Natural Over-the-Counter Menopause Treatment

Menopause is a natural transition in a woman's life that marks the end of her child-bearing years. With this change can come a multitude of symptoms from which some women look to gain relief.

Herbal Supplements

• Some women find relief in over-the-counter herbal supplements, including black cohosh, red clover, dong quai and evening primrose oil, as well as kava and ginseng. As always, use caution when trying out herbal treatments, especially if you're also taking other medicines.

Food for Thought

• Eating a variety of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and whole grains is a good idea for anyone, but women can find relief from menopausal symptoms by cutting back on refined sugars, caffeine and spicy foods. Keeping up with water intake is also important and some women find it beneficial to eat foods with phytoestrogens like soy, yams, seaweed and legumes.

Reiki

• Another way to manage the symptoms of menopause is to seek out a qualified reiki practitioner to help balance out the "chi" or body's natural energy flow.

Exercise

• Like eating healthfully, exercise is also an important way to manage symptoms during menopause and can help stave off the weight gain some women experience during or after menopause.

Quit Smoking

• Smoking isn't good for anyone, but for menopausal women, it can increase the risk of heart disease (already the leading killer of women), stroke, cancer and other diseases. Over-the-counter products, like nicotine patches and gum, are available to aid in quitting and gaining back health.