Treating Menopause with Plant Extracts

In order to know how to treat symptoms of menopause, we need to first understand exactly what it is.

What is Menopause?

Menopause is defined as “the ceasing of menstruation and a period of time in a woman’s life usually between the ages of 45 and 50.” It is a natural part of every woman’s life once they reach middle age or later.

Many women do not seek treatment for symptoms of menopause and let them occur naturally. There are, however, ways to treat these symptoms, including using plant extracts.

Causes of Menopause

Many people think that women start to go through menopause simply due to the natural aging process, but that is not necessarily the case. The breach in menstruation usually happens naturally as the result of a gradual decrease of reproductive hormones. Women begin to lose these hormones in their late 30s, when the ovaries inside the body begin to slowly shut down and produce less and less estrogen. During their 40s, women experience menstrual cycles less frequently and they may also become either longer or shorter, heavier or lighter. By the early 50s, the ovaries should completely stop producing eggs and periods stop altogether.

There are several reasons why the end in menstruation wouldn’t occur naturally. One example would be if the woman experiences a hysterectomy, which is the removal of all reproductive organs for the benefit of her health. Another reason could be the result of undergoing chemical or radiation therapy. The break in the menstrual cycle in this case may not be permanent, though, so it is recommended to continue birth control. Another reason as to why a woman could cease to get her period would be the fact that her ovaries produce too many or too little reproductive hormones. Hormone therapy is recommended so that the heart, brain and lungs do not get affected.

Symptoms of Menopause

Some symptoms of menopause include dryness in the vaginal area, hot flashes throughout the body that can occur at any time of the day or night, irregular periods, chills all over the body during random periods of the day, night sweats, other forms of sleeping problems, unpredictable mood swings, a slowing metabolism and weight gain, dryer skin and hair that seems to fall out, and a reduction in breast size.

The symptoms are different in every woman, but almost everybody will experience an irregularity with their menstrual cycles. Never hesitate to visit the doctor if you think you are having more than the average symptoms.

Treatments for Menopause

Every woman would like to hit the brakes when it comes to losing their menstrual cycle because it may come with some unpleasant symptoms, and it means they are climbing in age.

A good way to treat many of the symptoms is with medicine or plant extracts.

Using Plant Extracts

For many menopause symptoms, there is a natural remedy in the form of a plant extract.

Improving Hot Flashes and Night Sweats: to overcome these most common symptoms, some beneficial plant extracts include chaste tree, black cohosh, dong quai and red clover.

Improving Mood Swings and Anxiety: anxiety and mood swings can run rampant during menopause if not managed. Some herbal approaches can include ashwagandha, passionflower and maca.

Balancing Hormones: the main culprit of menopausal discomfort is hormonal shifts and changes. To help maintain hormonal balance and keep symptoms under control, try the use of herbs such as; wild yam root, valerian extract, black cohosh and cat’s whiskers.

Maintaining Heart Health: while menopause symptoms may be the only thing on your mind, maintaining health and combatting the effects of aging is just as essential for menopausal relief. Using such options as flaxseed, motherwort and fenugreek can help maintain heart health with aging.

Maintain Bone Health: like heart health, maintaining strong and healthy bones is just as critical when it comes to aging, and dandelion, camellia sinensis, alfalfa, red clover, nettles and horsetail can help with bone health.

In addition to plant extracts, it is also important to maintain a high calcium level. A sufficient amount of calcium is crucial to our health, especially in women experiencing menopause. Getting the proper amount of calcium helps to prevent bone loss later in life.

Overall

There are so many different ways to help treat your menopause symptoms during this difficult time without seeking the help of a doctor. It is always better to try natural remedies before taking anything that could pose side effects to the body, and these plant extracts would make a great means to help treat some of the symptoms that accompany this great life change.