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How long does Menopause last?

Posted by Vicky on March 25th, 2010

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Every woman in her life has to go through the difficult phase of menopause. Menopause is bound to cause many discomforts such as sweating, hot flashes, depression and mood swings. Such symptoms are associated with perimenopause that marks the onset of menopause. As frustrating as this could be, there is no means to avoid it. At such junctures, the only question that constantly prevails in our minds is ‘How long does menopause last?’ The answer to this cannot be given in a single line due to the complexity that surrounds the issue. However, a deeper understanding of the issue would help attain clarity.

What is menopause?

Menopause marks the stage in a woman’s life where she stops menstruating and is no longer fertile. Perimenopause denotes the period of 3-5 years that precedes menopause. During perimenopause, the estrogen levels in the body begin to lower.

Sings and Symptoms of Menopause and Peri-menopause

Menopause and Perimenopause have similar symptoms and it is often confusing to determine which one of them a woman is going through. According to experts’ opinion, menopause is confirmed only when there is no occurrence of menses for a period 12 months. Nevertheless, the symptoms begin even before completion of 12 months. Listed below are a few symptoms that are common during both Peri menopause and menopause:

Low fertility
Irregular periods
Hot Flashes
Dryness of the Vagina
Night Sweats
Disturbed Sleep
Mood Swings
Hair Loss
Urinary Problems

How long does Menopause last?

There are numerous factors that affect menopause such as genetic conditions, lifestyle and the age at which a woman attained her puberty. These factors play a vital role in the duration of menopause. Menopause starts and ends at different ages for every woman depending on the above mentioned factors. For some women, it lasts only for 3-4 years while for a few others, it might last as long as 7-10 years. Let us say that if a woman had attained puberty at the age of 13, then there are many chances that she experiences menopause at an early stage. For some women, the age at which their mothers experienced menopause can also be a deciding factor.

Considering the above mentioned facts, the only answer available to the question ‘How long does menopause last?’ is: There is no fixed duration for menopause. All one can do to escape the discomforts is introduce few lifestyle changes such as indulging in regular physical activities, following a healthy sleep routine, trying herbal supplements and a well balanced diet. If further complications exist, it is always advisable to consult your physician.

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Tags: menopause, Perimenopause

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The Effect of Evening Primrose Oil on Women’s Health

Posted by My Fair Lady on January 12th, 2009

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Evening primrose oil is a natural, healthy source (and very rich in) gamma-linolenic acid. It is a highly valuable health food source, especially for those who don’t get these essential fatty acids in the diet. As a potent antioxidant, it counteracts the body’s free radicals and counteracts the aging process. It is helpful to reduce pain in women with arthritis, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease and conditions like depression, multiple sclerosis, hair loss or poor hair and nail health. In women with PMS, even if it is severe, evening primrose oil can help control the symptoms.

In one London-based study on severe PMS, it was found that evening primrose oil, when taken three times a day, resulted in 67 percent of the participants being symptom free and another 22 percent were able to be partially symptom-free. These studies prove that the effect of Evening primrose oil women’s health is a powerful one and can help in addressing many health problems that women face.

The essential fatty acids are believed to be necessary as about 3 percent of our daily diets and can be gotten through the taking of evening primrose oil. Essential fatty acids do approximately four positive things for the body: 1) it provides energy to the body, 2) it helps maintain the body’s temperature 3) it cushions and protects the body tissues and 4) it insulates the nerves of the body. These essential fatty acids must be converted to an active form—a process that decreases with age, thyroid function disturbances, low metabolism, disease, infections and zinc deficiency.

Evening primrose oil is one of the richest sources of gamma linoleic acid and is very valuable to others who don’t have other sources of GLA. This includes people who have an underactive thyroid gland, or those who have had some kind of radiation treatment.

Evening primrose oil grows wild along some roadsides and grows well in sand dune. It is a member of the willow herb family and opens primarily in the evenings. It is known for a lot of things, particularly for women’s health issues. The main female symptoms that have been known to be helped by evening primrose oil include:

• Premenstrual Syndrome: this includes the bloating, irritability and breast tenderness/lumpiness that occurs in the week or two before a woman gets her menstrual period. Evening primrose oil has been known to control these symptoms to an extensive degree so that up to 90 percent of women get at least some relief from evening primrose oil.

• Fibrocystic breast disease: these are fibrous, lumpy and occasionally painful breasts that some women develop and which get worse before the menstrual period. Studies have shown that evening primrose oil controls these symptoms in a significant degree of affected women.

• Menopausal symptoms: these are hot flashes, irritability, fatigue and other symptoms that affect a woman around the time her menses stop and the ovaries shut down egg production. Evening primrose oil has been found to reduce these symptoms and ease the transition of menopause in affected women.

Gamma linolenic acid is part of what makes evening primrose oil so good. It is also believed to contribute to weight loss in a small percentage of people, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, block the formation of dangerous blood clots, controls arthritis and helps dysmenorrheal, which are painful menstrual contractions. Gamma linolenic acid is a precursor to prostaglandins and helps regulate prostaglandins in the body when they fluctuate during menopause and PMS.

Women especially benefit from evening primrose oil in terms of weight loss because they contain more fat cells than men. Another effect of Evening primrose oil on women’s health is that it will boost metabolism and will aid in the burning of more calories in overweight women.

How much to take? The amount of evening primrose oil to take depends on the body weight and on which benefits you’re looking at. For those using it for weight loss, it is recommended to take 1500 milligrams per day. When used to treat hormone imbalances, it is recommended to take 1000 milligrams per day.