Seven Symptoms of Perimenopause – What Solutions You Need to Know

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A lot of women dread menopause because of the symptoms it exhibits. It is no secret that the symptoms of menopause can significantly alter the quality of life of any woman. A lot of care is therefore required to ensure that the symptoms are dealt with so that quality of life is restored. In most people, seven symptoms are most common in menopause. Finding solutions to the seven symptoms ensured one gets the best end result. Rather than go for hormone therapy that can have adverse effects on health later in life, there are simple solutions that one can make use of to get the best result. Below is a review of the seven common symptoms of menopause and their solutions.

Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

In this case, a woman in menopause will get unexplained heat waves in the body which last 3 – 5 minutes and are mainly triggered by the low levels of estrogen. Night sweats also occur at night when one sweats excessively due to the high levels of follicle stimulating hormone FSH. One simple solution of dealing with this is increasing levels of Vitamin E in the body. This can be taken as a supplement or foods high in Vitamin E such as wild Salmon, eggs or mils are included in the diet. Use of Black Cohosh, a herb used through ages to deal with hot flashes is recommended. Use of products high in isoflavones is also a good idea as it helps control the sweating as well as hot flashes.

Lower Libido

Low libido refers to low sex drive. This is as a result of the low testosterone, progesterone and estrogen levels in the body. This makes sex painful to many women, thus the lack of desire. To avert this symptom, foods high in L – arginine are recommended. Herbs that also help in boosting testosterone levels are advisable such as horny goat weed, damiana and maca. In as much as the low libido levels may be caused by menopause, one must also consciously work towards a health relationship with your partner and train the brain of the importance of their libido. Such women seem to always have high libido, in spite of low estrogen levels dues to menopause

Vaginal Dryness/Itching

Vaginal dryness is one of the most common complaints of women in menopause. This is caused by the low estrogen levels which make the vaginal and urethral tissues to thin out, thus less moisture production and pain during intercourse. One way to get around this is to go for lubricants during intercourse. Kegel exercises are also highly recommended to ensure one gets to enjoy an amazing time. Increase in Vitamin E levels in the body is also highly recommended. This can be done through oral ingestion of supplements or foods or using a cream which is applied in the vagina.

Sleep Disturbances

Due to the hot flashes and night sweats, a lot of women report that they have disturbed sleep. To avert this, it is highly recommended that you use herbal supplements such as Valerian root, passion flower extract, chamomile, Kava root or even aroma therapy. All these help in increasing serotonin and reducing anxiety levels in the body which allow one to sleep. Ensuring a balanced blood sugar level is also very important. This calls for one to ensure a balanced diet.

Weight Gain/Food Cravings

Due to the fluctuation of hormones and chemicals in the brain, there is an increased level of food cravings. If you give in to these cravings on a regular basis, weight gain is inevitable. Low serotonin levels are also attributed to weight gain in menopause. To control this, high fiber and whole grain foods are recommended. Cravings are also attributed to an imbalance of both magnesium and calcium. Ensuring that you supplement food with the minerals reduces cravings as well.

Dry Skin

As one gets into menopause years, there is a decreased level of collagen as well as supportive fibers of the skin. This coupled with falling estrogen levels causes the skin to look thinner, drier as well as less elastic. The subcutaneous fat layer of the skin also thins away, thus the wrinkles that come with dry skin. Use of foods high in Essential Fatty Acids EFAs is highly recommended. Flax oil seed and wild fish are highly recommended as they have high levels of EFAs. Foods high in isoflavones such as soy as well as foods high in Vitamin C are highly recommended.

From the above symptoms discussed, it is clear that no problem lacks a solution. To get an amazing time, it is highly recommended that the overall state of health is checked. If any symptoms are felt while using the supplements mentioned, it is highly advisable that you consult your physician for a detailed evaluation of the condition as soon as possible.

Churchill Otieno
Churchill Otieno, holds a degree in Communications and Public Relations. He is an accomplished independent researcher, experienced, professional writer based in Chicago, IL past Mombasa, Kenya. He is an author and publisher for Consumer Health Digest - Joint Pain Center category since 2013. He has an additional credentials in health and lifestyle fitness. He has been writing articles on health for more than two years with interest on bone, joint health, arthritis, osteoarthritis etc. He is also a contributor to healthcentral.com and many other popular websites. His mission is to educate, empower and advocate people whose lives have changed due to arthritis joint pain. He also strive to support the families and caregivers as they learn how to advocate and care for the afflicted person.