Moving Through Menopause

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Moving Through Menopause

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Also indexed as:Change of Life, Climacteric, Hot Flashes/Flushes

Menopause is not a disease—it’s a natural part of life. According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may be helpful.

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Health information provided by Aisle7

Menopause is not a disease—it’s a natural part of life. According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may be helpful.

Eat soy and flaxseed
Make foods high in phytoestrogens, such as flaxseed, tofu, soy milk, tempeh, and roasted soy nuts, a regular part of your diet
Control symptoms with isoflavones
Supplements containing at least 80 to 100 mg a day of isoflavones from soy or red clover may help control symptoms
Cool down with black cohosh
Some people have found 20 mg of a concentrated herbal extract twice a day relieves hot flashes
Find relief with exercise
Even light aerobic activities can help reduce menopausal symptoms
Quit smoking
Smokers are more likely to experience hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms
Talk to your doctor
Hormone replacement therapy using conjugated estrogens (Premarin), estradiol (Estrace), and estropipate (Ogen) is often prescribed

These recommendations are not comprehensive and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or pharmacist. Continue reading for more in-depth, fully referenced information.

About This Condition

Menopause is the cessation of the monthly female menstrual cycle. Women who have not had a menstrual period for a year are considered postmenopausal.

Most commonly, menopause takes place when a woman is in her late forties or early fifties. Women who have gone through menopause are no longer fertile. Menopause is not a disease and cannot be prevented. Many hormonal changes occur during menopause. Postmenopausal women are at higher risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, presumably because of a decrease in the production of estrogen or other hormones.

Symptoms

Several unpleasant symptoms may accompany menopause. Some, such as vaginal dryness, result from the lack of estrogen. Others, such as hot flashes and decreased sex drive, are caused by more complex hormonal changes. Some women experience depression, anxiety, or insomnia during menopause.

Healthy Lifestyle Tips

Sedentary women are more likely to have moderate or severe hot flashes compared with women who exercise.¹^{, 2} In one trial, menopausal symptoms were reduced immediately after aerobic exercise.³

Cigarette smoking may be related to hot flashes in menopausal women. Preliminary data have shown that women who experience hot flashes are more likely to be smokers.⁴ Another preliminary study found that new users of hormone replacement therapy for the relief of menopausal symptoms were more likely to be current cigarette smokers than were those who had never smoked.⁵

Holistic Options

Acupuncture may be helpful in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Animal research suggests that acupuncture may help normalize some biochemical changes that are associated with menopausal disturbances of memory, mood, and other functions.⁶ One preliminary trial in humans demonstrated a significant reduction (more than 50%) in hot flashes in menopausal women receiving either electroacupuncture (acupuncture with electrical stimulation) or superficial acupuncture (shallow needle insertion).⁷ Other preliminary trials support these results⁸^{, 9} and suggest additional menopausal symptoms may also respond to acupuncture.¹⁰ However, no placebo-controlled trials have been done to conclusively prove the effectiveness of acupuncture for menopausal symptoms.

Eating Right

Diet is the key to managing many diseases and to improving general quality of life. For this condition, scientific research has found benefit in the following healthy eating tips.

Recommendation	Why	Get started
Eat soy and flaxseed	Make foods high in phytoestrogens, such as flaxseed, tofu, soy milk, tempeh, and roasted soy nuts, a regular part of your diet.	Learn More
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Drug	Common brands
Estropipate	Ogen	Learn More
Ethinyl Estradiol	Estinyl Feminone	Learn More
Methyltestosterone	Android Testred Virilon	Learn More
Estradiol	Climara Estrace Vagifem	Learn More

References

Learn more about Aisle7, the company.

Learn more about the authors of Aisle7 products.

The information presented in Aisle7 is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. Self-treatment is not recommended for life-threatening conditions that require medical treatment under a doctor's care. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over the counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires June 2013.

Important Walmart Disclaimer: All content, including but not limited to, recipe and health information provided in Healthy Living, is for educational purposes only. Such content is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a medical professional. Such content does not cover all possible side effects of any new or different health program. Consult your medical professional for guidance before changing or undertaking a new diet or exercise program. Advance consultation with your physician is particularly important if you are under eighteen (18) years old, pregnant, nursing, or have health problems.

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