Understanding Menopause
Misconceptions and myths about menopause contribute to the view of many women – and men for that matter – that life is downhill for a woman after this transition. After all, a woman is going through changes in her body that can affect her self-esteem, her emotions, her physical abilities, her social life and ultimately her relationships with family and friends. But it certainly doesn't have to be this way. Many women today find that the years after menopause can offer new challenges and a fresh outlook on life.
Today, advances in the medical field as well as in complimentary, or alternative, medicine have resulted in a wide range of health choices that can enhance a woman's quality of life during menopause and the decades beyond.
It is well documented that the rate of bone loss increases significantly after menopause.
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WHAT HAPPENS
Menopause is a natural part of aging and occurs when the ovaries stop making hormones called estrogens. During this time, estrogen levels drop and a woman's menstrual periods end. Normal menopause typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 60, but can be brought on earlier by surgical removal of a woman's ovaries. Menopause can also result from medical conditions when a woman's ovaries are surgically removed or stop functioning.
Estrogen is known as a "female hormone" due to its role in shaping and maturing the female body. Along with progesterone, another female hormone, estrogen regulates the changes that occur with each monthly period and prepares the uterus for pregnancy. Prior to menopause, the ovaries produce about 90 percent of the estrogen in a woman's body. The liver, kidneys and adrenal glands also make estrogen, which is why women continue to have low levels of estrogen after menopause.
Estrogen also helps maintain healthy bones and protects the heart and blood vessels by lowering levels of LDL cholesterol (the "bad cholesterol") while raising HDL levels (the "good cholesterol").
Due to the decline in the production of estrogen after menopause, a woman's risk of heart disease and osteoporosis (thinning of the bones) rises considerably in her postmenopausal years.
THE STAGES OF MENOPAUSE
The process of menopause involves three distinct stages:
1. Perimenopause. This term describes the period of time during which a woman is transitioning from regular to irregular menstrual cycles. Perimenopause typically occurs between the ages of 40 and 51, with an average age of 47, and usually lasts four to five years. Hormonal fluctuations during this time can create all the symptoms commonly associated with menopause: hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal thinning and dryness, mood changes, weight gain, diminished libido and changes in the amount of blood loss. No two women experience perimenopause exactly alike. Some women experience few, if any, symptoms.
2. Menopause. Actual menopause refers to the permanent cessation of ovulation and menstrual cycles. Typically, the date a woman enters menopause is established in retrospect after she has gone 12 months without a menstrual period. Hormone levels during this time may actually be steadier than during perimenopause and thus symptoms may be fewer and milder.
3. Postmenopause. After one year free from menstrual cycles, a woman enters her postmenopausal years. Bleeding after this time is considered abnormal and should be reported to a doctor or healthcare professional. Symptoms are typically far less problematic than during the earlier stages of menopause. Health problems like bone thinning and heart disease risk persist, however, and need to be addressed by most women."
WHAT A WOMAN CAN DO
For years, doctors have prescribed hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, to ease menopausal symptoms. However, in July 2002, the Women's Health Initiative, a large federal study on the risks and benefits of HRT was abruptly halted. Researchers discovered that according to data from the study, for every 10,000 women taking HRT for one year, seven more will have heart attacks, eight more will have invasive breast cancer and another eight women will have strokes. While those numbers may sound small, they become very large when applied to the six million women estimated to be taking HRT at the time of the study.
Now, more than ever, women are looking for alternative therapies for the treatment of their menopausal symptoms – and for ways to prevent heart disease and osteoporosis. Fortunately, God has created natural remedies from the plant kingdom that can help with the symptoms of menopause – hot flashes in particular – as well as reduce the risk of diseases like osteoporosis and heart disease.
HOT FLASHES AND OTHER SYMPTOMS
Studies show that women who regularly exercise are less likely than sedentary women to experience severe hot flashes. Natural alternatives to HRT that can help reduce hot flash symptoms – as well as other menopausal symptoms – include soy, black cohosh and red clover.
• Soy. A diet rich in soy, which contains isoflavones, has been found to significantly reduce the incidence of hot flashes. In one study, hot flashes were reduced by 45 percent in women who took 60 grams of soy protein daily.
• Black cohosh. A member of the buttercup family, black cohosh can significantly improve menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances and vaginal dryness. In a German study, the effects of black cohosh were compared to estrogen and a placebo in 80 postmenopausal women. The women taking black cohosh had significantly greater relief from their symptoms than the estrogen and placebo groups.
• Red clover. Like soy, red clover is an excellent source of isoflavones. Clinical studies show that isoflavones can help correct hormonal imbalances in menopausal women and help to regulate symptoms.
PREVENTING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
Women in their 30s and 40s are much less likely than men to suffer heart attacks, but after menopause their risk quickly catches up to that of man. In fact, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among postmenopausal women and, after the age of 75, women are actually more likely to develop heart disease than men.
Fortunately, there are natural ways for menopausal women to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Soy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently allowed labeling soy-rich foods as "capable of decreasing the risk of heart disease." This claim is based on studies showing the lipid-lowering effects of soy.
• Vitamins C, E and beta-carotone. Observational studies indicate that a higher consumption of vitamins C, E and betacarotene can lead to lower incidences of ischemic heart disease. In fact, one study even found that perimenopausal women who increase their intake of beta-carotene also have significant reductions in breast cancer risk, particularly among those with a family history of the disease.
• Red clover. Along with treating the symptoms of menopause, red cover is sometimes used as an aid to prevent cardiovascular disease. It has been shown to improve arterial function and increase elasticity, both of which decline after menopause.
PREVENTING BONE LOSS AFTER MENOPAUSE
It is well documented that the rate of bone loss increases significantly after menopause. There are ways, however, to prevent this decrease in bone mineral density. A healthy diet with adequate amounts of the proper nutrients; a regular program of weight-bearing exercise such as walking, jogging and lifting weights; reducing alcohol, coffee and salt consumption; and, of course, not smoking can all protect the health of our bones. In addition, soy and magnesium are very effective natural therapies.
• Soy. In addition to relieving hot flashes and reducing a woman's risk of heart disease, a diet rich in soy can reduce a woman's risk of developing osteoporosis (thin and brittle bones). Studies show that women who consume soy protein on a regular basis have an increase in bone mineral density, particularly in the lumbar spine.
• Magnesium. A deficiency in magnesium might also contribute to osteoporosis. Magnesium suppresses a hormone produced by the thyroid gland that reduces calcium absorption and retention. Observational studies show that elderly patients whose diets have higher intakes of magnesium have increased bone mineral density.
DISCUSS YOUR OPTIONS WITH YOUR DOCTOR
If you are a woman concerned about menopause (or a man who has a loved one who might be concerned), it is important that you discuss your options on how to best address menopause with your healthcare provider. Many women find that the natural therapies I've described here, along with a good diet and daily exercise, provide all the help they need. Above all else, pray. Consider God's natural provisions to not only make you feel better but to protect your body from the diseases that can beset you during this life transition.
