1. Eating Healthy Has Never Been So Important
If your menopause symptoms are severe to the point of interfering with daily activities, tackle your dinner plate before running to the doctor. Although junk food, fried food and caffeine are no-nos for teenagers and women in their 20s, they can harm more than your complexion once you reach menopause. Forgo that cup of coffee in the morning for herbal tea. Make sandwiches with whole grain bread, and replace spicy foods with fruits, vegetables and grilled fish or poultry. Drink lots of water, and snack on almonds and sunflower seeds instead of cookies and candy. A healthy diet curbs hot flashes and helps you lose weight, too.
2. Keep Active to Keep Your Body Young
Walking, jogging or doing yoga for 30 minutes at least 5 days a week will treat menopause symptoms like mood swings, hot flashes and night sweats, and prevent insomnia. Exercise improves circulation, elevates your mood by stimulating endorphins in the brain, and increases bone mass. Many menopausal women suffer from osteoporosis, and exercise helps control this debilitating condition.
3. Stock Up on Soy
Asian women have milder menopause symptoms than their Western counterparts, and many medical experts attribute this to the soy in their diets. If the thought of soy burgers turns you off, take a soy and red clover supplement. Soy and another proven menopause hot flash fighter, black cohosh, form the nucleus of many natural menopause supplements, including Estroven, Nature Made and Promensil. Take one of these supplements in addition to exercise and diet if you have moderate to severe symptoms.
4. When Natural Treatment Fails
If vaginal dryness interferes with your sex life, use an over-the-counter lubricant like KY Jelly or any personal lubricant. If this nonprescription method fails, and you have other menopausal symptoms like severe hot flashes or mood swings, talk to your doctor about HRT (hormone replacement therapy). While vaginal dryness is a normal part of menopause, hormone or the milder estrogen therapy can be used in severe cases. Doctors prescribe either a skin patch or a pill to replace the estrogen and hormones that women lose as they enter menopause.
5. Alternative Prescriptions May Help
If hormone replacement therapy proves too dangerous for your body and natural methods fail to control hot flashes, mood swings and other menopause symptoms, doctors can prescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac and Paxil to alleviate hot flashes.
