have regular cycles have hot flashes. According to a survey of some 1,500 women, Asian and Hispanic women are less likely to have them than white …
See all stories on this topic »

Vicci Martinez hopes to give Portland hot flashes

It's been 13 years since Vicci Martinez released her first album. In that time, the Tacoma native has gone from starving artist to television star to professional touring musician after appearing on the first season of NBC's “The Voice.” The out 28 …
See all stories on this topic »

Health with Sarah Stacey: Gloss your hair like Kylie; plus how to …

I have no idea if I have been through the menopause as I have no symptoms. … The combined oral contraceptive (COC) simply masks many of the signs because …
See all stories on this topic »