Most American women will begin to experience menopause in their early fifties. Just because this is a process all women’s body will go through does not mean all women should suffer the discomfort at full force.
Read on for nine ways to reduce the symptoms of menopause and make the transition more bearable.
Signs of Menopause to Watch Out For
Hot flashes and an end to the monthly cycle are obvious, and well-known, signs of menopause. But besides these obvious changes to a woman’s body, there are a handful of other symptoms. While none of these signs necessarily prove outright that a woman is in menopause, they are key indicators.
Signs of Menopause
- Night sweats
- Depression, sadness, or anxiousness
- Vaginal dryness
- Lowered or loss of libido
- Difficulty focusing
- Thinning hair
- Insomnia
Women usually expect to enter menopause in their late forties to fifties, except in the case of premature ovarian failure.
Maintaining a Healthy Weight will Help Reduce the Symptoms of Menopause
Getting a handle on weight loss during menopause can significantly reduce symptoms like night sweats and hot flashes. As the female body changes around menopause it can be hard to fend off those extra, creeping pounds. But by focusing on weight reduction, you will benefit from lessened symptoms and a decreased chance of developing health problems such as heart disease.
Drink 8 to 12 Glasses of Water Daily
Decreased estrogen levels during menopause can lead to dryness. In addition to dryness, women may also experience bloating.
To combat these symptoms of menopause, monitor your intake of water. Drink a total of eight to twelve glasses each day, focusing on higher water consumption directly before meals.
Cut Out or Avoid All Triggers
You might be wondering: What is a trigger in relation to menopause?
Certain foods can cause menopause symptoms to flare up. Even the time of day during which you consume food can cause increased symptoms.
Common menopause triggers include:
- Sugary foods
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Spicy Foods
- Fatty Meats
Every woman is a bit different when it comes to triggers. Keep an eye on what you are consuming and how your body behaves afterward.
If consuming certain foods seems to relate to an increase in hot flashes, it might be time to consider cutting out the offending food or beverage.
Practice Mindfulness Meditation
While not completely proven, some recent studies are pointing toward mindfulness practices as being beneficial to cutting down on menopause symptoms. Meditation is said to help with stress and insomnia. Hypnosis, on the other hand, has been found to reduce hot flashes.
Yoga and acupuncture are other mindfulness practices that, while not proven, may be beneficial to reducing menopause symptoms.
Take Daily Supplements for Overall Health Upkeep
Supplements and herbs can help menopause symptoms to varying degrees. Keep in mind, however, that not all supplements have strong scientific proof of their benefit.
Natural supplements and herbs to try for menopause relief include:
- Black cohosh
- Probiotics and prebiotics
- Evening primrose oil
- 5-HTP
- Vitamin E
- Black currant oil
- Dong Quai
- Calcium
- Vitamin D3
- Kava
- Phytoestrogens
Menopause symptoms shouldn’t be something that you just ‘deal with’. Especially not when there is a range of potential solutions. Alleviating the worst of the symptoms can help to make you more comfortable during this major transition.
Get Your Steps In with Regular Excercise
While exercise may not directly reduce hot flashes, it can be beneficial for overall health. Some of these benefits include improved sleep and decreased stress or anxiety, problems women in menopause often face.
The overall benefits of exercise, such as the decreased risk for disease, all help to ease the overarching problems women in menopause endure. Exercise may not be a direct answer, to kissing hot flashes good riddance, but it is a solution to extraneous related menopause problems.
Keep a Consistent Diet
The key is consistency. Avoid skipping meals as it can actually cause weight loss to be stunted and other symptoms of menopause to worsen.
An inconsistent diet or skipped meals can cause all your work exercising, consuming supplements, and eating healthy to be of little to no help.
Cut Back on Processed Foods and Sugar
Irritability and fatigue can be caused by blood sugar drops and hikes. Who’s at fault for these swift changes in blood sugar? Your sugar intake, that’s who.
Besides worsened bone quality and a higher risk of depression, processed foods and foods high in sugar can worsen other menopause symptoms.
When eating healthier to maintain a healthy diet, also take into account how much sugar is in your food. Cut back when possible. You’ll certainly notice a difference.
Be Clever When Fighting Off Hot Flashes
Hot flashes (or hot flushes) are thought to be caused by changes within the hypothalamus in the brain. In the case of hot flashes that are not debilitating to everyday activity, there are solutions other than medication.
Reduce Hot Flashes by:
- Using fans to cool down
- Bumping the AC lower
- Use a chilling pad in your chair or mattress
- Avoid trigger foods for hot flashes
Find out more about managing your menopause symptoms for a happy, healthier you.
Make Menopause Manageable Not Miserable
Menopause is an unfortunate part of aging for women. As women head into their forties and fifties, they gear up for the telltale signs their reproductive organs are changing. Reduce the symptoms of menopause with the remedies provided to make this transition easier.
Check out our other articles on health for more guidance.