Menopause and what you can do about it

Menopause is a word that most women fear, as we hear so many things from other women about how bad the symptoms can be.

Menopause is a natural ageing process and in China, women report fewer menopausal symptoms than women in the Western world such as Australia and the UK. This is due to a number of reasons such as the way menopause is viewed and the way they treat the symptoms.

What is menopause?

Menopause is defined a women who has not had a period for at least one year, as this signifies the end of her ovaries producing hormones to ovulate and have a period, and is therefore no longer fertile. Currently the average age of menopause in Australia is 51.

However this doesn't just happen overnight as women begin to go through peri-menopause first. Peri-menopause begins around mid 30's as her hormones begin to decline, especially oestrogen and progesterone. This process can take between 5-10 years before a woman actually enters menopause, and the range of symptoms as well as severity of symptoms vary from woman to woman.

Common symptoms may include:

* Hot flushes and night sweats

* Dry vagina

* Insomnia

* Forgetfulness

* Irritability and mood swings

* Low energy

* Low libido

What can be done naturally to help through the transition of menopause?

* Diet- reducing the amount of sugar and processed foods, alcohol and coffee, while increasing the amount of water you drink per day, green leafy vegetables, and fruit will help with your energy levels, cool your body down, and balance out your hormones.

* Stress- reducing the amount of stress also is shown to help with rebalancing your hormones. Try gentle exercise that won't increase your cortisol levels such as tai chi, pilates and yoga.

* Journalling- when you are struggling with your emotions, write it down and get it all out everyday. This will allow you an outlet to get your frustrations out in a productive way.

* Meditation- calming the mind any way you know how, whether it's sitting on the floor at home, on the beach, or just listening to relaxing music while lying on your bed. This gives your body some time out.

* And finally acupuncture, as used by Chinese women for thousands of years.

Initial acupuncture appointments

If you would like to try acupuncture and/or Chinese herbal formulas, book online or contact me on 0401 553 782 to discuss ways I may be able to help.