Women's Health & Menopause - What Role Does Nutrition Play?

Creating a "quality" menopause transition requires following certain guidelines to minimize its effects on women's health. You probably know that this condition wrecks havoc on female anatomy creating chemical imbalances and overall discomfort for a period of time (both short and long).


Bouts of anxiety, physical symptoms such as hot flashes and vibrations ripping through the body, vaginal discomfort, relationship issues, and the realization that women are stepping into the next phase of their lives are critical changes one must face.


Menopause and exercising proper women's health can easily go hand in hand with a little extra effort. In order to lessen the severity of symptoms, women need to be informed about proper nutrition including vitamin and other supplement consumption. Let's look into some vitamins that can help.


Some of the physical symptoms of menopause include night sweats, itchy, crawly vibrations throughout the body, and general discomfort. An excellent vitamin to take is Vitamin E. Taken in a dose of 800 IU daily, it helps prevent these conditions from happening. Make sure you take one pill with each of your meals, as capsules are best activated in the body when consumed with food.


A good vitamin to aid depression and hot flashes during sleep is magnesium as well (taken in a dose of 1,000 mg. daily). Another one of the letter vitamins that is great for menopausal symptoms and immune system building is Vitamin B-6.


It is a diuretic, which means it flushes out any excess liquid in the body that can cause discomfort. It also aids in processing protein and fights against disease. Women suffering under this condition also experience depressive symptoms, something Vitamin B-6 can combat. Regular Vitamin B can ease anxiety and fight stress as well.


Did you know menopause can cause weak bones? In a condition known as osteoporosis, bones start to become brittle and can break with ease performing the simplest tasks, such as opening a car door or turning suddenly. A quality vitamin such as calcium can help. However, make sure you also take calcium with magnesium and Vitamin D together because they help absorb calcium into the blood stream.


Hormones are also impacted by this wonderful vitamin, as it acts as its "engine" in being spread out throughout the body. Remember, if you don't want to consume pills and capsules, you can eat foods and drink liquids rich in vitamins such as orange juice, peanuts, soybeans, broccoli, bananas, and milk (calcium loaded). Most doctors would recommend a daily multi-vitamin and antioxidant.


Taking the hormone known as DHEA can also do wonders to battle the effects of menopause. One of the few over the counter pills that also serves as a hormone, it actually produces sex hormones in both men and women. DHEA promotes the functioning of enzymes that speed up bodily processes, block fat cells, and fights disease. DHEA is actually produced by the body in the adrenal glands, but declines in amount as we get older. That's why it's crucial to keep taking DHEA to keep the body in optimum health and fight this condition.


Pound for pound, the most critical thing women can do to lessen the severity of menopause is to follow a clean and healthy lifestyle including exercise and listen to their doctor. Avoid eating McDonalds, drinking sodas, and consuming other foods packed with sugars and preservatives. Make it a habit to drink water and provide yourself with a solid social network of friends that will provide support to you when you're down and need someone to talk to. Overall, keep your body in line and in shape against menopause by acquainting yourself with proper nutrition and necessary vitamins.


To learn exactly how to eliminate menopause symptoms visit http://www.howtoconquermenopause.com
To learn more about women's health and everything you need to know about other menopause symptoms, go to http://www.everythingmenopause.com/articles-womenshealth.php

How Does Menopause Effect Women's Health

After a woman reaches menopause she is vulnerable to a range of long-term health risks due to the loss of estrogen. Effects of menopause on a menopausal woman's health are discussed below.


Effect on mental health: Estrogen shows certain properties that protect against memory loss and helps in mental functioning as a woman ages. Estrogen may affect the brain as follows:


• Estrogen helps in growth of nerve pathways in memory portion of brain.

• Estrogen helps in reducing the risk of Alzheimer disease by stimulating production of neurotransmitters, eliminates free oxygen radicals that play a role in Alzheimer and blocks production of beta-amyloid which is also associated with Alzheimer.

• Estrogen also opens the blood vessels which lead to better flow of blood to the brain.


Effect on Bone Density: Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile as they lose density and after menopause resorption (break-down of bones) gets faster. This may increase a woman's chance of getting osteoporosis. Estrogen is believed to have an impact in two following ways:


• Estrogens are believed to control the life of osteoclasts which are responsible for resorption.

• Estrogens also maintain levels of vitamin D which is an important nutrient for bone protection.


Effect on Heart: Menopausal women face a higher risk of heart diseases. This is blamed at the fall in estrogen levels which help in:


• Maintaining cholesterol levels.

• Smoothing and opening of blood vessels which help in normal flow of blood and reducing pressure.

• Reducing oxygen free radicals which can damage arteries.


Urinary Tract Effects: After menopause women are at an increased risk of getting urinary tract infections due to fall in estrogen levels. Estrogen helps in resisting the infection by increasing the number of microorganisms that fight the bacteria trying to adhere to vaginal cells.


Other Effects: Sleep disorders, gum disorders and tooth loss, eye disorders, wrinkles and incontinence are other health effects that are caused by fall in estrogen levels brought about by menopause. Estrogens prevent eye disorders such as cataract, glaucoma and macular degeneration. They also prevent against stress. Research shows that fall in estrogens make it more likely for a woman to have gum disorder and tooth loss. Further, estrogens also prevent slackness in the skin caused by excessive fat.


Menopause is a natural transition which, if not properly dealt with, may lead to some long-term health detriments.

What is the connection between menopause and hysterectomy?

If you haven't entered yet menopause, but are schedule to have hysterectomy you are probably wondering if there is any connection between the two. Hysterectomy which is the removal of uterus is the second most common surgery among women.

The uterus is the organ in the lower abdomen where the baby develops when the women is pregnant. And it's the uterus that is removed during the hysterectomy. The ovaries, which produce eggs and women's hormones, may also be removed. This combination is called hysterectomy and oophorectomy. Doctors decide that hysterectomy should be performed for number of reasons. In only 10% of cases the procedure is done to treat cancer of the reproductive organs. Remaining 90% of hysterectomy are performed for non cancerous conditions. Among them is endometriosis, where uterus tissue grows outside the uterus, often leading chronic pain.

Women who have fibroid, which are non cancerous tumors on the womb, often need hysterectomy as well, because the condition may cause severe pain or bleeding. Whatever the reason for hysterectomy, the removal of the uterus itself does not trigger the start of menopause. This is confusing for many patients', because menopause is technically defined as the secession of menstrual 12 consecutive months. Yet women who undergo hysterectomy will stop menstruating immediately after the procedure. However menopause begins when ovaries produce less estrogen and progesterone. Woman, who had hysterectomy, still have their ovaries. They will not undergo menopause until their hormone production slows naturally as they age.

It is important to understand that women, who have had oophorectomy, are in the different situation. When ovaries are removed along with uterus, hormone production will stop and menopause will begin immediately after the surgery. If your doctor decides that you are good candidate for hysterectomy or oophorectomy, make sure you discuss the procedures short and long term effects on your body.


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Early Menopause Symptoms or Pre Menopause Symptoms

Menopause or 'change of life' occurs in most women around the age of fifty. It is a natural process the woman's body goes through whereby the monthly cycle of ovulation comes to an end. Although age fifty is the normal age, there are some women who go through menopause in their fortys or even earlier.

Menopause basically means a women stops her menses or menstrual flow. It's a time of change and while the symptoms associated with it can be uncomfortable, research indicates women who embrace this as a new beginning in their lives tend to have a better mental disposition and thus, handle it much better.

Menopause has a series of symptoms through which the woman is made aware of the fact that this period is approaching. Because menopause is closely related to all sorts of hormonal activity, its symptoms differ from person to person. You will hardly find two women who will report the exact menopause symptoms.

During this time, you may experience irregular periods. Bleeding may become heavier or you may have 'spotting' in between periods and after intercourse. Hormone levels are changing and this may cause such events as hot flashes or night sweats (night time hot flashes). Vaginal dryness, depression, fatigue and mood swings might also happen. You may have headaches, a reduced sex drive, weight gain or incontinence among other symptoms. These symptoms can be present to a greater or lesser degree and may determine the type of treatment you might require.

There are certain early menopause symptoms that you will notice and these could occur in a greater or even lesser degree depending on your individual case, and if you are lucky, you could escape with just the barest symptoms, though in other instances the symptoms could be pretty severe causing a lot of distress and anxiety to the affected person.

Every woman knows mostly what to expect of during her midlife when menopause is set to occur. But some women are taken by surprise when they observe these symptoms way before that age, around their 40s. In fact, almost 4 million of American women suffer from early menopause and their reproductive system begins to stop producing eggs around the age of 40.

Women going through menopause may experience a number of emotional symptoms. These include irritability, depression, anxiety, fatigue, lowered motivation and tension. While these emotional symptoms are a normal part of menopause, they may also be found in a variety of other conditions. It is best to consult a doctor if emotions are getting in the way of normal daily activities.

One of the earliest signs and symptoms of Menopause is menstrual irregularities. The effect may be varied depending on the person. There are some who will have decreased flow while others will skip their periods in some months. So don't be surprised if you suddenly miss your monthly flow for four consecutive months.

About the Author
Read about Natural Remedies. Also read about Menopause Support and Menopause Supplements

MENOPAUSE (by Perpetua)

MENOPAUSE IS CURABLE

DESCRIPTION Menopause have been viewed as the cessation of monthly periods. Thus marks the end of a woman's fertility. It is a natural biological process. Hence, the physical and emotional symptoms that comes with menopause can disturb your sleep, rip off your energy and can trigger feelings of sadness directly or indirectly.

Hormonal changes is responsible for the physical symptoms of menopause, Approaching menopause doesn't mean that you are of no use; you still have as much as half your life to live. Also, menopause will not snuff out your femininity and sexuality. In fact, you may be one of the many women who find it liberating to stop worrying about pregnancy and periods just like me. More importantly, even though menopause is not an illness, do not hesitate to get treatment if symptoms are severe. Many treatments are available, from lifestyle adjustments to hormone therapy.
SYMPTOMS Some of the menopausal signs and symptoms include; Irregular periods, decreased fertility, Vaginal dryness, hot flashes, Sleep disruption, swings in mood, increased abdominal fat , loss of breast fullness, thinning of hair.

CAUSES OF MENOPAUSE

Menopause is as a result gradual failure of ovaries. Ovaries start aking less estrogen and progesterone, the hormones that regulate menstruation. The process gets under way in your late 30s. By that time, fewer potential eggs are ripening in your each month, and less predictable ovulation. Also, the post-ovulation surge in progesterone -- the hormone that prepares your body for pregnancy -- becomes less dramatic. Your fertility declines, perhaps partially due to these hormonal effects. Menopausal changes are more pronounced in your 40s, as are changes in your menstrual pattern. Your periods may become longer or shorter, heavier or lighter, and more or less frequent. Eventually, your ovaries shut down and you have no more periods. It's possible, but very unusual, to menstruate every month right up to your last period. You're much more likely, though, to have a gradual tapering off.

TREATMENT AND DRUGS

Symptoms associated with menopause can be prevented relatively easily by hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in which estrogen is taken either in pill form or by implants below the skin. Hormone replacement therapy goes a long way to reduce the rate at which calcium is lost from the bones slowing it down to roughly the same as in men. This causes menopausal hot flashes. In UK, 80% of female in the relevant age group use the hormone replacement therapy in treating menopause symptoms.

Low-dose antidepressants. Venlafaxine (Effexor), an antidepressant related to the class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), has been shown to decrease menopausal hot flashes. Other SSRIs can be helpful, including fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), paroxetine (Paxil, others), citalopram (Celexa) and sertraline (Zoloft).  Gabapentin (Neurontin). This drug is approved to treat seizures, but it also has been shown to significantly reduce hot flashes.  Clonidine (Catapres, others). Clonidine, a pill or patch typically used to treat high blood pressure, may significantly reduce the frequency of hot flashes, but unpleasant side effects are common. 

Bisphosphonates. Doctors may recommend these nonhormonal medications, which include alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel) and ibandronate (Boniva), to prevent or treat osteoporosis. These medications effectively reduce both bone loss and your risk of fractures and have replaced estrogen as the main treatment for osteoporosis in women.  Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). SERMs are a group of drugs that includes raloxifene (Evista). Raloxifene mimics estrogen's beneficial effects on bone density in postmenopausal women, without some of the risks associated with estrogen.  Vaginal estrogen. To relieve vaginal dryness, estrogen can be administered locally using a vaginal tablet, ring or cream. This treatment releases just a small amount of estrogen, which is absorbed by the vaginal tissue. It can help relieve vaginal dryness, discomfort with intercourse and some urinary symptoms. Treatment can be short tremor continue for years, although in the long term, blood clotting and other undesirable side effects may occur. Some of these can be prevented by adding progesterone to the estrogen.

NOTE: It is important to know that hormone replacement therapy is the replacement of natural hormone. So there is risk associated with taking pill, such as increased risk of thrombosis, are thought to be lower with hormone replacement therapy.

If You Think Female Hormones Are Trivial, You're Wrong!

Hormones play very important roles in the proper functioning of a woman's body. There are many types of female hormones, but the major ones are estrogen and progesterone. These two hormones are produced in the woman's ovaries.

Estrogen has been mainly referred to as the hormone that defines women. It is responsible for the growth of breasts in women. It also ensures that the female reproductive organs which include the uterus, fallopian tubes and the vagina will reach full development and readiness to perform their functions. Apart form these responsibilities, estrogen also makes sure that fat in a woman's body is primarily deposited on the thighs, hips and buttocks.

Progesterone, on the other hand, is mainly connected with the development of the female reproductive capacity. It is at work during the menstrual cycle. It also plays a big part during pregnancy, especially in the growth of the human embryo inside the mother's womb.

Together, estrogen and progesterone bring about all the important processes that happen inside the female body. The presence or amount of these hormones in a woman is what separates her from her male counterpart to begin with. The following are the three most important processes in a woman's life wherein the invisible hands of both estrogen and progesterone are largely at play.

Menstruation
At the onset of puberty, estrogen and progesterone start to play a more significant part in controlling the female body in a cycle known as menstruation. You see, each type of hormone has a predictable rise-and-fall pattern which gives rise to the menstrual cycle.

The events that take place inside the woman's body start off when a ripe egg is delivered from one of the ovaries into the fallopian tube and eventually into the woman's womb. If such egg remains unfertilized within a specific timeframe, estrogen and progesterone hormones secreted by the ovaries begin to decline. As this happens, the lining in the womb which is developed in preparation for pregnancy is cast off, culminating in menstrual bleeding.

Pregnancy
If the egg released from the ovary becomes fertilized, important changes still happen to a woman's estrogen and progesterone levels. But this time around, instead of a decline in the amounts of these two hormones, a dramatic increase is seen.
A hormone known as the human chorionic gonadotrophin is developed in the growing placenta; this hormone triggers the production of increased amounts of estrogen and progesterone in the ovaries. It turns out, these two hormones are crucial during pregnancy; without these two hormones, bearing a child can not be sustained.

Menopause
The last important process in women where estrogen and progesterone levels are having dramatic changes is menopause. This phase is characterized by the very last time that a woman will have her menstrual period. In reality, a few years before menopause occurs, a woman will already experience abnormalities in her monthly periods.

During menopause and even in the couple of years before it, the ovaries will experience deterioration. As this occurs, they will only be able to produce very little amounts of estrogen and progesterone. This signals that a woman is no longer capable of bearing a child in her womb.

Menopause is mainly brought about by age. Think of a woman's body like a big alarm clock, wherein a definite time is set which will bring about a stop to many of the functions and processes inside her body. When she reaches that definite time, known as menopause, countless problems can occur.

A woman's health can be at risk as menopause begins. The weakening of the heart and the bone structures are common menopausal syndromes. Vaginal dryness and uncomfortable indications like night sweating and hot flashes are also prevalent during menopause.

But the good thing is that now there are effective treatments that can help a woman cope with the problems of menopause. There are products like Zalestra which can help prevent complications and distress during this phase. Visit www.zalestra.com for more details.

About the Author
Sharon Bell is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premiere online news magazine http://www.healthnfitnesszone.com.