Menopause is when your menstrual periods stop due to low hormone levels. This condition usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55. Sometimes it can happen at an earlier age when the egg reserve is depleted. Menopause can also occur in diseases that require removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy) or uterus (hysterectomy), or after cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. The most common genetic cause is the natural menopause process. In the case of early menopause, the cause is often unknown.
Perimenopause is the period of time when symptoms begin before your periods stop completely. If you do not have a period for 12 months, you have entered menopause.
Menopause and perimenopause can cause symptoms such as anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, hot flashes, and irregular periods. These symptoms may begin years before your menstrual cycles stop and continue afterward. Menopause and perimenopause symptoms can have a huge impact on your life, including your relationships and work life. There are things you can do to reduce these negative symptoms. There are medical remedies and herbal products available that can replace the missing hormones and help relieve your symptoms.
Common symptoms of menopause and perimenopause
Menopause and perimenopause symptoms can reach a level that can negatively affect your daily life such as relationships, social life, family life and work life. These symptoms may differ between women. You may have few or no symptoms. During perimenopause, symptoms often begin months or years before your menstrual periods stop.
Changes in your menstrual periods
The first sign of perimenopause is usually, but not always, a change in the normal pattern of your periods. At the end of this period, you will stop menstruating completely and you will enter the menopause period.
Mental health symptoms
Common mental health symptoms of menopause and perimenopause include:
Changes in your mood, such as low mood, anxiety, mood swings, and low self-esteem
– Memory or concentration problems (brain fog)
physical symptoms
Common physical symptoms of menopause and perimenopause include:
-Sudden hot flashes in your face, neck and chest that can cause dizziness
Difficulty sleeping, which can be a result of night sweats and make you feel tired and irritable during the day
Palpitations, when your heartbeat suddenly becomes more pronounced
– Headaches and migraines that are worse than normal
-Muscle aches and joint pains
– Changed body shape and weight gain
Skin changes such as dry and itchy skin
-Reduced sex drive (Loss of libido)
-Vaginal dryness and pain, itching or discomfort during sexual intercourse
-Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI)
How long do symptoms last?
Symptoms can last for months or years and may vary in degree over time. For example, low mood and anxiety may manifest as hot flashes and night sweats recede. Some symptoms, such as joint pain and vaginal dryness, may persist after your periods have stopped.
What are the lifestyle changes that will help menopause and perimenopause?
Consuming regular, quality food, exercising, and taking care of your mental health can help with symptoms during perimenopause and menopause. It can also help you stay as fit as possible in the future.
What to do;
- Get plenty of rest by maintaining regular sleep routines
- Eat a healthy diet
- Eat calcium-rich foods like milk, yogurt, and kale to keep bones healthy
- Get regular exercise and try doing weight-bearing activities where your feet and legs support your weight, such as walking, running or dancing.
- Do relaxing things like yoga, tai chi, or meditation
- Talk to other people who are experiencing the same thing, such as family, friends or colleagues
- Talk to a doctor before taking herbal supplements or supplements
Do’s and Don’ts;
- Do not smoke
- Do not drink more than the recommended alcohol limit
How to facilitate mood changes?
It’s common to have mood swings, low mood, and anxiety during menopause and perimenopause.
You can try:
- get lots of rest
- do regular exercises
- Do relaxing activities (Yoga etc.)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy that can help with low mood and feelings of anxiety. It can also help with sleep problems.
How to relieve hot flashes and night sweats?
You can do these:
- wear light clothing
- Keep your bedroom cool at night
- Take a cold shower, use a fan or drink a cold drink
- Try to reduce your stress level
- Avoid or reduce potential triggers such as spicy foods, caffeine, hot drinks, smoking and alcohol
- do regular exercises
- Lose weight if you are overweight
CBT can also help manage hot flashes.
How to relieve vaginal dryness
There are vaginal moisturizers or lubricants that you can buy over the counter at the pharmacy.
If you would like help deciding which moisturizer is right for you, you can speak privately with a pharmacist.
If you have sex and use condoms, do not use oil-based lubricants as they can damage condoms. You can use a water-based lubricant.
There are other treatments for vaginal dryness that the doctor may prescribe, such as HRT (hormone replacement therapy) or hormonal therapy (creams, pessaries, gel, or vaginal rings).
Protection against weak bones
You can try:
- Exercise regularly, including weight-bearing exercises (such as walking, running, or dancing) and resistance exercises (such as using weights) where your feet and legs support your weight
- Eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruit, vegetables, and calcium sources such as milk, yogurt, and cabbage
- You must expose your skin to sunlight, which triggers the production of vitamin D, which can help keep your bones healthy.
- take a vitamin D supplement
- Quit smoking and cut down on alcohol
Taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Menopause and Perimenopause Treatment
The main drug therapy for menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms is hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which replaces low levels of hormones.
If you are unable or prefer not to take HRT, there are other treatments available.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
HRT is an effective treatment for most menopause and those going through perimenopause. Your doctor will discuss any risks with you.
HRT involves using estrogen to change your body’s own levels during menopause.
There are different types and doses of HRT. Using the right dose and type usually means your symptoms improve.
Estrogen can be used as:
- skin patches
- A gel or spray applied to the skin
- implants
- tablets
If you have a uterus, you should also take progesterone to protect your uterus from the effects of estrogen. Taking estrogen and progesterone is called combined HRT.
Progesterone can be used as:
- Patches, as part of a combined patch with estrogen
- IUD (intrauterine system)
- tablets
If your sexual desire is low due to menopause and HRT is not improving it, testosterone may be recommended.
Benefits of HRT
The main benefit of HRT is that it can help relieve most menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, brain fog, joint pains, mood swings, and vaginal dryness.
Hot flashes or night sweats usually clear up within a few weeks. Other symptoms, such as mood swings and vaginal dryness, may take several months to improve.
Taking HRT may also reduce your risk of hormone-related health problems, including osteoporosis and heart disease.
Risks of HRT
The risks of HRT are small and often outweigh the benefits.
If you are interested in HRT, your doctor or nurse can discuss the risks with you.
Testosterone gel for decreased sexual desire
If HRT doesn’t help you regain your sex drive, you may be offered a testosterone gel or cream. It can help improve sex drive, mood, and energy levels.
Testosterone is produced by the ovaries and its level usually decreases with age.
It is not currently approved for use in women, but may be prescribed by a specialist doctor if they think it can help restore sexual desire after menopause.
You can safely use it at the same time as HRT.
Side effects from using testosterone are not common but include acne and unwanted hair growth.
Estrogen for vaginal dryness and discomfort
As a result of menopause and perimenopause, your vagina may become dry, painful or itchy.
You can get estrogen treatments by prescription, which you can use as vaginal tablets, creams or rings. This may also improve urinary symptoms caused by menopause and perimenopause, such as discomfort when urinating.
Vaginal estrogen treatments do not enter your bloodstream and only work on the part of the body where you put them. You can use these drugs for a long time. Symptoms usually come back when you stop using them.
Non-Hormone Drugs
If your symptoms are having a major impact on your life and you cannot or choose not to take HRT, there are non-hormonal treatments available.
Hot flashes and night sweats
There are some herbal products that can help with hot flashes and night sweats.
These include:
- Black Cohosh
- Maca Extract – Maca root (Peruvian Ginseng)
- Red Clover Extract (Red Clover – Red Clover Extract)
- Passiflora Extract (passionflower plant)
- Glycine Max Extract (Soybean)
- st. John’s Wort Extract
It would be beneficial to talk to a phytotherapist or physician about whether these herbs are suitable for you and in terms of their side effects.
Black Cohosh
Black Cohosh has a long history of use as an alternative medicine by Native Americans and early settlers. It was mainly used to treat painful menstrual periods and menopausal problems. St. John’s Wort, it has been proven to be good for hot flashes and other menopausal problems. Contains plant glycosides, isoferulic acids and plant-based estrogens.
In 120 different clinical studies on women with menopausal symptoms, it was observed that black cohosh was much more effective than the anti-depressant Prozac in the problem of hot flashes.
• The most famous study, in 1982, gave 629 women 80 mg for 6-8 weeks. It was an open study of using black cohosh. More than 80% of women experience improvement in many of their menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, sweating, headache, vertigo, palpitations, irritability, sleep problems, and depression. Next, another study was conducted focusing on 60 women under the age of 40 with a single ovary who had undergone a hysterectomy. These women received either marigold or estrogen/estrogen-progesterone combination therapy. Although hormone supplementation showed better results, the study concluded that black cohosh was the most suitable alternative therapy for post-hysterectomy surgery.
• The E commission of the German Ministry of Health, which is responsible for the preparation and licensing of herbal preparations, has approved the use of Black Cohosh against menopausal symptoms and menstruation problems and recommended its intake as a 6-month cure.
• The North American Menopause Association agreed that black cohosh is the most appropriate over-the-counter treatment for moderate to severe menopausal symptoms, but they also emphasized that the safety of this herb for use in women with breast cancer is not clear.
Maca Extract – Maca root (Peruvian Ginseng)
Known as Peruvian Ginseng, maca root looks like turnip or radish root from the outside. Maca roots; It contains iron, potassium, calcium, iodine, magnesium, fibers, proteins, natural sugar, zinc, vitamins such as B1, B12 and fatty acids.
- It has been determined that maca plant increases sexual performance and improves sperm quality by making a natural aphrodisiac effect.
- It helps to improve the symptoms of menopause.
- In women, it relieves symptoms such as insomnia, dryness, mood swings and irritability.
- It helps maintain bone health such as osteoporosis.
- It improves mental and mood by reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety during menopause.
- It gives energy, increases endurance, relieves fatigue and weakness, and helps the body find balance.
Red Clover Extract (Red Clover – Red Clover Extract)
As the name suggests, Red Clover comes from the clover family. It is a perennial herb with herbaceous qualities. Flowers containing red clover seeds and extract bloom. Interestingly, the color of its leaves is not red, but dark pink.
Studies have shown that the plant extract contains isoflavones. Isoflavones are plant chemicals that act as estrogen in the body. This is very good news for women going through menopause and suffering from heart problems or osteoporosis. Because of the estrogen-like effects of isoflavones, such as those found in clover, the researchers found; They think that it can cure hot flashes and night sweats, which are symptoms of menopause. Experiences such as pain and hot flashes experienced by menopausal women can be controlled.
Taking Red Clover supplements can help increase bone density while preventing bone loss, as the herb mimics isoflavone. increases. A study published in “Phytotherapy Research” in 2007 investigated the effects of red clover on rats that had undergone an ovariectomy the week before. After surgery, the researchers gave the mice 20-40 mg per day for 14 weeks. gave redberry isoflavones. The treatment significantly reduced bone loss in the animals.
Passiflora Extract (passionflower plant)
Known for its relaxing effect, the passiflora (passionflower) plant is used by people with complaints such as insomnia, stress, menstruation and mental distress and tension during menopause. According to reliable sources, more research is needed to evaluate the uses of passiflora. Still, some research suggests that passiflora may help relieve insomnia and anxiety.
For example, this herb has been observed to increase the level of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. This compound can help relax and sleep better by lowering brain activity.
Glycine Max Extract (Soybean)
Soy is considered to be the wonder plant of the century with its nutrients. Soy is a legume plant. Rhizobium (Bradyrhizobium) japonicum in their nodosity in their roots
As a result of the symbiosis with its batkeri, it both meets the nitrogen it needs and leaves a nitrogen-rich field for the next plant.[1] . Soy, along with other legumes such as peanuts and chickpeas, contains a group of compounds called isoflavones.[24]Soy contains two compounds called genistein and diadzein, which are included in the isoflavone class, and these compounds are classified as phytoestrogens.[25] Phytoestrogens may exhibit properties that mimic estrogen in mammals. This raises concerns that soy may have womanizing effects.[25]However, unlike estrogen, natural phytoestrogens act as selective estrogen receptor modulators (like SARMs) instead of acting as a direct agonist at estrogen receptors.[26]Under normal consumption conditions, soy is not thought to cause physiological changes in an individual.[27]A 2010 study found that soy consumption or the use of isoflavone supplements did not change the testosterone and estrogen ratios of male individuals.[28]Soy consumption also does not cause changes in sperm quality.[25]
Resources:
[1] . Anonymous. Kahramanmaraş Provincial Directorate of Agriculture, Project and Statistics Department Reports 1995.
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- ^ “Peantry isoflavones”. Micronutrient Information Center, Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis. 2016. Archived from the original on 20 October 2019. Accessed May 23, 2016.
- ^ abc Messina, Mark (2010). “Soybean isoflavone exposure does not have feminizing effects on men: A critical examination of the clinical evidence”. Fertility and Sterility. 93 (7). ss. 2095-2104. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.03.002. PMID 20378106.
- ^ Oseni, T; Patel, R; Pyle, J; Jordan, VC (2008). “Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators and Phytoestrogens”. Planta Med. 74 (13). ss. 1656-65. doi:10.1055/s-0028-1088304. PMC 2587438 $2. PMID 18843590.
- ^ Mitchell, Julie H.; Cawood, Elizabeth; Kinniburgh, David; Provan, Anne; Collins, Andrew R.; Irvine, D. Stewart (June 2001). “Effect of a Phytoestrogen Food Supplement on Reproductive Health in Normal Males”. Clinical Science. 100 (6). ss. 613-18. doi:10.1042/CS20000212. PMID 11352776.
- ^ Hamilton-Reeves, Jill M.; Vazquez, Gabriela; Duval, Sue J.; Phipps, William R.; Kurzer, Mindy S.; Messina, Mark J. (2010). “Clinical studies show no effects of soy protein or isoflavones on reproductive hormones in men: Results of a meta-analysis”. Fertility and Sterility. 94 (3). ss. 997-1007. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.04.038. PMID 19524224.
st. John’s Wort Extract
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), also known as Swordgrass, Mayasıl grass and Koyunkıran, is a plant species included in the St. John’s Wort (Hypericaceae) family. The plant was famous as a protector against evil spells during the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations.[1].
Compounds such as hypericin and pseudohypericin are characteristic components that make up 0.05-0.3% of the plant. In addition, the plant contains 0.9-5.0% hyperforin and adhyperforin, and about 4% various flavonoid derivative compounds.
It is recommended as an alternative antidepressant drug in mild to moderate depressions. Many authorities on this subject see this herb as a suitable plant especially to prevent mental disorders caused by menopause.[2] . Its antidepressant property has been proven in animal experiments and various clinical trials. In addition, there is experimental evidence that it may be useful in the treatment of addictions to substances such as alcohol, cigarettes, nicotine and caffeine.
It has been reported that the plant enhances sleep by increasing the release of melatonin from the pineal gland of the brain at night. One study reported that the herb increased intellectual concentration and improved comprehension.[3] . However, this effect is theoretical.
It has antiviral and antibacterial effects. The effectiveness of hypericin, one of its components, against various viruses, including HIV virus, which is the causative agent of AIDS, has been experimentally proven.
As a result of researches, it has been proven that it has a beneficial effect on skin diseases.
It has an anti-inflammatory effect.
It is helpful in the treatment of vitiligo, which is characterized by partial discoloration of the skin with loss of melanin.
Unlike many anti-inflammatory drugs, it has been reported that it has no adverse effects on the stomach, and is even effective in the treatment of ulcers.
It has been used in the treatment of diarrhea among the people, in the treatment of rheumatic pains, in the nighttime urination of children, in the treatment of gout.
It has been used against jaundice and as a wound healer among the people, these effects have also been proven experimentally.
Intensive research on the plant is still ongoing.
Since its content can block the monoamine oxidase protein, which destroys/reduces “tyramine”, a substance that affects blood pressure, “tyramine” can become too much at once, which can lead to high blood pressure. So those who have high blood pressure problems should definitely not use it.
Light-skinned people are advised to avoid light environments, as sensitivity to light occurs during plant use.
Resources:
[1]Baytop T. Herbal Treatment in Turkey in the Past and Present, Nobel Bookstore, Istanbul, 1999.
[2]Ernst E. Hypericum: The Genus Hypericum, Taylor & Francis, London, 2003
[3] Öztürk Y. Testing the antidepressive effects on animal models with the special reference of Hypericum. Pharmacopsychiatry 30(Suppl), 125-128, 1997.
mood symptoms
If you’ve been diagnosed with depression or anxiety, antidepressants can help with mood symptoms.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a talk therapy that can help:
- Low mood and anxiety caused by menopause and perimenopause
- Some physical symptoms such as hot flashes and joint pain
Follow-up Frequency
If you are being treated for your menopausal or perimenopausal symptoms, you will need to go back to the doctor or nurse who prescribed your HRT for a follow-up review after 3 months.
Once you and your doctor or nurse agree that your treatment is working well for you, you will need to see them once a year.
During your examinations, your doctor or nurse may:
- Make sure your symptoms are under control
- Talk about any side effects and vaginal bleeding
- Check your weight and blood pressure
- Review the type of HRT you are taking and make any necessary changes
You may need treatment for several years until most of your menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms go away.
You can choose to continue taking HRT. The doctor or nurse prescribing your HRT can discuss the benefits and risks with you so you can decide what is right for you.
You can take HRT for as long as you need it. You can discuss this with your doctor or nurse at your annual review.
Complementary and alternative therapies
Complementary and alternative therapies, such as herbal remedies and combined bioidentical (“natural”) hormones, may be used for symptoms of menopause or perimenopause.
Red clover and black cohosh are herbal remedies, and there is strong evidence that they work in recent studies.
