Monday, July 22, 2013

Hot Flash Natural Treatment - Discovered With Good Old Fashion Apple Cider Vinegar


I have to admit in doing my research on Apple Cider Vinegar I am discovering all sorts of outstanding reports and feedback to support its use as a hot flash natural treatment.

After reading various women's testimonials on the health properties of Apple Cider Vinegar, I have gathered nothing but rave reviews and exceptional feedback. Apple Cider Vinegar, a common widespread folk remedy, is produced from fermented apple juice, and contains a wide array of vitamins and minerals that offer numerous health benefits. One of its benefits, which may not be as well known, is for relieving the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause.

Apple cider vinegar helps relieve hot flashes, one of the most common symptoms of menopause. According to a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic researchers found that between 75 to 80 percent of all women in America experience hot flashes. Apple cider offers a really great and effective alternative to women who cannot undergo hormonal treatment or simply want the option of using a natural remedy.

In addition, Apple Cider Vinegar aids in the relief of night sweats, another symptom of menopause. Night sweats are occurrences of significant sweating during the night. They characteristically cause perspiration on the upper area of the body, typically the head, face and chest while dampening sleep wear and bedding.

Here's another outstanding benefit of apple cider vinegar, it contains magnesium, manganese, a mineral which supports and maintains bone mass and prevent or lessen the progression of osteoporosis. Wait, there is more to this overall truly awesome health tonic, it supports the body's absorption of calcium from the foods we eat.

Now before you go out and buy the typical supermarket brand you want to head to your local health food store or alternative grocers. The unprocessed Apple Cider Vinegar or unfiltered variety over the processed maximizes the health benefits for menopause discomfort. You want to buy the Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.

If you decide you want to give Apple Cider Vinegar a try you should take 2 tablespoons once in the morning and again in the evening. Admittedly, some women complain of the super tangy taste but please don't let that discourage you. If you want you can drink it quickly straight or add it to a glass of water. So women elect to use a chaser, so to speak, after they take it...such as a small amount of honey, a piece of fruit or juice. By the way, apple cider vinegar is great to use in salad dressings.

So there you have it, another hot flash natural treatment that amounts to literally pennies a day for the treatment. Once again we have Mother Nature to thank for the relief!
To your excellent health!

Note-

Please remember that it is always important to consult your health practitioner before beginning any remedies to assure they won't harm your health nor have any adverse effects. The information provided is for educational purposes only and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Bleeding After Menopause is Actually Quite Common - But What Are the Causes?


Okay, you are having all of the symptoms, mood swings, hot flashes, night sweats, memory lapses, loss of libido, weight gain and more and you think 'wow, I'm definitely in menopause' and boom, you have another period after months of having no periods at all. Perhaps there is something wrong, or perhaps this is perfectly normal, but the bottom line is that no woman wants to see Bleeding After Menopause because it is typically proof positive that they are going to have to start counting the days again until they are officially post menopausal.

Bleeding After Menopause is actually quite common and there is usually no reason to get overly worried if this happens. In most cases bleeding will occur because of the hormonal imbalance that is going on in the body, even if you are taking HRTs or natural supplements to help you manage your hormone levels. The bottom line is that your body is changing and some spotting or even a full blown period is perfectly natural during this time. It can be frustrating, especially if you have gone several months without a period, but there is no reason, generally, to get too worked up over this common occurrence.

However, if you are experiencing Bleeding After Menopause and it has been more than four months since your last period, then you will want to visit your doctor as soon as possible (you should see your doctor regardless of the time between periods, but after four months it can be indicative of a more serious health problem). If you are taking HRTs and your body is also producing estrogen you could be endangering your future health because of the flood of estrogen in your body. Also, it could be an indicator of false menopause and your doctor will need to check you for other medical issues that could have caused your period to initially cease.

While there many reasons that you could experience Bleeding After Menopause, the most common reason is hormonal imbalance, which can typically be corrected with a change in your medication, whether it is an HRT or a natural remedy. A trip to your doctor is always a good idea in these cases to ensure that you are in your best possible health and that there are no underlying causes for this to happen.

The Estrogen and Wrinkled Skin Connection


Can Estrogen Prevent Wrinkles?

Did you know that besides using the best wrinkle creams money can buy, for women of a certain age, estrogen or natural plant based hormones can also be used in the war against wrinkles?

Menopause or Premenopause starts with a decline in hormones which also causes a decline in:

-skin moisture
-collagen production
-elastin production

All of this leaves us with wrinkled, thin, dry itchy skin. Not fair is it?

But Don't Despair - There May Be Hope After All

When plant based estrogens - called phytoestrogens - breakdown in the body they convert to estriol. Although estriol is the weaker of three main estrogens produced in the body, it is an important anti aging skin cream for women experiencing a decline in estrogen production.

Studies have shown that a drop in hormone production causes elastin and collage and production to drop - leaving us with wrinkly, sagging skin.

The Journal of International Menopausal Society has stated that estrogen decline has a profound effect on skin and found that when postmenopausal women received estrogen treatment - they had an increase in collagen, elasticity, and dermal thickness.

Other studies found that in women who took estrogen replacement, the chance of having dry wrinkled skin was 30% less, than those who did not. They also took in to account life style habits, such as smoking and sun expose, adjusted for these two factors, and still found the benefits of estrogen on skin health were significant.

So What Can You Do?

Try Natural Estrogen Creams

While hormone replacement therapy may not be for everyone, there are safe alternatives you can try to help relieve or prevent menopausal skin deterioration. You can try over-the-counter natural estrogen (estriol) creams containing plant compounds with phytoestrogenic activity.

Dr. John Lee, a pioneer and international authority in the use of natural estrogen and progesterone creams for natural hormone balance. He found that phytoestrogen creams applied to the skin can help reverse wrinkling and should be considered an important anti aging skin care treatment. He also found that estriol cream can be helpful for acne and acne scars.

These creams can be found anywhere in health food stores or the internet. My favorite is a brand called Emerita. They've been around long before I ever needed hormones - I found out about them while working at a health food store and this brand was the favorite among pre and menopausal women.

Try Natural Progesterone Creams

USP natural progesterone creams are also sold over-the-counter and are derived from plant fats and oils - a substance called diosgenin - which is extracted from wild yams or soybeans.

A study published in The British Journal of Dermatology documented the beneficial effects of using 2% natural progesterone cream on skin texture of women during and after menopause. The impressive results showed a 23% increase in skin firmness, 29% wrinkle reduction around the eye area (crows feet) and almost 10% reduction of the depth of laugh lines.

Some companies sell both natural estrogen and progesterone together in one cream product; however, you need to find which one is best suited for your needs.

Some women may be estrogen dominate and therefore will only need or feel good when using progesterone cream. Others may be low in both estrogen and progesterone and will require both hormones.

Please be sure to speak to your gynecologist or health care professional before trying any topical hormones.

Black Cohosh

An natural product that can help is an herb called Black Cohosh. It was originally used by Native American to ease menstrual problems, is often included with these natural hormone creams. Black cohosh has been found to have a hormone-like structure, allowing it to bind to human estrogen receptors - making it a good choice for correcting the negative effects of decreased hormones on the skin.

In addition, black cohosh may help prevent the breakdown of skin structure support and increase the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid. This herb is often added to natural estrogen creams along with other herbs as complete hormone balancing formula.

How To Use The Creams

Keep in mind, these are not face creams, they are natural topical hormone replacement creams applied to the body to help restore proper hormone balance.

They are generally applied a few times per week in small amounts (1/4 of a teaspoon) to the thin, hairless areas of the skin -- like inside your wrist or stomach. However - very important - please be sure to speak to your gynecologist before trying any topical hormones, especially if you have and hormone related health issues.

Natural Cures For Gout, Also Known As Metabolic Arthritis


Gout is one of the over one hundred forms of arthritis, and is triggered by excessive blood levels of uric acid.

Gout, otherwise known as gouty arthritis, is commonly accompanied by sudden and severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness, and inflammation. Post-menopausal women may experience an elevated risk of developing this form of the rheumatoid disease. Middle-aged men, between the ages of forty and fifty feature the usual face of a gout sufferer. Nine out of ten gout patients are men over the age of forty.

The Four Stages of Gout

Gouty arthritis is marked by four stages. The four stages of gout are asymptomatic, acute, intercritical, and chronic.

The first stage of gout is the acute stage. Generally accompanied by no symptoms, this stage of gout marks the onset of the excess uric acid crystals, which is responsible for the irritation and inflammation associated with the advanced stages of the condition.

The first attack of gout occurs in the acute stage of the disorder. This second stage of gout sports both mild and severe bouts with gout. Gout attacks can last as long as one or two weeks.

The first gout attack is followed by a period of several months, or possibly years, without a single symptom of gout. This is known as the intercritical stage of gout. The majority of gout sufferers experience their second attack within two years of the first episode.

The final stage of gouty arthritis is the chronic stage. Episodes of gout attacks become more frequent during the chronic phase of the condition. Chronic gout can cause damage to other areas of the body; damage to the kidneys and the development of high blood pressure are signature features of gout's chronic stage.

Gout is a highly treatable form of arthritis. There are a number of home remedies for gout and it's natural treatment.

Herbal Medicine: Herbal medicine is one of the holistic home remedies for gout treatment. The pantry may be the optimum spot for snagging some of the staples of home remedies for gout. Cherries, juniper berry, bilberry, nettle root, and celery.

Nutritional Therapy: Nutritional therapy is one of the home remedies for gout. Vitamin B12, vitamin E, folate, and the B family of vitamins are a part of nutritional home remedies for gout treatment. Implementing nutritional improvements is one of the home remedies for gout used to reduce the occurrence of metabolic arthritis flare-ups. Many of the vitamins included in the therapy have been proven beneficial in preventing gout.

Regular Exercise: A buildup of uric acid plays a pivotal role in the development of gouty arthritis. Regular exercise is one of the home remedies for gout episodes that has been documented as useful in both treatment and prevention. Exercise routines that improve circulation include stretching, dancing, yoga, Tai Chai, and aerobic.

Metabolic arthritis, or gout, is one of the one hundred forms of arthritis that characteristically features severe and sudden attacks of pain, swelling, redness, and warmth afflicting the joints.

Gouty arthritis is a treatable condition that most commonly affects the joint of the big toe, but may also occur in feet, ankles, knees, hands, and wrists. The first onset of gout generally occurs at night and continues on for a week or two before the symptoms subside. Seventy-percent of first gout attacks occur in this part of the body.

Gout is one form of arthritis that made it's debut as early as the eighteenth century. Gout was historically linked to overweight, lazy, middle to upper class, middle-aged men. This perception of gouty arthritis sufferers was born from the fact that many of the foods the influence the onset of gout were routinely reserved for the rich-earning the rheumatoid condition the nickname of "The Disease of Kings." Queen Anne, John Hancock, and American founding father, George Mason are some of history's most noted gout sufferers.

Gout occurs as a result of the body hosting uric acid in elevated levels. Only designed to carry trace amounts of uric acid, the human bloodstream turns excess uric acid into crystal deposits that lodge themselves into the joints of the body, sporting a chalky white-colored material. Uric acid buildup occurs during the body's breakdown the waste product called purines. Purines is commonly found in foods like liver, brains, and kidneys, as well as sweetbreads, mushrooms, and asparagus.

Natural Cures for Gout

Since highly treatable, implementing a number of lifestyle changes can serve as one of the effective natural cures for gout. Adopting a low purine diet is one of the natural cures for gout suggested by some medical professionals. Cherries, strawberries, and blueberries have been identified as some of the staples of a diet low in uric acid. Limiting consumption of fish, poultry, and tofu is also a part of a low purine diet. Other foods to avoid to discourage a gout flare-up include:

Sardines

Sweetbread

Scallops

Alcohol Beverages

Diet Soda

Who's At Risk For Developing Gout?

The condition is most common among middle-aged men between forty and sixty years old. Women are at an increased rate for developing gout following menopause. African-American men are twice as likely as White men to suffer the onset of gout.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

3 Things That You Should Do During Menopause


There are some things you should make sure you do to ensure your health and well being when you are having menopause. Although menopause comes along with side effects and symptoms that can make life feel unbearable for awhile, you should not be feared and should progress your life as normal. Besides looking for support, you should being aware of some of the helpful things you can do hold off menopause symptoms. By looking into these ways, you can make the experience as least upsetting as possible.

Find a Menopause Support Group

Nowadays, there are many ways that can help you in finding the support you need to weather this transition. Your family and friends are willing to be patient and they can be very helpful throughout the process. It is also beneficial that you can talk to about the emotional and physical effects of menopause with other women who are going through the same thing. Besides finding a friendly online community, your doctor also can recommend a group and the local hospital where menopause support groups meet. You also can look for support from other women who know how you feel.

Consider Menopause Supplements

You should not wait to find menopause symptom relief until your menopause symptoms first start. To reduce or eliminate the unpleasant side effects of a hormone imbalance naturally, some products are designed with natural ingredients. There are many women who could find hormone replacement therapy as the only way to treat menopause. However not everyone is comfortable with HRT menopause therapy as it bring some side effects to them.

Continue to Enjoy Your Life

Menopause is the gate through which you pass to the next third of your life. Women in menopause should continue to enjoy their favorite activities and focus on the relief of being free from periods and all of that worry. You should try to stay positive and seek for your doctor's help if you get caught up in the emotional side of menopause.

If you want to treat your menopause signs, you should take the proactive approach and learn all you can about that time in life and how you want to handle it. It is beneficial by using herbal menopause supplements to reduce the effects of menopause hormonal imbalances.

Tinnitus and Menopause - What Experts Know About the Ringing in Your Ears


Menopause is a point in a woman's life when she stops menstruating for a full year and this can be overwrought with many symptoms, some bearable and some discomforting. Menopause symptoms like mood swings, loss of libido, extreme fatigue, hot flashes and weight gain are a cause of concern for most women. However, less common symptoms like Tinnitus- ringing or buzzing in the ear- change of body color and sometimes a sensation akin to electric shock under the skin may be worrisome.

Medical opinions associate Tinnitus with menopause. According to many studies, this ringing in the ears is a physical condition that can take place due to other reasons as well. Medicines like Prozac and regular aspirin may cause Tinnitus and research is underway to establish the role these medications play in causing hormonal changes during menopause.

Menopause and Tinnitus: Causes

Many women may opt for an HRT, (Hormonal Replacement Therapy) as a treatment for early menopause, hysterectomy and peri-menopause or because their physician recommended it. Certain studies point a finger at HRT aggravating Tinnitus, as it uses artificial progesterone to ensure regular cyclical bleeding.

Most people experience Tinnitus as age sets in and menopausal women are not the only sufferers, though they seem worse affected than men. The onset of Tinnitus in menopause can make the best of us complain of fluid retention, depression, headache, dizziness, insomnia, raised blood pressure and migraines.

This ringing in the ears can be linked with both peri-menopause and menopause for women in their forties, fifties and sixties more, as compared to any other age group. Another theory links menopause symptoms of sweating, hot flashes and mood changes to side effects of Tinnitus. Circulating hormone estrogen and progesterone can lead to or aggravate Tinnitus during menopause.

Menopause and Tinnitus: BHRT

Modern times have seen medical developments leading to Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy that has gained more popularity than HRT. This is mainly because BHRT consists of plant compounds, is identical in structure to human hormones, and therefore found more effective than HRT. This news brings hope for women going through menopause and putting up with Tinnitus as it may relieve them of the side effects associated with traditional HRT.

Menopause and Tinnitus: Effects

Menopause brings with it other issues like emotional stress and vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which can be common antagonists leading to Tinnitus. Nutritional deficiencies of B Vitamins, zinc, folic acid, antioxidants that are crucial in maintaining the overall health of women, may bring on Tinnitus or worsen the existing condition.

Menopause and Tinnitus: Treatments

Hope springs eternal and women's health experts offer simple solutions to the problems associated with menopause and Tinnitus. The first step is exercise and good nutrition, as these are beneficial for overall general health and bring relief from the persistent ringing in the ears. To make that annoying buzz go away, it is important for all menopausal women to take sufficient rest, particularly when stressed out or fatigued.

Seeking medical advice from an expert can clue you in about metabolic disturbances and provide necessary guidance about specific diets that could help. There are nutritional supplements like Arches Tinnitus relief formula, Tinnitus stress formula and Tinnitus B12 formula available for women undergoing menopause and suffering from this pain in the ear.

Menopause Problems That Women May Face


Menopause is a naturally normal woman's event that occurs in the mid or late forties. It refers to the end of the female reproductive period of life that started at adolescence in the early teens. There is several misunderstanding about menopause.

As women are growing old, they feel that they are well past their full physical vigor during that period. Some women feel that menopause has stop their sexual pleasure, but these apprehensions are far from true. Although menopause may be considered an end to woman's fertility, however it is certainly not to her virility. It should not decrease a woman's sexual vigor or enjoyment or physical capacity.

Some of the Menopause Symptoms

When women are approaching menopause, the entire chain of endocrine glands will be disturbed, mainly the pituitary, gonads and thyroid. For a really healthy woman, she will not feel any unpleasant symptoms when the menopausal change takes place. However, research finds that most women do not enjoy good health due to a faulty style of living and dietetic errors.

The menopausal change often leads to all kinds of nervous symptoms, emotional, distressing physical and manifestations. Nervous tension, insomnia, hot flashes, depression, menstrual disturbances, night sweats, irritability and diminished interest in sex are the typical symptoms of menopause. Other symptoms are dizziness, numbness, headaches, palpitation, fatigue and chilly feelings.

Fortunately these severe reactions will not occur in very women. The severity or otherwise of the symptoms depend on a variety of factors such as previous surgery, general health and radiation. Generally, menopause and its problems will over when menstruation stops.

Causes of Menopause

The annoying menopause symptoms occur when the ovaries are no longer producing their normal amount of estrogen and the dominant female hormone. Anything that interferes with the normal functioning of the ovaries may also cause these symptoms happen. The same strange feelings may occur as the ovaries are removed by surgery. This can also happen from the use of radiation or heavy X-ray therapy.

A lack of normal hormone balance may also cause a severe backache. This is happened due to the thinning of the bones arising from the low level of estrogen in the bloodstream. Unless you manage to treat it properly, this may cause a collapse of one or more of the vertebrae.