Diagnosis of Postmenopause
A woman is considered postmenopausal when she has gone 12 consecutive months without a period and there is no other medical condition present that would cause a lack of menstruation. To determine that the menopause transition has occurred, a doctor will typically perform three procedures: a review of the patient's medical history, a physical exam, and laboratory tests.
Complications of Postmenopause
While postmenopause symptoms typically do not have any complications per se, since menopause is a natural life transition. However, aging and low hormone levels can increase a woman's risk of developing certain conditions, such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Women are at particular risk as they enter postmenopause.
Warning Signs of Conditions Associated with Postmenopause
- • Significant, ongoing weight gain
- • High blood pressure
- • Changes in vision
- • Changes in stature
- • Vaginal bleeding
- • High cholesterol levels
It is important to keep a watchful eye for any warning signs and monitor them properly in order to distinguish when they could signal a more serious condition.
Postmenopause is a natural life stage, but the symptoms can interfere with daily life and require treatment. In addition, many women seek safe and natural means of preventing chronic conditions or lowering their risk of developing them during postmenopause.
Treatments
Postmenopause symptoms are generally linked to hormonal imbalance, but since other factors can also influence them, it may be necessary to tackle the treatment of these symptoms from different angles. Balancing hormone levels can not only reduce postmenopause symptoms, but also help in the prevention of conditions associated with this stage.
Three Approaches to Treat Postmenopause Symptoms
Three levels of approaches can be considered for treating menopause symptoms. These are categorized as: Lifestyle Changes, Alternative Medicine, and Pharmaceutical Options.
In general, lifestyle adjustments help to relieve symptoms while also benefiting overall health. They also involve the least risk of all the approaches, but conversely, the most dedication. If these changes prove insufficient in alleviating postmenopause symptoms, a hormone-balancing treatment may be necessary. Pharmaceutical options tend to be reserved for the most severe cases because of the cost and risk they entail.
Lifestyle Changes for Postmenopause Symptoms
Healthy lifestyle changes are considered the first recourse for preventing osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and other conditions associated with postmenopause. They can also help alleviate postmenopause symptoms. Generally, a healthy diet, exercise, and wholesome habits are recommended.
While lifestyle changes may be the key to prevention, they may not directly address hormonal imbalance. In such cases, some forms of alternative medicine can help with hormone levels.
Alternative Medicine for Postmenopause Symptoms
Of the many modalities proposed by alternative medicine, one in particular can help balance hormone levels: herbal supplements.
Phytoestrogenic herbal supplements
Some herbs - such as soy and red clover - contain high amounts of phytoestrogens. These compounds are similar to human estrogen, so they can help relieve postmenopause symptoms that stem from low estrogen levels. However, they do not address levels of other hormones that may be deficient, such as progesterone. In addition, because estrogen-like compounds are being added to the body, they may slightly increase a woman's risk of developing blood clots or breast cancer.
Hormone-regulating herbal supplements
These herbal supplements, such as Macafem, do not contain any hormones. Rather, they work by nourishing the hormonal glands with essential nutrients and unique alkaloids to support their function. This helps them to produced balanced amounts of the hormones the body needs - not just estrogen, but also progesterone and other hormones. Because of this action, they are considered a safe and effective way to balance hormone levels.
Additionally, other supplements and alternative practices may assist in the treatment of certain symptoms.
A woman's symptoms, depending on their severity, can often be managed with a combination of healthy habits and herbal supplements. This is also an optimal way to prevent health conditions linked with postmenopause. However, intense symptoms or developing conditions may require medical intervention.
Pharmaceutical Options for Postmenopause Symptoms
This approach typically entails more risk than the above approaches, but in some cases, it may be necessary. For general postmenopause symptoms caused by low estrogen levels, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be prescribed, though other medications may be used for specific conditions.
The different aspects of these approaches can be customized to best fit each individual woman's symptoms, needs, and preferences. Many women find effective relief and even overall wellness by combining healthy lifestyle changes with hormone-regulating herbal supplements.