Cures for Menopause

The most common signs of menopause include hot flashes, vaginal dryness and weight gain, mostly due to hormonal changes in the body. Treatment for this condition can include replacing absent hormones with substitutes or even using herbs to reduce symptoms.

Hormone or Estrogen Replacement Therapy

• In this procedure, a combination estrogen and progesterone are administered in order to substitute the hormones that the body has stopped producing. This provides relief to menopausal women from certain conditional symptoms. This replacement therapy can be administered in three ways. Sometimes doctors might recommend only estrogen administration by means of a vaginal or oral pill, cream or skin patch. In another method called cyclical therapy, doctors advise the taking of an estrogen pill or patch along with another progesterone pill every day for particular days in the month. In continuous hormone replacement therapy, low doses of both estrogen and progesterone need to be taken daily. These hormone replacement therapy methods are known to bring down the frequency and gravity of hot flashes and colon cancer risks, provide relief from unease due to a dry vagina and also avert the onset of osteoporosis. However, this therapy comes with its share of risks and side effects, hence the doctor's advice is of primary importance. This therapy might lead to uterine fibroids, increase the chances of blood clots, gall bladder stones, stroke, coronary ailments and breast cancer. This treatment can cause weight gain, bloating, headache, breast pain and tenderness, and frequent mood swings. There are other factors such as the age of the woman, her uterine conditions, and her individual reaction to hormonal drugs that have to be taken into account before embarking on hormone replacement therapy.

Other Modes of Treatment

• Over-the-counter drugs such as synthetic progesterone are known to relieve hot flashes, while staying sexually active and the use of a vaginal cream two times every week will help minimize vaginal unease. To prevent osteoporosis and heart disease, you could buy over-the-counter drugs along with some regular vitamins and calcium tablets.

Diet

• Ingest soy products for relief from menopausal symptoms and stick to high-fiber, reduced-fat diet along with regular exercise to keep heart disease at bay. Stop smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages, tea and coffee, and try maintaining a healthy body weight. Drink lots of water to cleanse your system and also to prevent infections in the urinary tract. Recently, non-conventional methods of treatment including acupuncture, massages, aromatherapy and homeopathy also have become popular.

Herbal Remedies

• Herbs and herbal products such as red raspberry leaf tea, evening primrose oil, ginseng and especially dong quai and black cohosh, are known to be effective for relief from menopause symptoms. Dong quai is known for its benefits of helping in estrogen replacement, balancing of female hormones, provision of iron and vitamin E and promotion of healthy uterine functions. Black cohosh also is known to help with natural estrogen replacement.

Self-Help

• During menopausal hot flashes, women must take care to dress in light layers of easily removable clothes made with natural fabrics, drink cool beverages and stay in cool.