Menopause is a normal part of almost every woman’s life. As we age, our bodies change. Menopause can be a very stressful time in a woman’s life. Menopause occurs because the body stops ovulating and hormones begin to change, and usually happens in a woman’s 40’s and 50’s.
Some common symptoms associated with menopause are:
Of all of these, mood swings tend to be the most noticeable to other people. Women who are experiencing menopause can experience violent mood swings. One moment they are happy and the next moment they are crying or angry. This can have negative effects on the woman’s own mental health, as well as the happiness of her husband, children, or other loved ones.
Treatments for mood swings
For some women, the symptoms of menopause are not tolerable, and they seek out treatments. There are many conventional treatments available, but these generally have adverse side effects.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
This is a very common form of treatment for menopause. With hormone replacement therapy, the estrogen lost during menopause is replaced with pills. These can come from synthetic, plant, or animal sources.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants may be prescribed for women suffering from menopause.
Antidepressants may have harmful side effects like:
- Constipation
- Anxiety
- Sexual problems
- Weight gain
- Sleep disruption
- Headache
Lifestyle changes
- Regular exercise has been shown to be helpful for alleviation of menopause symptoms
- Caffeine avoidance: some women find that caffeine exacerbates their symptoms
- Balanced diet: eating healthy foods can help alleviate menopause. Be sure to get enough calcium and vitamin D.
- Quitting smoking is beneficial to everyone
- Yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises may help some women
Natural remedies
Many women have found that all-natural herbal remedies can help reduce their menopause symptoms without negative side effects, for less than the cost of prescription drugs.
Common herbs for control of menopause symptoms include:
- Black cohosh: this herb has been used in Europe for many years to alleviate hot flashes, headaches, vaginal dryness, sleep disorders, and problems concentrating.
- Sage leaf has also been used extensively in Europe to control mood swings, anxiety, night sweats, and hot flashes.
- St. John’s Wort is a common herb for menopause. It is especially helpful to women with menopause when combined with black cohosh.
- Vitamin E acts as a natural estrogen substitute.
Find a good source of st. john’s wort for menopause here.
Sources:
http://www.clinical-depression.co.uk/Treating_Depression/side_effects.htm
http://34-menopause-symptoms.com/#libido
http://www.hormone-replacement-therapy-side-effects.com/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10623319
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/BlackCohosh.asp
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/HQ/01409.html
