Perimenopause is the stage, often lasting several years on either side of your last menstrual period, but is usually simply termed the menopause. The signs and symptoms of the perimenopause include symptoms such as, hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, irritability and anxiety to name a few.
Thankfully, there are many good tried and tested natural treatments available to women who choose not to or cannot take HRT. Here I have suggested 5 natural perimenopause treatments, all of which are easily available over the counter.
For those women who suffer with hot flashes and night sweats, it has been shown that a diet rich in soy can be very beneficial. Soy is rich in phytoestrogens, omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, folic acid, iron and other essential vitamins and minerals.
Studies now show that soy not only provides a wide range of health benefits, but also helps you cope better with premature ovarian failure or early menopause. It can also help prevent osteoporosis, increasing bone density and bone mineral content. You can get soy from a variety of sources such as, soy milk, tofu, roasted soy nuts, tempeh and soy beans.
Feelings of stress and anxiety are common symptoms of the perimenopause. Vitamin B can help both in terms of fighting off menopausal symptoms and reducing the long-term negative effects of menopause. B vitamins are considered excellent stress fighters. They not only help with stress and anxiety, but also irritability, mood swings and insomnia. B vitamins work in harmony with one another, so for best results, a vitamin B complex supplement is best.
Some women suffer from acute breast pain at the perimenopause or mastalgia as it is medically known. This is due to the decline in hormones from the ovaries.
Wearing a good supportive bra, day and night can help. But one of the most widely recommended natural treatments by doctors is evening primrose oil.
Evening primrose oil is a good source of gamma linolenic acid (GLA).
Evening primrose oil has been found to help reduce breast pain in up to 70% of women. One big advantage is that it has not been found to have any side-effects.
Insomnia is often another symptom of perimenopausal women. This can be due to night sweats or just the inability to fall asleep.
Valerian has been widely used for centuries to treat insomnia. It is also effective in treating menstrual problems and is a great anxiety reliever, helping to ease mood swings and tension.
And finally, women who are at the perimenopause often find they become forgetful. This is probably one of the least recognised signs of the onset of the menopause. Ginkgo biloba extract is useful in the treatment of forgetfulness because of its effects on the vascular system. It is especially good in the relief of cold hands and feet as well as forgetfulness that often occurs at this time.
Ginkgo biloba has been shown to improve blood flow to the brain and enhance energy production within the brain, this increases the uptake of glucose by the brain cells and therefore, improving the transmission of nerve cells.
The above natural remedies are only a few that are available to women at this physically and emotionally difficult time in their lives. As with all treatments it is always best to seek the advice of your doctor before starting on any medications, natural or otherwise.
