Menopause Treatment
Menopause is something that every woman goes through at some point of her life. In many cases the ups and downs of Menopause can be treated using natural treatment and remedies to ease the physical and mental changes of your body.
Menopause is a natural stage of a woman’s life. Although many women experience difficulties with the transition, it is not in itself a medical problem. The reason for these problems are similar to those contributing to infertility in the younger woman: hormonal imbalances, past use of synthetic hormones such as the Pill, exposure to environmental oestrogens, oestrogen dominance, other endocrine system disturbances, poor health and diet and excess weight; and lack of exercise and relaxation and other strategies to cope with the stresses of life.
Because we have so much experience treating fertility issues with homeopathy in this Perth naturopathic clinic we are therefore well placed to assist women with the symptoms of menopause.
Many women begin experiencing the symptoms of pre-menopause or peri-menopause many years before the actual menopause, which is defined as the cessation of the menses or periods for at least 12 months. Symptoms are due to the relative balance of the main hormones, oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone and their effect on brain chemistry, the hypothalamus and body functioning. Our focus is to achieve a natural balance of those hormones and not attempt to manipulate them in isolation.
Constitutional homeopathy allows us to achieve this natural balance in the body, when combined with naturopathic dietary and lifestyle changes. The homeopathic dilution of these hormones may be prescribed if necessary in the individual case.
Symptoms of the peri-menopause include:
- Hot flushes/flashes, night sweats and chills
- Migraines
- Irregular periods, heavy or light periods, a longer or shorter cycle
- An increase in PMT/PMS symptoms, related to oestrogen dominance/progesterone deficiency in the latter part of the cycle
- Heart palpitations
- Brain “fogginess” and memory difficulties
- Decreased or absent libido or sex drive
- Anxiety, depression, irritability and other mood changes
- Weight gain
- Vaginal dryness
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Sleeping difficulties/insomnia
- Joint pain and muscle aches
- Dry skin and/or hair loss
- Vaginal dryness
Once periods have ceased and menses have been absence for 12 months, true menopause is said to begin. Any of the above symptoms may persist or intensify, without the menstrual symptoms of course. Once again it is the relative balance of hormones, not just the absence of oestrogen, as popularly believed, that is responsible for symptoms. Hot flushes and sweats and vaginal dryness are the most obvious, but most others are due to progesterone deficiency.
Some of the more obvious difficulties of menopause include:
- Mood changes to the extent of irritability, rage, tears, anxiety, panic attacks, indecisiveness, forgetfulness, depression, loss of confidence
- Excessive fatigue and lethargy
- Urinary frequency and incontinence
- Loss of pelvic muscle tone
- Complete loss of libido, dry vagina, no lubrication, inability to orgasm
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Mineral loss in bone leading to osteoporosis and fractures
There are homeopathic remedies for all of these problems, but the focus at this Perth naturopathic clinic, as with all concerns, is holistic. We will look at the whole pattern of symptoms on all levels: mental, emotional and physical. In this way we can choose a constitutional remedy that aids the body’s own healing attempts. If necessary, we can supplement this with remedies for specific problems, such as difficulty sleeping and remedies to work on specific hormonal imbalances.
Finally, from a naturopathic perspective we can provide dietary and lifestyle advice that is so important to assist this transition in a woman’s reproductive life.
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