Heart Menopause Related Symptoms

Heart menopause: Heart symptoms associated with menopause. One of the most prevalent premenopausal symptoms is heart palpitations. Menopause relief, for perimenopause symptoms like heart palpitations, is difficult to find. Although actual relief is hard to come by, there are many natural and medical medicines that can be tried.

Heart palpitations are not usually a sign of pain, but they are a sign of a hot flash, which is one of the early menopausal symptoms. Heart palpitations are an irregular heartbeat that can occur anytime but often occur in women going through menopause or about to go through menopause. They are not painful but can be felt.

Sometimes heart palpitations are also felt as the sensation that the heart is skipping a beat or it is beating too many times. They may increase the heart rate up to 200 beats per minute when accompanying a hot flash.

The causes of heart palpitations during menopause are the fluctuation hormones in the woman's body. These constantly changing levels of estrogen and other hormones can cause the heart to try to adjust and are also associated with the cause of hot flashes.

When to Call A Doctor

Heart palpitations will usually go away in a couple of months, but should be discussed with your doctor immediately. There are many other causes of heart palpitations that have nothing to do with menopause and can be extremely dangerous. Some of the many causes of heart palpitations include:

* Stimulants - Too much alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, decongestants, or diet pills will stimulate the heart to race and will feel like heart palpitations.

* Anemia - The body is not producing enough red blood cells.

* Hypoglycemia - Blood glucose levels drop too low to provide energy for your body to operate correctly.

* Thyroid Conditions - Overactive thyroid can produce an increased heart rate.

* Heart Disease - Several different heart problems including heart disease can be associated with an increased heart rate or palpitations.

If you are experiencing heart palpitations for the first time, it is important to share that information with your medical provider. They can do the proper test to ensure that your heart sensations are only related to perimenopause and not to something more serious.

Preventing Heart Palpitations

It may not be possible to totally prevent your palpitations, but these ideas may lessen them:

* Limit alcohol and caffeinated beverages

* Do not smoke

* Exercise regularly after discussing with your doctor

* Avoid stimulant medications - cold medicines, herb supplements

* Decrease stress

* Keep blood pressure and cholesterol under control

* Avoid activities that tend to activate or increase your palpitations

Keeping track of when your palpitations occur can help you reduce their frequency and will help identify possibly triggers. Make sure and share your heart palpitation journal with your doctor at your visit to inquire about their recommendations to decrease the frequency of your palpitations. Even if you have previously talked with your doctor regarding your heart palpitations, it is still important to inform him at each visit that they are continuing.

The Trouble With Sleeping During Menopause

Going through menopause is difficult, and unfortunately, many of the problems that begin during perimenopause lead to one major problem--lack of sleep. Although you may not at first realize the connection, sleep deprivation, insomnia, and other night time troubles commonly begin with women in their forties and fifties, even when then have previously not suffered from sleeping problems. Many forces come together for menopausal women to make sleep difficult, so it is important to understand your symptoms so that you can treat them efficiently and get a better night's sleep.

Night sweats are one of the most common causes of sleeping problems. The night-time version of hot flashes, night sweats can cause you to have trouble falling asleep or can wake you up while you are already sleeping. Restless leg syndrome is another common menopausal experience. This urge to move your legs comes with feelings of itchy, crawling, tugging sensations on your skin, which can make sleeping difficult for both you and your partner. Restless leg syndrome has roots in neurological problems. Mentally, another condition caused by changing hormone levels in your body is depression. This is especially true for women who are experiencing early menopause or surgically induced menopause.

The most serious sleep-related condition, however, is sleep apnea. While the symptoms of sleep apnea--such as snoring--may seem harmless, this problem effects your breathing and actually causes you to lapse into periods where you do not breath. There is a definite link between sleep apnea and menopause, so if you are told by your partner that you have recently begun to snore, it is a possibility that you suffer from this condition and you should immediately speak with your doctor. Sleep apnea can result in death due to heart attack or stroke.

If you suffer from sleep apnea, medication and surgery are the two best options to clear this problem. However, if you suffer from other menopausal conditions (i.e., night sweats, restless leg syndrome, and depression), there are many natural treatment options you can try before beginning a traditional medical treatment. Speak with your doctor, as always, to be sure these lifestyle changes are healthy for your body.

First and foremost, exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet. Dietary changes alone can improve your mood and cause other sleep problems to clear up, especially if you consider supplements of natural herbs. Continue your health-conscious changes by quitting bad habits, such as smoking and consuming excess amounts of alcohol. This will promote a healthier body overall. For depression, you may wish to speak with a professional therapist--depression could be caused by menopause, or you may have underlying problems that won't be cleared up when your body adjusts to the hormonal changes. Also begin to de-stress your life. By relaxing during the day, you will find that you can rest better at night. And a no-brainer solution to night sweats? Sleep with a window open, put a fan on or an air conditioner.

If these natural changes do not help, or if your problems persist for more than a year, speak with your doctor, as these could be side effects of a more serious condition. Menopause is challenging, but it should not make your life unliveable--if you have problems sleeping at night, you will suffer twice as much from problems during the day, as you will be more tired and your immune system will be weakened. Get the help you need when you need it to make this transition in life as smooth as possible.

Good Food for Getting Relief From Menopause Systems

When women stop menstruating, they face the painful symptoms of menopause. They may prefer to get it treated immediately. They take sleeping pills to get rest and wear lighter clothes so that the hot flashes are trapped. Some of them use Pepto-Bismol to set right bloating and their stomach upsets. In this condition of severe discomfort, a rigid control is required over the food intake. Proper food is helpful to tune your body to menopause easily. A few useful foods to control menopause systems are described here:

You must have heard about Soy. It is a natural food and very good for health. It contains sufficient amount of plant estrogens known as iso-flavens, which are very effective to control hot flashes during menopause. These estrogens cut down the cholesterol as established by research. In addition Soy contains minerals like iron and calcium and sufficient quantity of protein and suits the need of woman particularly who need vegan diet. Nuts contain some fat, but it is totally different from the rich animal fat and it is unsaturated and good for health. In addition there are antioxidants and minerals like selenium, magnesium and vitamin E. The advantage with nuts is that you can add them to other foods and make food tasty as well.

Our body needs protein for growth and getting strength. Fish is good for health and contains protein, omega 3-fatty acids that are helpful for heart. This fat also reduces LDL cholesterol, and you can enjoy relishing fish. Flax is mostly found in the form of seeds. Otherwise, you can also purchase its capsules. Like Soy these contain phyto-estrogens that are useful to control hot flashes. Flax also has essential fatty acids in them for reducing cholesterol.

Green tea contains polyphones. It can be taken as a good source of even antioxidants once in a while. It is a natural cure to fight cancer and prevent damage of cells. Another most useful food that is mostly recommended for good health is green leafy vegetables. Green vegetable are a good source for vitamins and minerals. These contain fibre, Vitamin B and C, iron, calcium and manganese.

Coming to the milk products, yoghurt is a good nourishing food. It contains active culture such as lacto bacillus acidophilus that helps to control bad bacteria in the alimentary canal. Calcium is a good mineral for health. But yoghurt is to be avoided, if you are having lactose allergy.

You can see that you have plenty of healthy and tasty foods. You may relish most of them whenever you like and control over the menopause symptoms as well. Consuming plenty of water is always recommended to flush out toxins from body.

Vaginal Dryness Symptoms And Treatments - Atrophic Vaginitis

A woman's genital area often changes during, after or even just before they reach menopause. Many women can suffer from symptoms such as pain during sexual intercourse, vaginal dryness and itching and urinary discomfort. Thankfully, all of these symptoms can be easily treated nowadays. Treatments such as HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy), oestrogen gels and female lubrication gels are all readily available.

Atrophic Vaginitis - What Is It?

At the neck of the female womb there are glands which produce fluids and lubrication (mucus), these fluids act to keep the tissue and skin around the vagina supple,tight and moist. Oestrogen levels in the females body directly affects these glands and the skin tissue and muscles around the vaginal area and this leads to vaginal dryness. The oestrogen affects the elasticity of the vagina and also the thickness of the vaginal lining. The oestrogen also helps to produce the natural proteins (glycogen) which helps to prevent infection in the vaginal area as well as prevent menopausal vaginal dryness.

When a woman reaches either perimenopause or menopause her ovaries will start to produce less and less of the oestrogen. This reduction of oestrogen leads to a thinning of the skin tissue around the vagina. The glands that produce the lubrication also start to reduce and the fatty tissue around the vagina also starts to reduce. It is very common for the vagina to change its appearance after going through "the change."

The reduction in the glands and the thinning of the skin results in vaginal dryness. The vagina may also start to lose its elasticity and the skin may also start to look paler than it did. These changes will start to occur over a period of months or years and the symptoms can vary greatly between different women. The proper medical term for these problematic conditions and symptoms is Atrophic Vaginitis.

Is Atrophic Vaginitis a Common Complaint?

Atrophic Vaginitis is extremely common and almost one in every two women will face some of the symptoms associated with atrophic vaginitis. The symptoms are likely to increase in years after menopause but can be experienced leading up to the menopause (perimenopause).

The Symptoms Of Atrophic Vaginitis

Not all women experience the aforementioned symptoms and may go through menopause with little discomfort. In some women however, some of the following symptoms may occur. Atrophic Vaginitis can be the cause of some of the following symptoms but they can also be caused by other infections or conditions. Always get the advice of your Doctor.

Painful And Uncomfortable Sexual Intercourse

Because the lack of oestrogen causes a reduction in lubrication, the vagina loses the ability to keep itself lubricated during sex. The vaginal dryness can make sex uncomfortable and even painful. The lack of moisture will ultimately lead to your vagina becoming sore.

General Discomfort in the Vagina

This can be caused by the Vulva being inflamed. Discharge from the Vagina. Vaginal discharge can be caused by infection which occurs because the Vagina's ability to fight infection is reduced.

Vagina Itchiness.

The lack of moisture and mucus in the vagina makes the skin dryer and more sensitive in the vaginal area. This will make the vagina more likely to itch and irritate.

Urinary Problems.

Atrophic vaginitis can be the cause of several urinary problems and they are usually y caused by the thinning of skin and muscle around the neck of the bladder or urethra. These symptoms can be anything from a need to get to the loo quickly or painful urinary infections.

Vaginal Dryness - What Can You Do?

The symptoms of atrophic vaginitis are varied and will be different for everyone. The cause for a lot of the symptoms of atrophic vaginitis are the lack of oestrogen, this can be treated by replacing oestrogen.

HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy)

This form of treatment is not always popular with women, it involves taking oestrogen in tablet form or via gels or patches. There are pros and cons, but these will need to be addressed in a separate article.

A treatment that is successful for many women who are suffering from symptoms of atrophic vaginitis is the use of Oestrogen creams or a vagina ring which contains oestrogen. This enables you to apply oestrogen to the vagina area only over the course of about 3 months. Be careful when reading the instructions when using this treatment and make sure you apply the right amounts of cream. This is usually enough time to see the effects of the treatment. After a period of time the symptoms may occur again, so it is often necessary to be assessed by a Doctor and a second round of the treatment may be what is required.

Female Renewal (Vaginal Lubrication Gels)

One of the most common symptoms can be Vaginal dryness and if this is the only symptom that you have, then a Vaginal lubrication gel may be the only thing that you require. These gels (like Intivar ) have been designed and formulated to help replace moisture and to increase blood flow in the vaginal area. This increase in blood flow can help the Vagina to start lubricating itself again. Intivar Female renewal gel also has tightening properties which can also help with increasing enjoyment from penetrative sex. Read the full Intivar review elsewhere on this site.

Author: Jackie HJ White

Menopause - Using Natural Progesterone Cream to Treat Menopause Symptoms

Natural progesterone cream is one of the ways to treat menopause symptoms that available without prescription in skin creams of various strengths, including none at all in some! However, the most often used non-prescription progesterone cream like Pro-Gest contains 450 mg progesterone per ounce, which is the same amount that found in custom-made prescription creams. The reason for using a natural progesterone cream is to help normalize the progesterone levels and to balance the excess estrogen which produced by a woman's body during menopausal stage.

Recently, some studies have shown that the progesterone can be used for relief the mild hot flashes during perimenopause and menopause. However, it isn't a safe choice for protecting the uterus if you are using estrogen therapy in treating the symptoms of menopause. The reason is that it isn't enough to absorb into the bloodstream when applying the cream to the skin's surface. Some menopausal women claimed that natural progesterone cream was a much safer alternative than synthetic based hormone therapy in treating menopause symptoms. This is mainly because of it contains the same kind of progesterone, which is produced naturally by your body. This normally means that the natural option is assimilated by your body much easier and has far fewer negative effects during menopausal stage.

Natural progesterone cream is derived from the Mexican Wild Yam that has the same molecular makeup as the progesterone hormone that produced by your body. Therefore, this cream can actually help to balance your hormones and help to relief or even eliminate the worst symptom which you're likely to experience during menopause.

Since a good natural progesterone cream can help in balancing the hormones in your body, the progesterone side effects can reduce the risk of breast cancer and relief the symptoms of menopause and even PMS. Other health benefits by using this menopause treatment include:

* Helps your body use stored fat for energy.
* Helps prevent water retention.
* Is a natural anti depressant.
* Can increase libido.
* Has been shown to increase bone density and bone building.
* Can help balance blood sugar levels.
* Helps to control and reduce mood swings partly due to its anti depressant features.

Before you purchase the natural progesterone cream to treat your menopause symptoms, you should make sure that you don't overdo it or apply it too much. Whichever menopause treatment you decide to use for relieving the symptoms of menopause, always follow the instructions on how much to apply and how often to use during menopausal stage.

The Most Effective Natural Treatment For Menopause, Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

I have personally tried every natural treatment for hot flashes that come with menopause that I could get my hands on. I went to China Town and got a Chinese herbal formula, recommended by an herbalist. I have taken several western herbal hot flash formulas and every cream I could get my hands on. Some of them would work for a short amount of time. Others would slightly lessen the severity of the symptoms.

The thought of taking the drugs my doctor wanted me to take made me cringe. I could never participate in the cruelty inflicted upon the horses to make the drugs. By taking the drugs we support the inhumane treatment of animals. My comfort could never be bought at the price of such cruelty.

So what finally worked for me was homeopathy. Use Belladonna 6C, take 3 or 4 pills and let them dissolve under your tongue every morning. The Belladonna is for perspiration.

Glonoinum 6C for sudden flash, take 3 or 4 pills and let them dissolve under your tongue at each flash.

Lachesis mutus 30C for hot flash, take 3 or 4 pills and let them dissolve under your tongue three times a day.

Take this combination for up to seven days. Take the remedies at least 15 minutes before or after you eat or drink anything. Do not touch the remedy. Pour it into the cap, then into your mouth. Strong odors such as mint can stop the remedy from working. It is best if you can refrain from drinking coffee and excessive amounts of alcohol as well. When the symptoms stop, you stop taking the remedy.

You may find yourself feeling a little warm once or twice a day. It may feel like you are going to have a hot flash but it just doesn't happen. I have recommended this course of treatment many times with excellent results with other women as well as myself. I am a Certified Holistic Counselor but nothing convinces anyone as much a personal experience. These recommendations are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Always follow the advice of your doctor.

© 2008 San Dimas Wellness Center all rights reserved.

Natural Remedies For Uterine Fibroid Treatment

Fibroid tumors normally occur in women just entering the peri menopause stage in their later reproductive years. These tumors are capable of causing painful periods, abdominal swelling and heavy menstrual bleeding. A number of natural remedies for uterine fibroid treatment are available to reduce these symptoms and eventually shrink the size of the tumors. Tumors which are small in size usually disappear with the onset of menopause.

In this article I am going to share some of the natural remedies used in treatment for uterine fibroids

Herbs

Several herbal tinctures can help to shrink fibroid tumors. Vitex berry tincture, 25-30 drops twice daily, effectively reduces the size of the tumors over a period of a few months. In case heavy bleeding accompanied by flooding is a concern, shepherds purse contracts the uterus within a few hours of an initial dose. Herbal remedies used in treatment for uterine fibroids normally take some time to produce the desired results. You must therefore be patient and be prepared to stick to this method of uterine fibroid treatment for a few months if not years.

Soy

The addition of soy to your diet will help to restore the hormonal balance. In case you fall in the category of women who do not like the taste of soy milk you can add soy milk to your morning coffee or whip it up into dry pudding mix.

Whole Grains

Whole grains contain lignins, which has the effect of balancing the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Flax seed is the highest lignin-containing grain and may be used as a topping in your morning granola, or stirred into yogurt with fruit for breakfast. Alternatively you can powder flax seeds and consume it with water for uterine fibroid treatment.

Rye, buckwheat and millet are the second richest lignin foods and which you can stir into a morning pancake mix or sprinkle in yogurt. By merely making these a part of your daily diet you will be in a position to shrink fibroids naturally.

The above are some natural methods of uterine fibroid treatment. You need to adopt a multifaceted approach during your treatment for uterine fibroids. Diet and lifestyle are two important aspects which you must pay particular attention to while attempting to cure fibroids naturally. As I mentioned earlier natural remedies take time to produce results. Although the treatment period will be longer you are bound to find a permanent and side effects free cure by resorting to these remedies.