Menopause: Major Change in a Woman's Life
For most women, menopause usually occurs between the age of 47 and 55. Although, for some it’s much sooner, and for others, later. Technically, menopause ensues once 12 consecutive months have passed without a period. At this point, you can no longer get pregnant. The several years preceding menopause are referred to as peri-menopause, during which you still can get pregnant. However, the chances of becoming pregnant after age 47 drops to somewhere between 0.1-1%, and the chance of maintaining the pregnancy to full term becomes even slimmer. During peri-menopause, women can already experience some of the symptoms of change, such as hot flashes/night sweats, dryness, decreased desire, shifts in mood, insomnia, weight gain, and more.
Not all women will experience all of these symptoms, and a few will not experience any. Certain factors predispose women to early menopause such as smoking, never having children, chronic fatigue, etc. Women who seek medical attention for menopausal symptoms are often prescribed an estrogen patch or pill, typically synthetic. This treatment, as effective as it is in reducing hot flashes and dryness, however, will not relieve all symptoms, and carries an increased risk of stroke, heart attack and certain types of cancer. It also does not address the levels other important hormones such as progesterone, testosterone and DHEA which typically decrease during this time.
Other factors may increase the severity of symptoms. Your lifestyle plays a huge role in whether you will develop symptoms, and how severe they will be. The following is a list of factors that will worsen the severity of menopausal symptoms:
1. Consumption of alcohol, whether beer, wine or hard liquor.
2. Consumption of caffeine, whether in the form of energy drinks or pills, coffee or tea.
3. Sedentary lifestyle.
4. High-stress lifestyle.
5. High meat intake and low plant intake.
6. Exposure to environmental toxins.
There are a variety of treatments that I have found to be helpful for relieving symptoms including herbs such as black cohosh, maca, dong quai and others. Other options are bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). I have utilized BHRT safely and successfully with many women. Bio-identical hormones can have a profoundly positive effect on the quality of a woman’s life when prescribed properly, and are a safer alternative to synthetic hormones, especially with the addition of adjunctive supplementation. I have seen women who arrived in my office in tears, after a short time on BHRT, regain the smiles on their faces. And as I’m often told by them, their husbands also regain their smiles! A well-crafted comprehensive BHRT formula can increase energy, improve mood, alleviate anxiety, improve sleep and may increase desire. There are other factors that influence the transition through menopause that are culturally related that are beyond the scope of this article.
Menopause is a natural part of the life process for every woman. However, how you navigate the waters of this crucial life process is in part up to you. The good news is that you have control of your lifestyle! You can choose to de-stress, to eat a plant-based diet, avoid alcohol, etc. You have more control over this major change in life than you think.
Roman Krupa, ND, has a passion for empowering his patients to achieve optimal health. He is a graduate of the National University of Natural Medicine and holds a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine. He has helped hundreds of women ease their transition through peri-menopause and menopause. Dr. Krupa is the owner and Clinic Director of Puyallup Wellness Center. For more information, visit PuyallupWellnessCenter.com.
