Do you dread menopause? Have you heard horror stories from other women about how bad menopause symptoms can be? Are you concerned about the health risks of hormone replacement therapy for menopause symptoms? September is Menopause Awareness Month. Find out how to treat menopause symptoms without hormones.
What Is Menopause?
Menopause is simply the end of your period. It is a process in which your period may end over a period of time. This is often referred to as perimenopause. This length of time is different for everyone. Some women refer to this as the “change of life”. As your body slows production of the natural hormones estrogen and progesterone, you may have many menopause symptoms.
What Are the Symptoms of Menopause the I may Need to Treat?
The most common menopause symptoms that we hear of are irregular periods, hot flashes and irritability. According to Project Aware1, there are 35 symptoms of menopause we may want to address. Some less known symptoms include itchy or crawling skin, increase in allergies and burning tongue1.
Not all of these symptoms will affect everyone. Some may even be mild. It’s when they are severe that you may want to think about treating menopause symptoms.
Why Not Use HRT to Treat Menopause Symptoms?
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had been the primary method to treat menopause symptoms. With increased awareness of health risks associated with HRT, more women are turning to alternate methods to treat menopause symptoms without hormones.
For more information on HRT, check out Hormone Replacement Therapy for Menopause by Project Aware1. Find out if HRT is right for you to treat menopause symptoms by checking out Project Aware’s page describing the risks of HRT1.
My Perimenopause Experience of Treating Menopause Symptoms without Hormones
I will admit it, I absolutely fear hormone replacement therapy. There are many factors that increase my risk of treating menopause symptoms with HRT. If you are like me, there are alternatives to using hormones to treat menopause symptoms.
I had a partial hysterectomy, so I will not have the tell-tale missed periods as a menopause symptom. So far I am only having mood swings (which my family has been oh-so-helpful in pointing out). I spoke with my local pharmacist to deal with my perimenopause symptoms.
I was looking for the antihistamine that is used in a premenstrual syndrome product to alleviate irritability. I don’t like adding any extras to my body I don’t need. This specific antihistamine was not available without other unnecessary drugs.
My pharmacist recommended an herbal combination remedy. At first I did not feel comfortable taking a combination herbal supplement. But after talking with my pharmacist (and taking my family’s feelings into consideration), I agreed.
So far, it has made a world of difference in treating my menopause symptoms without hormones. I have also switched to a healthy diet and I am trying to incorporate exercise into my routine. I am hoping these will also help my sleep disturbance issues related to perimenopause.
Ways You Can Treat Menopause Symptoms without Hormones
As mentioned above, with more awareness on the risks of HRT to treat menopause symptoms, there are alternative methods available. These include the use of herbs, diet, exercise and healthy lifestyle changes to treat menopause symptoms without hormones. Many of these give little or no side effects and may actually improve your overall health.
Project Aware has a page with a list of menopause symptoms with links to alternative treatments to hormones1. Although most of these involve herbs, there are also vitamins you can take and other over-the-counter supplements that can help you treat menopause symptoms without hormones. The way they have this laid out is very helpful in treating specific symptoms rather than just taking supplements you may not need to treat menopause symptoms without hormones.
As with any other treatment or supplement, these may also carry risks. Be informed, learn about each treatment and how it may affect you before using it.
Don’t forget, a healthy diet is important for any stage in your life. Exercise can also play a crucial role in treating menopause symptoms without hormones. September is Menopause Awareness Month. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be a good start to treat menopause symptoms without hormones.
THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. YOU SHOULD DISCUSS ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO TREAT MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS WITHOUT HORMONES WITH A QUALIFIED PHYSICIAN.
1) Project Aware; Project Aware Homepage; www.project-aware.org
Click Links to Different Pages from Project Aware:
The 35 Symptoms of Menopause
Hormone Replacement Therapy for Menopause
Benefits, risks and side effects of ERT, HRT and NHRT
Remedies for Menopausal Symptoms-Index
