Understanding Women's Menopause

Menopause is a natural transition in a woman's life. It occurs when estrogen production falls below a certain level and ovulation no longer occurs. In fact, at the age of 30, the body decreases estrogen production, causing physiological and biological changes.

When estrogen levels drop, the following changes begin to occur in the body: blood vessels weaken, the liver no longer receives the message to convert bad cholesterol into good cholesterol, bone density falls at a rate of 1 to 3% per year, and the benefits of serotonin, a neurotransmitter released in the brain to promote relaxation and sleep, are compromised. These menopausal changes can contribute to a number of health problems, such as increased risk of cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, loss of bone density, joint pain, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, and mood swings. The extent to which women experience these varies widely. Women's natural estrogen levels protect against cognitive decline.

Estrogen is not a hormone, it is the name for a group of hormones. There are three basic forms of estrogen in the human body, estrone, estradiol and estriol, also known as E1, E2 and E3 respectively. There is also a group of compounds called phytoestrogens, usually found in food, that can have "estrogen-like" effects on the body. Estradiol (E2) is the primary estrogen produced in the ovaries. Estrone (E1) is formed from estradiol. It is a weak estrogen, and it is the most abundant estrogen in the body after menopause. Estriol (E3) is produced in large amounts during pregnancy and is a breakdown product of estradiol. Estriol is also a weak estrogen and may have anti-cancer effects. Before menopause, estradiol is the predominant estrogen. After menopause, estradiol levels fall more than estrone levels, so that estrone is now the predominant estrogen.

Many of the symptoms women experience are related to hormone imbalance. Hormones are like messengers, they circulate throughout the body and fit into hormone receptor sites like certain keys fit into certain locks. Substances that are "estrogenic" can mimic estrogens and fit into estrogen receptor sites.

Estrogen's tendency is to promote cell growth, which makes it a cancer promoter when produced in excess. This is one reason among many why we must do everything we can to create balanced hormones.

In North America, we are exposed to hormones from a variety of sources. We get additional hormones from eating meat and poultry (which are injected with hormones to promote growth), from plastic containers that emit estrogenic substances into the food/liquid they contain, and from petrochemical byproducts and pollutants that are estrogenic. This affects both men (prostate cancer) and women, and is causing little girls to increasingly start menstruating at younger and younger ages.

If you have ever had (past or present) any of the following symptoms, breast swelling/tenderness, fibrocysts, cancer, endometriosis, endometrial carcinoma/hyperplasia, PMS, migraines/headaches, osteoporosis, weight gain (belly, hips), water retention, gallbladder symptoms, menopause symptoms, insomnia, inability to concentrate, cyclical acne, fibromyalgia, depression or fatigue, there is a strong possibility that your body is not producing enough progesterone to balance the amount of estrogen.

High estrogen levels contribute to the aging process: risk of heart disease and stroke, hair loss, obesity, reduced sexual appetite. In the past 50 years we have seen an increase of over 30% in breast, ovarian and uterine cancer. A study was carried out in Australia where pesticides were used. There was clear evidence of masculinization of women and feminization of men.

Although estrogen has a reputation for preventing osteoporosis, the fact is that estrogen slows bone loss, but does not build bone. Progesterone is responsible for building bone. High estrogen levels inhibit the body's production of protective progesterone. In our culture, by the time women reach menopause, osteoporosis has already begun.

ABOUT HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY (HRT)

After more than 40 years of conventional hormone replacement therapy, almost everyone from the mass media to the pharmaceutical companies has misinformed and confused the public about "natural" versus "synthetic" hormones.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) of conventional medicine almost always use non-bioidentical estrogens and synthetic progestins that have been modified to be more potent, not to mention patentable and exclusive, and thus more profitable for the pharmaceutical companies.

There are many types of estrogens, and it is important to know the specific type and exact name before making a sensible decision about use. For example, if a newspaper reports, "New estrogen study confirms cancer risk," a woman who has been prescribed estrogen by her doctor will have to ask herself, "Was the estrogen in the study the same type of estrogen I had been using? Is there a connection between the two?" There are conjugated equine estrogens (CEE), naturally occurring estrogens such as estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3), and phytoestrogens, such as those from soy, red clover, flaxseed, and black cohosh. Phytoestrogens are the choice of plant connoisseurs because of their relatively weak estrogenic effects compared to the body's own estradiol (E2). However, these herbs are NOT considered "natural" estrogens because they are still different from those found in the human body. True human estrogens have a more profound effect on the body than phytoestrogens.

Some estrogen products are derived from horse urine (PREGENT MARE URINE) and are therefore not "natural" by definition, despite a statement on the drug packaging that says "estrogens derived exclusively from natural sources." While it may be true that these conjugated equine estrogens are derived from horses (natural, for the horse), they do not match human hormones and thus often have side effects. There are more than 10 types of estrogen in a single estrogen tablet, most of which are much stronger than the human body's own estradiol.

When the study of equine hormones was halted in July 2002, it sparked "an almost unheard-of transformation of the medical landscape," reports the New York Times. Doctors have thrown up their hands in confusion. Many now tell women that they have to "live with" the hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, low libido, etc.

The best source of progesterone and estrogen is your own body!

OTHER MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS

Pre-menopause

The term "pre-menopause" or "menopause" is usually used to define the symptoms leading up to the final menstrual period, which is caused by the reduction in the number of eggs a woman has. Therefore, the age at which a woman has her last menstrual cycle depends on the number of eggs her body has produced.

If you have had your ovaries removed by a hysterectomy then you will have an immediate menopause regardless of your age. If you have had a hysterectomy and your ovaries were left intact then you have up to a 50% chance of your ovaries failing within five years of your hysterectomy, this can happen because the blood supply to the uterus has been cut off. Radiotherapy after a hysterectomy for cancer can also cause the ovaries to fail prematurely.

Even after a natural menopause, the ovaries continue to play a role in a woman's health, producing a small amount of estrogen and a significant amount of testosterone for up to 12 years. Therefore, there is evidence that women who have had a hysterectomy should be offered supplementation of both testosterone and estrogen.

Hot flashes

Because horse hormones balance fluctuating estrogen levels, they are sure to stop hot flashes. But the primary cause of hot flashes is stress, which throws your hormones out of balance.

If you've had a hot flush, there's no doubt about it! The sudden, intense, warm feeling in the face and upper body, which may have been preceded or accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, sweating, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, headache, weakness, or a feeling of suffocation. Some women experience an "aura," an uneasy feeling just before the hot flush that lets them know what's coming. The hot flush is followed by a flush that leaves you flushed and sweaty. You may have a wet upper lip or just a moist one. A shiver may continue or end the episode.

Mood swings

Black cohosh shows better results than conventional therapies, such as hormone and mood-altering drugs, in relieving mood swings, and without increasing the risk of uterine or breast cancer, but the benefits do not last very long and the symptoms return.

Vaginal dryness

With the significant decline in estrogen levels after menopause, the membranes of the vagina become thinner, lose elasticity, and reduce the production of lubricating fluids. Sexual intercourse can be uncomfortable or even painful. Pain during intercourse can be largely caused by pain in the vulva, the area outside the vagina.

insomnia

If you experience insomnia every night, or most nights, for a period of one month, then you have chronic insomnia. If you do not have hot flashes or night sweats, then it is time to look for other causes of insomnia; depression and anxiety are the most common causes of chronic insomnia.