June 02, 2011 12:00 AM

I was inspired to write this column by a recent patient who swore she was “losing her mind.” She attributed it to either the onset of menopause or the summer homecoming of her college freshman daughter.

Actually, I’ve heard many women claim that their concentration and memory is not the same as it used to be. These are common complaints of women in menopausal transition; changes during menopause can be frightening and may lead some women to think they have early symptoms of dementia. This, fortunately, is usually not the case.

When a woman becomes more forgetful, she may wonder if decreasing estrogen is to blame. there is, however, little evidence that lower estrogen levels affect the brain. These changes are usually due to normal aging or mood. They usually subside after menopause.

However, younger women who have had “surgical menopause” (having had both ovaries removed) may experience immediate and severe menopausal symptoms. Studies have shown that this process can have a negative effect on memory. Mental skills like remembering words can be difficult immediately after surgical menopause.

Since the link between circulating hormone levels and cognitive impairment is weak, hormone therapy for cognitive symptoms or prevention of dementia is not recommended.

As we age, our mental abilities can slow. Also, stress at mid-life can affect sleep. Work demands, teenage children, the “empty nest” syndrome, aging parents, relationships, health concerns and financial woes take their toll.

Lack of sleep adversely influences the ability to concentrate and resultant fatigue during the day can cause you to be less alert and lead to problems at work and daily life.

The good news is that as you age, you have the ability to continue to gain knowledge, skills and expertise.

There are many ways to keep our minds strong. Physical and mental activity and a balanced social life all have positive effects on the mind. They may ward off the effects of aging and disease that can contribute to dementia.

Proper nutrition is also key. Foods that are healthy for your heart are usually also healthy for your brain.

Perhaps the best strategy for cognitive maintenance hews closely to common wisdom: Eat right, exercise (physically and mentally), minimize stress and strive for balance in your life.

• womenshealth.gov/aging/mental-health/aging-brain.cfm
• nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/memory/html.
• nia.nih.gov/healthinformation/publications/forgetfulness.htm
• menopause.com

Dr. Christian S. Pope specializes in obstetrics and gynecology. he has offices in New Bedford and Mattapoisett and practices at St. Luke’s Hospital, the New Bedford site of Southcoast Hospitals Group. he can be reached at 508-999-6245.

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Menopause is the transition from reproductive to non-reproductive phase which refers to the natural part of the aging and is a normal life stage of every woman. however, there is a large individual variation and each woman experiences menopause in a different way. one woman may go smoothly through these hormonal changes, while another can suffer with many debilitating symptoms until she receives proper treatment.

Perimenopause is a transitional period from a normal to completely absent ovarian function. During this time ovarian function becomes erratic with fluctuations in estrogen levels that results in some physical symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, headaches, mood swings and irregular periods. Perimenopause usually begins when a woman is in her 40s and lasts as long as four to eleven years.

During perimenopause the ovaries start to decrease their ovulatory function. the majority of women do not notice the menopause onset until they reach the last few years of perimenopause when estrogen production drops more quickly and dramatically.

Menopause begins when the ovaries stop to release eggs and a woman no longer has periods. Menopause usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 with an average age of 51 in the United States. A general indication of menopause is cessation of periods for 12 consecutive months.

The postmenopausal time is divided into two stages:

• Early postmenopause is within the first five years since the last menstrual period. at this stage hormone therapy is initiated if the symptoms, osteoporosis and bone loss become severe.• Late postmenopause is five years and beyond.

Factors affecting menopause

It is not well understood why the age of the menopause onset varies form woman to woman. Many environmental and lifestyle factors such as the use of oral contraceptives and smoking are related to the beginning of the natural menopause.

Genetics determines the number of eggs in the woman’s ovaries and the age when she goes into menopause. A strong association between genetics and the onset of the menopause were found based on the studies of the menopausal age of mothers, daughters and between siblings. If the women in your family went into menopause around 50, chances are 30 to 85% that you will experience menopause around this time also.

Smokers and women with chronic illness, autoimmune diseases, surgical removal of the ovaries or damage to the ovaries from the chemotherapy or radiation therapy are more likely to experience an early menopause. on average smokers reach the menopause two years earlier than non-smokers.

Premature menopause is characterized by the absence of normal ovarian functions and occurs in less than 1% of women under the age of 40 and 0.1% before the age of 30.

Women experience symptoms such as palpitations, heat intolerance and hot flashes that are believed to be caused by fluctuations of estrogen.

Clinical diagnosis of early menopause is based on the absence of periods for at least 4 months in combination with FSH levels exceeding 40 IU/liter before age of 40. however, about half of the patients show intermittent estrogen production and could ovulate making pregnancy possible after a diagnosis is made.

Thyroid and menopause connection

It is challenging to define the hormone related symptoms of menopause from those caused by aging, environmental stressors or other diseases. for instance, there is a sharp increase of autoimmune thyroid condition called Hashimoto’s disease in women approaching menopause.

At Hashimoto’s, thyroid antibodies attack the thyroid gland causing its destruction and release of an excessive amount of thyroid hormones into the bloodstream. During this transient event called hashitoxicosis a woman can experience typical hyperthyroid symptoms such as hot flashes, heat intolerance and insomnia that can be easily mistaken for symptoms of menopause.

Low-grade hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism and Grave’s disease in women around 50 can be confused with symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. Hypothyroid symptoms in women such as fatigue, depression and low libido are often attributed to signs of aging and menopause. the disease diagnosis is frequently missed and it can lead to a lack of proper treatment.

Women with Hashimoto’s disease are at a higher risk to develop another autoimmune disease. Premature ovarian failure or oophoritis is a painless autoimmune inflammation of the ovaries resulting in early menopause before age forty with a loss of fertility and ovary hormonal functions. the incidence of premature ovarian failure of the autoimmune origin is higher in women with Hashimoto’s and Grave’s disease.

Marina Gutner has a PhD in natural science and is a medical writer on thyroid issues and associated health conditions. to learn more about treatment for Grave’s and Hashimoto’s diseases subscribe to FREE articles on her blog Thyroid in Women.

Symptoms of hormone imbalance in women tend to increase as acting for a woman, especially ignorant in the first few years. Symptoms of hormone imbalance can be any one or more of the following:Symptoms of allergyDepression, fatigue and anxietyEndometriosisFibrocystic breastsLoss of hair and growth of facial hair HeadachesDizziness and foggy thinkingLow sex drive in OsteoporosisPMS Infections and urinary incontinence Uterine fibroidsGain WeightWater conservation and bloating wrinkled skinHormone imbalance symptoms caused primarily by the ratio between incorrect progesterone and estrogen levels in the body. The two female hormones: estrogen and progesterone exist in a delicate balance. changes in this balance can have a dramatic effect on your health, resulting in symptoms of hormone imbalance. The amounts of these hormones that the woman’s body produces from the monthly magazine may change, depending on factors such as stress, nutrition, exercise and most importantly – ovulation or the lack of ovulation.In the first 10-12 days of the menstrual cycle, only estrogen produced in the female body. If ovulation occurs, then progesterone produced by the ovaries. on approximately 28 days, levels of both hormones drop, resulting in menstruation. However, if ovulation does not occur, you can still have the menstrual period, but estrogen “is never balanced” by progesterone, which needed ovulation to trigger its production. These results in symptoms appear to hormone imbalance – you have lower estrogen production but progesterone levels low.In industrialized countries, women taking pills of birth control exposed to household chemicals at home, in car exhaust and other environmental xenoestrogens. In addition, women often have stressful lives, eat processed foods or skip meals, take synthetic estrogen HRT (therapy hormone replacement) and have hysterectomies. All these factors can add more estrogen to the female body, resulting in excess estrogen that will cause symptoms of hormone imbalance.How can a woman tell if she is experiencing symptoms of hormone imbalance? An easy, fast and effective is to take the online test provided by a Primary Health Clinic women ‘s for early signs of menopause and symptoms of hormone imbalance in women. The online test takes just minutes and is free. Read more about hormone imbalance, the symptoms of estrogen dominance and physician-recommended natural treatments to eliminate symptoms of hormone imbalance. Related Post

No, actually having a hysterectomy increases the symptoms and can lead to early menopause, because your estrogen levels will lower even more. you should try some over the counter medicine's such as estroven and things like that.

BodyLogicMD’s Dr. Kenneth Varano Talks about Skin Care after Menopause

PHILADELPHIA–(EON: Enhanced Online News)–It’s no secret that a woman’s skin changes as she gets older — especially during and after menopause. as we age, our skin begins to lose its elasticity and this oftentimes leads to sagging, wrinkles and stress lines. According to Dr. Kenneth Varano, Medical Director of BodyLogicMD of Philadelphia, many of the skin conditions women face as they age are actually caused by a combination of waning estrogen levels and environmental factors, such as overexposure to sunlight, smoking cigarettes and toxic byproducts.

“Skin care regimens can cost thousands of dollars and typically don’t address the root cause of the issue”

Menopause is notorious for bringing on a whole slew of unwelcome guests, including hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, insomnia and depression. however, there isn’t much talk about what happens to a woman’s skin during ‘the change’. Menopause typically occurs in women during their late 40’s or early 50’s. While symptoms and severity of symptoms may vary among women, the symptoms share a common catalyst — declining levels of estrogen and progesterone.

as estrogen declines, the skin produces less collagen and elastin — the proteins that promote elasticity. Declining estrogen levels can also give the skin a paler complexion, because low estrogen reduces the number of blood vessels in the skin. While skin care products can help to relieve itchy and dry skin on the short term, they don’t do much to boost levels of collagen and elastin. to do this, hormonal intervention may be necessary.

“Skin care regimens can cost thousands of dollars and typically don’t address the root cause of the issue,” shares Dr. Varano. “Before you waste your time with costly anti-aging creams, serums and facials, it might be worth it to have your hormone levels evaluated by a hormone specialist to determine if an underlying hormonal imbalance is to blame.”

in addition to hormonal imbalance, other contributing factors can be just as damaging. here are some tips from bioidentical hormones expert Dr. Varano to help keep your skin glowing and radiant:

• Protect yourself from the sun – Not only does the sun damage the quality of our skin, but over-exposure can also lead to various skin cancers. Additionally, wear appropriate clothing and apply sunscreen when in the sun for extended periods of time.
• Quit smoking – Cigarette smoking accounts for nearly a third of all cancer-related deaths in the U.S. Not only is smoking deadly, but it accelerates the body’s aging process by increasing the number of free radicals within your body.
• Take care of your skin – Certain soaps and beauty products can rob the skin of essential oils. Avoid hot water and long showers and be sure to use moisturizer on your skin daily.
• Eat the right foods – a healthy diet is the trick to looking and feeling your best. by consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, you can keep your skin looking youthful and radiant.
• Manage stress – Stress can trigger acne breakouts, thinning of the hair and even premature balding. The stress hormone cortisol also decreases the production of the fibers elastin and collagen.

“Stress, diet, environmental toxins and hormonal balance all play a role in the overall quality of your skin,” says Dr. Varano. “Women should proactively assess their daily skin care regimen to include products that are specifically formulated for aging and menopausal skin concerns.”

More about Dr. Varano

Kenneth Varano, D.O. received his undergraduate from new York University in 1989. he then graduated from the University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1994. Dr. Varano fulfilled his internship tract at the Long Beach Medical Center/ Mt. Sinai University in 1995. Dr. Varano is a fellow of the American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Varano is a member of the American Osteopathic Association and a member of the American Academy of Osteopathic Family Physicians.

More about BodyLogicMD

Founded in 2003, BodyLogicMD physician-owned practices make up the nation’s largest and fastest growing network of the most highly trained physicians specializing in natural bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Integrated with fitness and nutrition programs, BodyLogicMD’s medically supervised programs are for men and women suffering from hormone imbalance associated with menopause and andropause.

find bioidentical hormone doctors in your area and get more information about BodyLogicMD bioidentical hormone therapy programs.

It might be tempting to get a quick fix for hot flashes, but consider a different perimenopause treatment besides hormone replacement therapy (HRT). HRT may be inexpensive and easy, but its long-term risks outweigh the immediate benefits – not to mention that it will likely further aggravate the symptoms of menopause! this outcome occurs because HRT causes estrogen dominance, a condition where there is far more estrogen than progesterone in the body. on the other hand, products that are natural for menopause-related symptoms will provide relief from your symptoms without causing estrogen dominance.

Risks of estrogen dominance caused by medications for perimenopauseBelow are just a few of the risks faced by menopausal women when they take HRT.

Increased menopause symptomsWhile restoring your estrogen levels might reduce hot flashes to begin with, it may also cause increased weight gain, poor sleep patterns, headache, anxiety, and depression if left unopposed.

Fibrocystic breasts and breast cancerResearchers from Harvard University discovered that the longer your exposure to estrogens, the greater your risk of fibrocystic breasts (breast cysts) and breast cancer. In their Nurses’ Health Study, a study that tracked the health of 70,000 women for almost 20 years, they discovered that menopausal women who used estrogen had a 30% increased risk for breast cancer than women who didn’t take HRT. the risk for breast cancer was 40% more among women who took estrogen and progestin manmade progesterone). Those who were taking HRT for longer than five years had an elevated risk that increased with their age. the Nurses’ Health Study supports early evidence that HRT plays a significant role in the onset of breast cancer, even if progestin is added to balance out the estrogen.

Blood clotsStudies demonstrate that an increased risk of blood clots among menopausal women is triggered by two things: cigarette smoking and the use of synthetic estrogens.

Gallstones and liver problemsIf you have any kind of liver disorder, then you should definitely avoid HRT; estrogen affects the function of the liver enzymes. Research shows that women taking HRT have twice the risk of developing gallstones that require surgical removal.

Uterine cancerFour to eight out of every one thousand menopausal women will develop uterine cancer because of HRT. Although the risk of uterine cancer is decreased when progestin is added, research shows that progestin will place you at greater risk for breast cancer. Other risk factors like cigarette smoking, a family history of uterine cancer, and abnormal uterine bleeding will also increase the likelihood of HRT-related uterine cancer despite the presence of progestin.unlike the symptoms of menopause, which are temporary, the side effects of HRT may last a lifetime.

Herbal Supplements for Perimenopause

Perimenopause is the span of time in which a woman’s body starts to begin to make its transition into menopause. Perimenopause surrounds the years leading up to menopause – from two to eight years – as well as the first year after a woman’s final period. This biological process is a natural part of aging and is a sign of the end of a woman’s reproductive cycle.

Herbal supplements for perimenopause can help reduce some of the more troubling or even debilitating associative perimenopause symptoms. during this phase, a woman’s estrogen levels rise and fall.

Herbal supplements for perimenopause can help to equilibrise hormones. Typically, the menstrual cycle might lengthen or shorten or a woman can begin to menstruate but not ovulate, while during perimenopause. It’s only during cycles when a woman does ovulate that she can get pregnant. Herbal supplements for perimenopause can be an important bourgeois to overall health during this period of time.

The time at which perimenopause starts and how long it lasts, can differ by individual. to start, a woman would often see signs of impending menopause, such as menstrual infrequency, sometime in their 40s. however, some women might see differences as primeval as their mid-30s. Herbal supplements for perimenopause can help during this transitional period.

Herbal supplements for perimenopause are gaining in popularity not only because they help to lessen symptoms associated with perimenopause and equilibrise hormones, but also due to the fact that they have been shown to be allot safer and often just as effective as HRT (hormone replacement therapy).

Since its first appearance in the 1960′s HRT had become (almost instantly) the number one treatment plan for women suffering from symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause. In the case of perimenpausal patients, this included women with uneven or irregular periods (spotting). In the case of menopausal patients, they no longer had menstrual cycles.

Perimenopausal and menopausal women can have same symptoms. these include (but are not limited to) hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, heart palpitations, moodiness, insomnia, reduced sexual drive, abdominal weight gain, drying skin, and hair loss or abnormal unwanted hair growth. Herbal supplements for perimenopause have been known to reduce, or in many cases, completely extinguish the symptoms associated with perimenopause and/or menopause.

In the time after the introduction of HRT, copious amounts of scientific study has largely pointed to the troubling risks go together with this type of treatment plan. Some of the usual risks found with HRT are heart disease and various insidious types of cancer. a move toward herbal supplements for perimenopause is a move away from the high and uncertain risks found with HRT.

In droves, women are changing their minds about traditional medicine and turning toward herbal supplements for perimenopause.

The sales of herbal supplements for perimenopause have skyrocketed in current years. Instead of being goaded into high-risk treatment plans pushed by corporately owned (for profit) medical entities, many women are leading the move away from high risk treatment plans and towards effective low-risk alternatives. Herbal supplements for perimenopause are a huge part of the change.

As overall health care expense continue to increase due to technological advancements in equipment and treatment plans, some women are holding off, taking control of their own health care and administering “old-school” treatments to an age-old problem. Herbal supplements for perimenopause are a huge part this “old/new again” type mentality.

Taking charge and perception are a significant part of well being. Knowing ahead of time the very high disease risks and side effects of HRT before and especially during treatment, add a massive amount of pointless stress to the process. Everyone no doubt concurs that it is largely counterproductive and almost counter-intuitive to add extreme stress to any healing process.

Women who take the lead of their own health regimen can immediately remove this type of stress from their lives. This, combined with the adding of herbal supplements for perimenopause can go a long way toward maintaining a innocuous and effective alternate treatment plan.

In addition to the tremendous short and long term health care costs that can be reached by opting for herbal supplements for perimenopause, the actual overall health benefits can be tremendous as well.

Similar to chemotherapy, HRT can place undue stress on other bodily organs and systems, other than the endometrial. Heart, liver and kidney function can also be affected (even short term) by HRT. it would be superior to think about an overall health plan that included innocuous and effective herbal supplements for perimenopause?

FemFlax is an all natural plant based supplement that can be added to any perimenopause and menopause symptom management treatment plan. The active ingredients have been in vivo tested to be innocuous and effective antigens toward common symptoms that come with perimenopause and menopause, including hot flashes and night sweats.

For additional information on how to self-manage the symptoms together with perimenopause and menopause and how to apply Herbal Supplements For Perimenopause to a pro-active menopause treatment plan, please visit our website at: femflax.com.

Herbal Supplements for Perimenopause – Support

Alva Solomon is a health coach and specializes in menopause treatment plans and lifestyle for women of menopause age.

Article from articlesbase.com

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