‘Menopause’ is a natural process in every woman’s life, which leads to changes in a woman’s reproductive system. As the supply of eggs ages, the body begins to ovulate less thus causing hormone changes. After awhile the estrogen and progesterone levels drop low enough to stop menstrual periods.

The age for onset of ‘menopause’ period is different for each woman. Though the average age for women who enter menopause is 52, it can occur any time between the ages of 30 to 60. It can either be a quiet transition or a dramatic one. At times, surgery like - removing the ovaries, radiation therapy to the pelvis area and chemotherapy can trigger early menopause.

Menopause symptoms
During the time leading up to menopause, there are some indicative menopause symptoms that differ from one woman to another. These symptoms can be the following:-

Irregular and very heavy menstrual periods
Mild to severe ‘hot flushes’
Fatigue and muscle pains
Headaches, mood swings, depression, anxiety, heart palpitations and irritability.

As the hormone estrogen steadily drops for many months before and after menopause, it is possible for symptoms to get worse. After a while the hormone will level off and the symptoms usually get better, however some women have the symptoms beyond menopause, called post-menopause.

Menopause treatment
Since menopause is a natural part of life, usually no treatment is needed. If the symptoms interfere with your life then making some lifestyle changes may be required. Try to make an effort to eat well, and avoid caffeine, alcohol and stress. When you get hot flushes, you can try a controlled breathing method to reduce them and emotional symptoms.

If you think you need more relief after making lifestyle changes then you can try other treatment for menopause relief. As a part of ‘menopause remedies’, you could try ‘Hormone Replacement Therapy’ in either of the two ways –
- With a low dose of birth control pills before menopause begins
- A low dose of hormone replacement therapy after menopause begins.

Menopause and weight control
‘Weight training’ becomes all the more important as you age, so that you age with grace. It is a fact that the older you get, the less ‘forgiving’ your body becomes, so cannot ‘messing around’ if you want a desirable post-menopause appearance.

As you tend to suffer from osteoporosis after menopause, some kind of ‘weight lifting’ can keep your bones stronger and ‘denser’.

If you follow a proper fat loss plan, you will lose fat and increase muscle – it is just that this will happen at a slower pace than in your earlier years. First of all, make sure you follow the fundamentals, namely:
- Drinking a lot of water
- Eating smaller meals
- Exercising

Taking a multivitamin can help relieve many women of the most common lose weight menopause symptoms. A vitamin supplement for menopausal women will include Vitamins B and C, as well as a variety of minerals. If you often feel tired, and unable to get your energy back, then try taking Vitamin B, along with Chromium, Potassium, and Zinc. These are usually included in multi-vitamins.

Even if you do not take a vitamin supplement, you should try to ensure you are eating a varied and balanced diet, with lots of fruit, and green leafy vegetables. Healthy eating will keep your immune system working effectively, and help to combat the menopause problems.

Menopause is not a ‘disease’, and for most women, a few dietary changes, and a simple supplement, is enough to reduce the symptoms the feel during the menopause, and get them back to feeling like their old happy and energetic selves!