Menopause is a natural process that most women will experience from around 40 to 50 years old, causing periods to stop. There are different stages of menopause and various physical symptoms that differ from person to person. There are a huge range of natural remedies and hormonal remedies that women can try to help ease their symptoms. Keep reading to find our guide to natural menopause remedies and how they can benefit you!
What Is Menopause?
Menopause comes in three stages, which are the menopause, perimenopause and post menopause. Each of these stages are different and can bring on different symptoms for everyone.
Perimenopause
This is the phase that occurs before the full menopause begins. During this time, periods can become erratic or irregular. During this time, you may start to notice hot flashes and vaginal dryness.
Menopause
When you have not had a period for 12 consecutive months, this is the phase we call menopause, as your body has stopped producing the hormones that cause your periods to occur.
Post-Menopause
After you have experienced menopause, and had one year without a menstrual flow, you are then in the postmenopause stage for the rest of your life.
The Most Common Symptoms
There are various symptoms that come with menopause, and they can impact women differently. You may just experience one, or multiple of these symptoms and they can change over time. Also, the symptoms of menopause are not limited to this list, there are a range of ways that women are impacted by this phase in their lives.
- Hot Flashes – These are extremely common when someone is experiencing menopause. They cause a sudden surge of heat, causing red patches on the skin or causing you to sweat.
- Mood Changes – Changes in your mood can also be common. From being irritable to random crying outbursts, you may experience a lot of mood swings as a result of your hormones changing.
- Anxiety & Depression – In coherence with the mood swings you might experience during menopause, anxiety and depression are also relatively common. Hormonal changes, physical changes and a lack of quality sleep can make you prone to developing anxiety or feeling depressed.
- Skin Changes – The skin on your body and on your face can change during menopause. You may experience dry skin and eczema, or you experience more oily skin changes.
- Poor Concentration – During menopause, up to two thirds of women claim to struggle with their concentration and their memory. This can be frustrating, and worsen your mood, adding to the mental struggles that some women face during this time period.
- Reduced Sex Drive – Not only is reduced sex drive a common symptom, the changes in your hormones can cause vaginal dryness too. If you are experiencing multiple symptoms of menopause, don’t forget that having a lower libido can also be a result of menopause.
- Physical Changes – Your body can physically change during menopause, with the potential for weight gain. You may find that your breasts are tender or swollen, and you may spot differences in your hair colour or texture.
- Sleeping Issues – Sleeping problems can be caused by anxiety or depression that you might be experiencing. Also, dramatic temperature changes like hot flashes and night sweats can disrupt your sleep schedule.
Menopause Remedy Options & Treatments
All of these symptoms of menopause can sound stressful and daunting, but they don’t have to be. There are a range of things that women can try to help ease their symptoms during this time, and help make day to day life less difficult. There are hormone therapy options, to help ease the physical changes you may be experiencing, as well as natural remedies that you can try, which may or may not help.
Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy treatments are used to treat menopause symptoms with a supplement of oestrogen and a synthetic version of progesterone. These hormones can be delivered by patches or by creams to help reduce symptoms like hot flashes and changes in the skin.
If you are thinking about having hormone treatment to help you during menopause, then you should contact your GP to properly discuss your options. For individuals with health conditions such as:
- Heart disease
- Blood clots
- Liver disease
- Breast cancer
It is not recommended to undergo hormone therapy, however, discuss this with your doctor to figure out what kind of treatments are available to you.
If you don’t want to undergo hormone treatment, there are still a range of over the counter creams & gels you can buy to help with vaginal discomfort or dryness. Antidepressants might be an option for you if your mental health is taking a decline due to your menopause. Some women opt for birth control pills during menopause, as a way to manage their mood swings and emotions.
Natural Menopause Relief
There are so many natural remedies out there for you to try! While, not all natural remedies are not all guaranteed to work, it is important to remember that all of our bodies respond differently, so natural options are still worth a shot! These are some simple, natural things you can try to help relieve your symptoms.
Diet
Your diet is extremely important in keeping your symptoms regulated, and stopping them from getting worse. Foods that are high in sugar, or processed, can often trigger your menopause symptoms and cause them to flare up.
Making sure you eat lots of fruit, vegetables and that you are drinking enough water is essential to keeping your symptoms at a minimum. By taking care of your body internally, and with the proper nutrients it needs, you are helping your body cope with the hormone changes it is going through.
Exercise
Exercise is another wonderful and natural way to keep symptoms at a minimum. Exercise has a whole world of benefits for your body, not only physically, but exercising regularly is extremely good for your mental health. By exercising, you are taking care of both your body and your mind, which can be just what you need during menopause. This is a great, natural remedy for hot flushes.
Protein
Getting a good amount of protein into your diet can help you in the long run. By maintaining your protein intake, alongside regular exercise, you are preventing any muscle deterioration from happening within your body.
A high protein, balanced diet can also help you if you are struggling with weight change. If you are looking to lose weight, keeping a balanced diet is the way to go. Skipping meals will worsen your menopause symptoms and is not a healthy way to lose weight.
Calcium & Vitamin D
Ensuring you get the right amount of calcium and vitamin D is a great natural menopause relief. These two nutrients are linked to strong bone health, and they can help reduce the risk of fractures, broken bones. They keep your body strong and healthy, which is important during such a physically challenging time.
Magnetic Healing
Lastly, magnetic healing is a brilliant non-hormonal treatment. It can help to relieve symptoms, pain and discomfort. There are a range of magnet therapy benefits, and they are particularly effective in helping with hot flushes and night sweats. Typically, you can clip the magnets to your underwear. They are seamless and discreet, providing you with all day relief without putting any extra hormones into your body.
Sassy La Femme
Here at Sassy La Femme, our LaBalance magnet is perfectly designed to help you get comfortable during those difficult days during menopause. No matter what stage of menopause you are in, we want to help you find relief. With our two piece magnet, you can stay comfortable all day and all night.
We pride ourselves on helping women return some normalcy to their lives, during menstruation or menopause. For any further enquiries about our products and how we can help you, feel free to contact us and speak to one of the Sassy La Femme team today.