Alternative Answers to Menopause

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Alternative Answers to Menopause

Our lives are filled with transitions. From birth to death, women tend

to go through a major transition cycle every seven years, with men it

is every eight years. So looking at our lives in cycles helps us to map

out in our mind or better understand our transitions and how to

approach them.

For women, the seventh cycle in her life is related to menopause.

Menopause is the progression and natural change a women's body goes

through when she is reaching the end of her child-bearing cycle. This

change signals a decrease in the production of estrogen and

progesterone in the ovaries. Often, women are aware that they are

nearing menopause once their menstrual periods start changing. The

cessation of the menstrual cycle for a period of one full year is

considered the medical diagnosis of menopause. There is menopause that

occurs naturally and there is also menopause that may be induced by

surgery. This medical " diagnosis " is not considered a disease but

simply an upgrade from reproductive to non-reproductive years. It is

simply a name given to this passing phase. This reduction in ovary

function, follicles, hormonal changes and blood circulation does not

happen overnight. This process or change often takes place over a span

of 3-6 years prior to a diagnosis of menopause. This is considered

peri-menopause.

Although the median age for women reaching menopause is age 50,

worldwide, remaining unchanged for centuries, variations in this

process occur based on constitutional factors and lifestyle.

Constitutional factors are considered situations we are born out of

based on family traits, genes and heredity. Lifestyle factors include

situations that occur during our lifetime based on our choices, such as

smoking, chemical dependency, obesity, type 2 diabetes and dietary

choices. Of course it is never just one factor that is an indicator of

this change, but a host of factors accumulating over a lifetime.

The severities of problems or symptoms, which can occur during

peri-menopause or menopause, are the culmination of several factors

brought together over time. For some women, no outward physiological

symptoms are experienced. But on the other hand, many women will

experience one or several of such symptoms as hot flashes, sweating,

vaginal dryness, headaches, irritability, insomnia, anxiety,

depression, fatigue or lack of concentration.

A Look At Hormones

Progesterone and estrogen hormone levels are the driving force during

the reproductive years. These hormones then start fluctuating during

menopause. Estrogen is the dominant hormone during the 3rd-13th day of

the cycle. Progesterone is the dominant hormone in the 14th-28th day of

the cycle. During the onset of menopause, a woman's body will not

produce sufficient amounts of estrogen and progesterone during the

cycle, which causes symptoms of menopause.

The endocrine system is the least understood of the body's

physiological processes. When the brain is called the " greatest sex

organ in the body " it is for good reason. The master controller of all

processes is the pituitary-hypothalamus-axis. This is the cross roads

of a complex series of feedback interactions and influences within the

hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and the adrenal glands. The ovaries

are the main source of estrogen during the reproductive years. This

form of estrogen is known as estrodiol. During the course of

perimenopause, women can begin having less than regular menstruation.

Estrogen may be high (dominant) at the beginning of perimenopause or

estrogen may cease to produce. This can often explain why women in

their 40's experience symptoms and then the symptoms stop. Indicators

of perimenopause can begin manifesting as symptoms such as irregular

menstrual cycles, with scanty infrequent bleeding, heavy bleeding

and/or clotting or skipped periods. These indicators are the body

showing it's hormonal imbalances. These symptoms can also be indicators

of other disorders; therefore the past history can differentiate.

As a great regulator, the pituitary-hypothalamus-axis helps to control

hormones. As a woman's body starts entering here seventh life cycle,

the kidneys (her constitution source of life) and better yet, the

adrenal glands start producing more of the hormone, androstenedione.

This hormone starts converting into an estrogen called estrone. Estrone

becomes the dominant estrogen instead of estrodial, after menopause.

The conversion of androstenedione to estrone is most prevalent in women

due to the amount of adipose (fat) tissue she may have. Therefore, a

woman who is overweight to obese will convert a much larger percentage

of androstenedione to estrone (between 5-7%) were a thinner woman may

only convert a smaller percentage (between 1-2%). Again, this shows how

lifestyle can play a major part in how a woman experiences menopause.

The Symptoms of Menopause

Woman may not experience any symptoms during this transition or may

only have one or more of the following. Many woman, on the other hand

can experience:

-hot flashes

-night sweats

-depression

-anxiety

-insomnia

-poor memory

-poor concentration

-vaginal dryness and/or atrophy

During menopause, women are at higher risk for:

-coronary artery disease

-artheriosclerosis

-osteoperosis

-thinning skin

-slow healing

-itching

-vaginal dryness

-atrophy

The Holistic Approach In Treating Menopause

The Eastern approach to treating menopause as a holistic therapy is

connecting the relationship between the mental, emotional, physical and

spiritual outlook. The Eastern medicine paradigm treats the whole

person, as the belief is that nothing works independent of each other,

but in conjunction with one another. This paradigm also sees symptoms

as a differential factor. As an example; hot flashes and night sweats

are one diagnosis where as, hot flashes, night sweats with cold hands

and feet is a completely different diagnosis. The Eastern approach also

looks at lifestyle concerns, environmental issues and diet, nutritional

choices and exercise as a complete effort in treating menopause.

With this said, a holistic approach must have a course of action. A

holistic therapy needs to address all of the above aspects (mental,

emotional, physical and spiritual) in order to be " whole " . I have many

women come into my practice to tell me how they have begun dabbling in

alternative medicine for their situation. I do think it is wonderful

that more and more patient are becoming empowered and willing to take

responsibility for their health and health care. What I would love to

see more of is addressing all aspects of their whole selves.

For example, I had a new patient come to me for hot flashes that are

worse in the morning, with fatigue, loose stool and frequent urination.

Here stress levels were extremely high and she was constantly

complaining about gas and bloating. Her solution was to take Vitex

(chasteberry) to address hot flashes and DHEA, because she read

somewhere this could help. She was taking an over the counter remedy

for here loose stool and a prescription from her doctor for the

frequent urination. She did nothing to address her stress levels and

was eating whatever she wanted because she was so stressed and called

herself an " emotional eater " . This was here holistic approach.

Unfortunately, not only was she taking an inappropriate combination of

medications and herbal supplements, she was not taking the correct

doses. She was not addressing the root of her problem (menopause

agitated by stress) and was sabotaging herself with what she was

putting in her mouth. She was simply addressing " symptoms " , which is no

better than a Western approach. Of course, symptoms must be address,

but the root of the problem will continue to remain and rebound back

into her life the minute her remedies for the symptoms wear off. By

reaching down to the root of the problem and " rebuilding and

fortifying " the foundation, she can affectively resolve so much more of

her imbalances.

A holistic course of action takes into account the mental, emotional,

physical and spiritual balance achieved throughout life. It is the

accumulation of the whole based on our constitutional health (what we

are born with/into) and the lifestyles choices we make during our stay

here. Following a holistic lifestyle should be one of continuous

education, exploration and self-discovery. So many, many people give

their lives and bodies away to the trust of. advertisers, doctors,

friends and family members.

Learn to listen to your body and your intuition. Trust only your body,

as it will do its best to take care of itself. And when it does not, a

health professional is a good place to get an idea as to what is

happening. But… no matter who you see for your health, I encourage you

to get a second and even third opinion. All health care professionals

will give you their opinion, based on their expertise, signs, symptoms,

physical findings or tests. Again, I stress the word opinion, as this

is exactly what it is. An opinion is based on a culmination of

information originating from everything including hearsay to practical

means. Some practitioner's scope is broad and far reaching. While other

practitioner's scope of practice is not so amassed or open. Regardless,

listen and learn. The more responsibility you take for your health the

greater your knowledge grows. This goes for what you read in books and

on the Internet as well. Everyone with an opinion has a belief or set

of beliefs that formulate that opinion. Sometimes, the formulation of

these beliefs into an opinion may not always be the most altruistic.

Discern information you receive carefully. Crosscheck this information

and do more research before giving yourself and your body over freely.

Formulate your opinion or belief system based on your own research as

well. Be a well-informed patient, first.

A holistic course of action for peri-menopause and menopause needs to

address the change in the body's physical characteristics. The mental

and emotional side of menopause is often an even larger hurdle to

overcome, as our attitudes and beliefs create our mind/body structure.

Elements that are seldom looked at during this seventh cycle of life

include sleep patterns, bowel movements, urination, digestion and the

assimilation of food in the body, body temperature in general, body

temperature in specific areas, movement and exercise, food choices,

situations that bring us stress and joy and mental attitudes that

contribute to our spiritual growth.

In Eastern medicine the kidneys are looked at as an entire system, not

just an anatomical object. The " energy " of the kidney system

encompasses not only the physical traits of regulating blood, waste

products and water metabolism, but dominates reproduction growth and

development. The kidney system is the producer of marrow (or essence),

dominates water metabolism working in conjunction with the urinary

bladder and the lungs. The kidney " system " in Eastern medicine is the

dominant force in our life vitality. They share a corresponding

emotional connection (fear), tissues (the ears), sensory organ (bones)

and element (water). As we age, the energy of the kidneys decline.

Since the kidneys are associated with our essence, they are the main

organs treated during menopause. Kidney disorders are generally of a

cold and or deficient nature. Therefore, tonifying and moistening the

kidneys is the primary approach.

The bladders along with the kidneys form an important pair. As they are

anatomically connected through the ureters, the bladder not only

excretes waste material but also is a temporary receptacle for vital

fluid retention and transformation. The bladder functions largely at

its optimum when the kidneys are normal, strong and healthy. Therefore,

water is metabolized properly and the storage and excretion of waste

through the bladder, is related to the general function of the kidneys.

-Tomorrow: Part 2 of a 3 part series: Alternatives to Hormone Replacement Therapy

Pacholyk, MS. L.Ac

http://www.peacefulmind.com/menopause.htm

Therapies for healing

mind, body, spirit