Women’s bodies are always changing, but a big change starts to occur in your 40’s and 50’s. I’m going to be looking at signs of menopause, and perimenopause (premenopause). Hopefully with some information, you’ll be able to tell if it’s menopause that is causing your body to react and feel a certain way.

I’ll be including tips and tricks as well to help you focus on dealing with your signs and symptoms that may be bothering you. This is not medical advice, so as with anything, check with your doctor before taking any supplements or other things that may be suggested.

When it comes to menopause and postmenopause, most people talk about the beginning stages, but what about the end stage? If you are at the beginning stages of perimenopause or are coming to the end of full menopause; there is something you should know. Post-menopause is hardly ever discussed.

Therefore, what’s the good news about post-menopause? Read on.

There seems to be a double-standard for men and women. When men go through a mid-life crisis; they sometimes seek out younger women or buy expensive toys. However, when a woman goes through menopause, it is highlighted by the symptoms she experiences. There is a definite disconnect between how quickly one reaches their destination Vs the journey that is taken to arrive there.

While woman are more open than ever before about their experiences, it seems a far cry from years ago when our moms and grandmothers never even broached the subject of periods, let alone menopause. Well the good news is that there is good news. No more heavy bleeding and hot flashes, mood swings, irritability, night sweats; Kotex pads, Tampax, or pregnancy issues. Have you noticed that after menopause you begin to voice your feelings in a more forceful manner? The days of shyness and remaining in the shadows are gone, ladies. Stepping up to the plate and taking the all important swing has revitalized post-menopausal and their attitudes towards life. It’s quite refreshing. More importantly, as one woman stated, “I have earned the right to say what I feel, and how I feel, and I will continue to speak up.”

Post-menopause enables a woman to seek new challenges; with the children grown and married, it is the perfect opportunity to go back to college; or take a trip to a place they’ve never been. To be able to have the time to spend on what they enjoy is a dream come true. One woman stated she felt “young again,” and looked upon this time as being able to do all of things she never had the opportunity to do. Do not get the impression that post-menopausal women wake up one day and utter, “I don’t think I’m in Kansas anymore.” It takes time and thoughtful consideration to determine, out of all the possibilities, what a woman might choose. But the process goes on every day. The ability to rediscover who you are is uplifting and invigorating. While some may still be going through discomfort and emotional angst, be assured this is not a pep talk; but merely an indication of what is to come.

Once you are in the post-menopausal stage, your passions and desires will be heightened. In addition, you will not look upon this time as the golden years, as some would suggest, but will simply continue in the circle of life with a renewed sense of passion and purpose.

There are different stages of menopause. We’re going to take a brief look at before, during and after menopause. These stages are called perimenopause, menopause and post menopause.

Perimenopause is sometimes also called premenopause. This is the stage where you’re starting to experience beginning signs as your estrogen production starts to decrease. This is natural and starts to occur during when a woman reaches her forties.

Menopause is the process of your hormone levels dropping low. During this process your period will start to become less frequent. You’re said to be through menopause when you’ve gone a full year (12 months) with no period. This may occur anytime from your 40 through your 50’s, as each woman’s body is different. Many women reach this stage during their fifties. Honey, I’ll be throwing a party! LOL

Postmenopause is basically after you’re through menopause. Your period will have changed a lot during this previous process, but now kiss it good-bye baby, you’ve made it!

Menopause effects many things. One of the conditions a woman must be concerned about is osteoporosis. This may usually occur right after menopause. However, there are steps you can take to alleviate it.

Osteoporosis is simply bone loss. It is inherent in aging for both men and women, although women are more susceptible to it. Because a woman’s bone density is less than that of a man, this allows more time for the bone to age. The loss of bone mass begins approximately at age 40. After menopause, there is an acceleration of five to seven years at which point it returns to its normal age-related rate.

The absence of estrogen has less to do with bone loss than aging. In fact, smoking, medications, and being underweight have a greater effect on bone loss. That’s why exercise is so important. It increases bone mass. While osteoporosis can lead to loss of height and tiny fractures, woman are also vulnerable to fractures of the hip. Therefore, it is important to take precautionary measures such as proper diet, exercise and vitamins to prevent the loss of bone mass. Further, your doctor may advise you to take a bone density test to determine just how much bone loss has occurred.

The bone density test encompasses taking an X-ray scan which can measure the bone density of your lumbar spine, because the spine is usually the first area to experience loss of bone mass. You probably don’t need a special scan to identify bone loss if you have lost height each year. However, if you have just begun perimenopause or are in the stages of menopause, it may be a good idea to have the test done now.

If after the test you are told your bone loss is minimal, you may decide to do nothing. But it is still important to keep your bones strong and to therefore, you may wish to keep tabs on the progress of bone loss through tests. If, on the other hand, you are told that your rate of bone loss is significant, you may want to take a proactive approach to prevent osteoporosis.

The most effective way to maintain the strength of your bones requires a combination of lifestyle changes and dietary measures, such as: discontinue smoking; exercise 30 minutes a day, three or four days a week; ensure you are following a nutritional diet, with sufficient amounts calcium; exercise caution to prevent falls; and included vitamin D supplements in your dietary regimen.
Clearly, osteoporosis can rear its ugly head at some point. But you can take appropriate action to ensure you are doing everything you can to prevent the onset or, at the very least, stopping its progression.

The number of eggs left in a woman’s ovaries are like the grains of sand in an hourglass, ticking away the hours on her biological clock.

Researchers now say they may be able to predict when that clock will wind down.

And while doctors can’t actually count the number of eggs in an ovary, they can measure ovarian volume. British researchers say there’s a direct correlation between the two, and by measuring ovarian volume with transvaginal ultrasound, doctors should be able to predict when menopause will set in and how many fertile years a woman has left.

According to the study authors, this information will revolutionize the care of women looking for assisted reproductive technologies, including those who were treated for childhood cancers as well as women who want to put off starting a family for whatever reason.

Although information still needs to be validated in clinical studies, its benefit is most likely to start with women who are being treated for cancer and women attending fertility clinics, said Tom Kelsey, co-author of the study appearing June 17 in the journal Human Reproduction.

“If women looking for some sort of assisted conception and their physicians know that they’ve got a long time till menopause, then you could plan for a range of treatments,” said Kelsey, who is a senior research fellow at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. “If you knew menopause was likely in four to five years, you’d plan a different set of IVF [in vitro fertilization] treatments.”

Others reiterate, however, that the findings should be treated with caution.

“Should a young woman who is 30 years old go for a test to figure out whether she’s got three, five or 10 years left on her fertility? Should she make career decisions and life decisions? Are these data good enough to make those determinations?” asked Dr. Alan Copperman, director of reproductive medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. “The answer is obviously no to all of those questions. The predictive value of this test is not good enough to go and tell someone to change their life.”

According to the article, eggs form in a female’s ovary while she is still in the womb, peaking at several million about halfway through gestation and then starting a continuous decline. At birth, there are several hundred thousand and, when menstruation begins, about 300,000. At about age 37, a woman has about 25,000 eggs left, and at menopause only about 1,000.

The time at which menopause sets in is widely believed to be based on the number of eggs reaching a critically low threshold.

The authors of this study measured ovarian volume with transvaginal ultrasound, then looked at the relationship between ovarian volume — ovaries shrink as a woman ages — and number of eggs. They then applied mathematical and computer models to predict menopause.

The study authors are negotiating with a medical school to set up clinical trials. The idea would be to follow women to see if their predictions were indeed correct.

While these authors have come up with a tool to potentially help women plan their lives, a second study in the same issue of Human Reproduction warned that women might not want to leave it too late. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) could not be relied upon to fully compensate for lack of natural fertility after the age of 35, the article stated.

The authors used a computer simulation model to determine that the overall success rate of assisted reproductive technology would be 30 percent for those attempting to get pregnant from age 30, 24 percent for those trying from age 35, and 17 percent from age 40.

SOURCES: Tom Kelsey, Ph.D., senior research fellow, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland; Alan Copperman, M.D., director, reproductive medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York; June 17, 2004, Human Reproduction

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Menopause and soy? While facing menopause, many people question using soy…There has been a great deal of debate, research, and discussion as to the effectiveness of soy in treating and reducing hot flashes associated with menopause. While some doctors prescribe soy products for women in the menopausal stage, the question which has yet to be answered is: “Can soy decrease hot flashes?”

According to recent studies, soy is one of many types of isoflavones.  Isoflavones are estrogens which come from plants.  It should be noted that isoflavones are estrogens; they are not alternatives to estrogen.  Therefore, a woman who wants to avoid estrogen is obviously not supposed to be taking soy, because soy is a form of estrogen, even though it is from a plant. Although the research indicated that soy would help menopause symptoms, the recent trials have failed to show effectiveness. Unfortunately, the FDA does not control these trials, and therefore the purity and ingredients vary from bottle to bottle, even with the same manufacturer.  In addition, because of the lack of FDA control, manufacturers have no requirements to prove safety or side effects. This means that because of the lack of required research information, much more is known about the side effects of prescription estrogen than about soy.  According to the sparse research conducted on soy, there are still conflicting results as to its efficacy.  Some studies show that soy can cause multiplication of breast cells, implying that it may increase breast cancer risk.  Fortunately, due to massive public interest, research is once again beginning. 

The reason behind all of this conflicting evidence is that it is unclear what is being tested since studies have looked at all kinds of soy foods and supplements, and there has been no consistency in the products being tested. This may be one of the reasons why soy research does not always produce positive results.

Another study was conducted recently in which 37 women who used the soy supplement. 75 percent reported relief from hot flashes. Tests showed they also experienced a measurable increase in bone density as well. While experts say the results are promising, one nutritionist believes the research makes too many “leaps of faith about issues that remain unproven.” It was also stated that woman should exercise caution with soy supplementation until more research is done. However, it was concluded that including soy products in your diet may still offer many health benefits.

There you have it; the studies, research, and results which apparently prove, and at the same time, deny that soy products can decrease hot flashes. The best course of action perhaps is to take nothing, and to simply maximize your comfort level so that when you do have hot flashes, they only disrupt your life to a bear minimum.

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Are you embracing your menopause signs or cursing them? For some woman, menopause is a blessing; for others, it’s a continuation of the curse. It depends upon one’s view of the glass; is it half full or half empty. How to accept menopause in a positive way is the subject of this discourse.

While menopause is considered to be another change in the cycle of a woman’s life, each and every woman reacts differently to it. While some view it as a “new lease on life,” encompassing all of the physical, emotional, and sexual freedom associated with it, others see it as an end to that part of life which is fulfilling and nurturing. Depending upon the symptoms and their severity, one can look upon menopause in a positive manner, while simply dismissing the associated drawbacks as just a part of the overall process.

The acceptance of menopause, when viewed as a positive benefit, is most likely associated with these immediate benefits: No longer do you have to deal with monthly menstrual cycles which include the cramping, the bloating, and the mood swings. You can have sex as often as you like without having to worry about becoming pregnant. Reportedly, sex is even better than before! Your relationships reach an entirely new level of communication. Menopause is the quintessential sign you have reached an emotional and physical maturity to be able to handle anything that life throws at you.

You can accept menopause in a positive way by embracing life and living it to its fullest. While most women accept the changes their bodies will undergo over time, menopause allows you the opportunity to embrace your body and the changes it is going through.

Remember what it was like when you had your first period? In fact, you probably looked forward to that time. While you may have felt a bit awkward, nonetheless, your body changed, and you blossomed into a woman. The same is true of menopause; during menopause there are some periods of awkwardness as you learn to adapt to your changing body, both physically and emotionally. However once you have passed through this period you will blossom once again into your mature self, an empowered women filled with wonder and excitement.

Just as you accepted and embraced your rise to womanhood, it is important to recreate the same feeling of happiness. This is another milestone in your life which should be embraced with positive mental and emotional thought. Loving relationships, intimacy, and communication are parts of the circle of life after menopause. There are always other women you can talk to and discuss what you are going through. Their comfort and reassurance will guide you to a path of immeasurable freedom and joy.

Menopause brings life changes…period. To begin with, someone should come up with a better term for menopause other than referring to it as the change. Men go through it, yet they are not labeled as such; but that’s another topic for another article. Perhaps menopause should be redefined as part of the circle of life.

It can certainly be said that most women who go through menopause have a positive outlook during the entire time. Perhaps it’s a byproduct of not having to go through menstrual cycles any longer, or suffering through PMS, or simply looking forward to enjoying life and intimacy on a whole new level.

Even though the symptoms accompanying menopause can be irritating, to say the least, it doesn’t in any way diminish a woman or her role in society. In fact, there is no neurological disorder associate with menopause. Whether or not a woman experiences depression during this time is not any different than any other time in her life. The notion that a woman in menopause is somehow labeled as having emotional problems is ludicrous. So too is the stereotypical derogatory terms used just before a woman’s monthly cycle.

To say that life changes occur about the same time as menopause is another false notion. Woman change every day; one thing has nothing to do with the other. Yes, children grow up, parents become old, and decisions are made which alter one’s course in life; but that is the point. Changes are made based upon our needs; our desire to change; to develop and grow; to become empowered by those changes. Menopause is just a fact of life. It neither changes nor diminishes a woman, but makes her stronger.

While it may no longer be true that menopause is a stigma, but to look upon it as a normal part of the circle which allows every woman to continue to enjoy life to its fullest. On the other hand, if one takes the viewpoint that menopause is the beginning of the end, it will eventually become a disruptive and difficult adjustment to accept.

Change is sometimes difficult, even under the best of circumstances. Whether you have to move from a residence you’ve lived in for half your life, or if your spouse dies; these times require periods of grief and regret. It’s a natural and necessary course one must take. However, menopause does not need to invoke feelings of doom. Instead of fighting it; embrace it. If help is needed, there are so many support groups available to help you through it. No one said life was going to easy; and this particular cycle of life is no exception.

Study challenges old notion that menopause starts in the ovariesSome of the most unpleasant symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and night sweats, have long been believed to originate in the ovaries.

But new research challenges that assumption, and instead suggests that menopausal symptoms, at least in part, may begin in the brain.

That’s because the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland stop reacting normally to estrogen in some women, suggesting they may have developed a reduced sensitivity to estrogen, researchers at the New Jersey Medical School report in the Dec. 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“This is an important new concept: Menopause doesn’t just originate in the ovary, but also in the brain,” said Laura Goldsmith, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and women’s health at the New Jersey Medical School of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

These findings may lead the way to further research that will ultimately help doctors predict the type of menopausal transition a woman might have, and help to design non-estrogen medications that could help reduce symptoms that women experience as they enter this phase of life, said Dr. Gerson Weiss, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology and women’s health at the New Jersey Medical School.

Menopause refers to the time when menstruation stops. A woman is not considered menopausal until she has not had a period for 12 consecutive months, according to the North American Menopausal Society. The time before menopause, which is often rife with symptoms due to hormonal fluctuations, is called perimenopause. During perimenopause, common symptoms include hot flashes, trouble sleeping, vaginal dryness, mood swings and irregular periods.

This study stemmed from research done for the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, that examined women’s’ health as they approached menopause.

The SWAN study included more than 3,300 women between the ages of 42 and 52 at the start of the study. A subset group of 840 women provided daily urine samples, which were tested for hormone levels. The samples were collected daily for one full menstrual cycle or 50 days, whichever came first.

From that group, the researchers learned that 160 did not ovulate. After further analyzing the hormone levels from the non-ovulating women, the researchers discovered that these women fell into three distinct groups.

The first group had an increase in their levels of estrogen, and then had an appropriate surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) that should have triggered ovulation, but didn’t. According to Weiss, this lack of response indicated a problem originating in the ovary.

In the second group, estrogen levels peaked, but there was no correlating surge in LH, which Weiss said should be triggered by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland responding to higher estrogen levels.

The third group had similar estrogen levels early in their cycles, but didn’t have an increase in estrogen later as the first and second groups did. LH levels didn’t surge, but were higher for most of the cycle than they were in the other groups.

According to Weiss, this is “clear evidence that the brain is not responding to hormones,” suggesting the second and third groups showed different kinds of decreased sensitivity to estrogen in the brain.

The women in the third group were also the ones most likely to report symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats.

Goldsmith said the researchers hope to continue studying these women. She said they’d especially like to learn how the timing of menopause correlates with their findings. For example, the researchers would like to see if the women in the third group were, perhaps, further along in the menopausal process.

“It appears that what’s going on in menopause isn’t only ovarian,” said Dr. Steven Goldstein, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at New York University School of Medicine. “We thought the pituitary responded to lower levels of estrogen, but there may be a lack of sensitivity to estrogen in the hypothalamus and pituitary.”

What’s important for women to know, said Goldsmith, is that there are “real biochemical changes occurring during menopause.” Researchers are beginning to understand how those changes start to occur, which is the first step in trying to come up with more effective treatments.

SOURCES: Gerson Weiss, M.D., professor and chairman, obstetrics and gynecology and women’s health; Laura Goldsmith, Ph.D., professor, obstetrics and gynecology, New Jersey Medical School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark; Steven Goldstein, M.D., professor , obstetrics and gynecology, and obstetrician/gynecologist, New York University School of Medicine and Medical Center, New York City; Dec. 22/29, 2004, Journal of the American Medical Association

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When it comes to hormones and menopause signs, it’s the fact that our estrogen levels are decreasing that is causing us so much strife. Did you know that in every woman’s lifetime she’ll have more than 350 menstrual cycles. Eeeegads, think of all the materials you’ve needed (pads and tampons), you could have gone on a nice vacation without them all, eh? *grin*

Okay, okay, I’m still right there with you experiencing those hot flashes and hoping to come out of this as quickly as possible. So, what’s with all those cycles anyway? Well, a woman is born with a certain number of eggs that work towards wanting to get fertilized. Of course only a few of those ever do, but your body goes through the process each month. Imagine this- you’re born with somewhere around 500,000 eggs! Of course your body absorbs many of those before you even hit puberty.

Now that you’re getting older, your eggs aren’t as abundant, and their supply is depleting. What happens is your body doesn’t respond the same way. Eventually your body slows the process of making estrogen and progesterone– welcome to menopause. The early fluctuation is the start of menopause (perimenopause or premenopause)….and your body will react to this on and off for the next few years, as your body has less of a need.

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