Do not panic. Menopause is not the beginning of the end. Menopause is a normal biological experience which affects more than 300 different body functions.
There is a lot of misunderstanding about menopause, including when it starts. To be precise, menopause starts at a woman's last menstrual period.
But it is not considered as the last one until a woman has gone a year without a period. Once a woman realizes she is in menopause, she is actually post-menopausal.
The most common symptoms are hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, sleeplessness, loss of libido, weight gain, vaginal dryness and osteoporosis. Menopause can last anywhere from 30 days to 10 years or even longer.
Menopausal women gain an average of 10-20 pounds, but not if they eat less and stay active. In addition, pain with sex and a diminished libido are common problems. Between 40% and 88% of menopausal women complain about sexual issues.
According to drug companies, 4 million women were using hormone therapy to treat menopause. The National Institutes of Health say there is a 40% drop in hormone therapy prescriptions.
A lot of doctors say that they do not want to put the hormones of a 30-year-old in the body of a 60-year-old.
A number of women prefer alternative medicines. Herbal remedies are available without prescription, so there is no exact data of how many women use them to treat menopause symptoms.
There are also doctors who do not advise herbal remedies because they do not know what these herbs do to the body if they are taken for long periods of time.
Doctors advocate menopausal women to change their lifestyle habits - eat better, exercise on a regular basis and focus on how your body is feeling.
