OCT 18

Warning - menopause ahead! The whats, the whys and the hows of the menopause.

FATIGUE, HOMEOPATHY, MEDICATION, YEAST INFECTION, MENOPAUSE, WOMEN'S HEALTH, HORMONAL HEALTH, HORMONAL IMBALANCE

What and when is the menopause??

· ·The menopause is the point in her life when her ovaries stop producing and releasing eggs

· The process leading up to menopause can take place over a long period of time – up to 13 years for some women!

· Often preceded by symptoms of the peri-menopause (irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats)

· ·Usually begins during the ages of 45 to 55 years

· ·A woman is in menopause officially a year after her last menstrual period

How do know if a woman will be affected by menopausal symptoms?

Well, we don’t – all women cope in different ways and not all women will get symptoms.

Why might this be?

Menopause can be an opportunity for the body to detoxify

Pills and medication; how these can contribute to a troublesome menopause

It’s important to remember that the menopause is an entirely natural process during which the body has an opportunity to detox, or have a ‘clear out’, if you will! Medication can take its toll on organs such as the liver, which have been stressed and overworked by the chemical substances in steroids such as the Pill. Not only that, but medications rob our vital organs of essential nutrients and minerals. So, while the liver has been busy trying to rid the body of unwanted toxins, its own toolkit to do so has been compromised. Menopause is the perfect opportunity for the body to be able to ‘discharge’ the accumulation of toxins, chemicals, artificial hormones etc and this might manifest in symptoms such as blood loss and profuse sweating.

What else?

An imbalance of oestrogen can also cause symptoms.

What kind of symptoms can women experience?

· Hot flushes

· Headaches

· Back ache

· Loss of libido

· Irregular bleeding

· Mood swings

· Depression

· Memory problems

· Night sweats

· Loss of self-confidence

Hot flushes – a very significant symptom for many women…..

Hot flushes can be debilitating during the menopause

Hot flushes; a debilitating menopausal symptom

· Often beginning around the time of their last period

· Sudden waves of heat on the chest, neck and face

· Accompanied by blotchy red skin, sweating, racing heart

· Often aggravated by warm rooms, caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods

· Causing embarrassment, a sense of loss (attraction, femininity, youth, fertility), issues with self-confidence.

How do women often feel about the menopause?

Women are taught to dread the menopause and have become fearful of their own bodies, taught that we should ‘override’ the symptoms through more artificial hormone treatment (namely HRT), to suppress or stop the symptoms completely. Women are taught that experiencing menopausal symptoms is a weakness or a malfunctioning of their own bodies and we’ve all heard how menopausal women become the butt of many a joke. Sometimes, however, the menopause is just plain old taboo whilst women are convinced by the medical community that their symptoms are abnormalities and pressured into further medication and treatment, regardless of the longer term side effects

So, let’s address the menopause from a different point of view…..

The menopause is an entirely natural process, but this process has been medicalised over the past couple of centuries where we have been encouraged to lose our own natural instincts. Women need to unlearn this fear of their own bodies, and regain trust in and instinct, that will have served women so well up since the dawn of time.

The menopause is in fact a transition into an immensely powerful stage in a woman’s life, one that could and should be associated with a new found freedom. The kids have often flown the nest by this time, we can embrace freedom from periods, PMT, hormonal headaches, taking the Pill and less familial responsibilities may beckon for a few years (until grandchildren appear of course 😊).

The menopause can be the perfect opportunity to take stock and restart your life.

What options are available to women as support through the menopause then?

For those women who do experience menopausal symptoms but wish to take a different approach to treatments such as HRT, women can try…

· Exercise

· Dietary or supplement support

· CBT, counselling, meditation

· Homeopathy!

How can homeopathy support women during the menopause?

In a nutshell, homeopathy is tremendously effective for women experiencing menopausal symptoms. Homeopathic remedies are gentle, with no side effects and can be alongside conventional medicine if that’s the path a woman decides to choose (and it’s great for lessening the side effects of more orthodox treatment such as HRT). Homeopathy supports not only the physical symptoms of the menopause but also the mental and emotional aspect too. And one of the best bits – a woman can talk about ALL of the symptoms that are bothering her in one consultation, there’s no need to book a ten minute slot here or a ten minute slot there with a GP, or a nurse practitioner, it’s like a one-stop-shop for all of your health needs, no matter what they are.

The remedies are prescribed purely on the woman as an individual, and on the totality of her symptoms (that is, ALL of her symptoms!) and so even if Mrs Smith up the road from you is having apparently similar hot flushes, non-existent libido and crazy sweating, the chances are you would both be prescribed very different remedies, as there are two different histories at play, and very different reasons for feeling the way you do.

I’m currently offering a free 30 minute homeopathic ‘taster’ consultation if you’re experiencing menopausal (or perimenopausal) symptoms that you’d like to discuss in confidence, just to find out if homeopathy might be the way forward for you. Sounds good? Contact me by email at melissa@bransgore-homeopathy.co.uk or you can book your free consultation via my online calendar here.

Feb 3 Warning - menopause ahead! The whats, the whys and the hows of the menopause.