Managing Menopause With Homoeopathy
“Menopause is a natural physiological process, hence treatment is not required unless the symptoms are bothersome and the daily activities of the patient are affected”
Menopause marks the end of a woman s reproductive lite and is hence sometimes called the change of lite. It is the absence of menstrual period for 12 months and a time in a woman’s lite when the function of her ovaries ceases. The average age for menopause is 51 years. but most women reach menopause between ages 45-55years. However, every woman’s body has its own timeline and while some women stop having their periods in their mid- forties. others continue with periods well into their fifties.
Symptoms
Menopause is a natural physiological process, hence treatment is not required unless the symptoms are bothersome to the patient and her daily activities are affected. The symptoms are due to the fluctuation of female hormones (estrogens and progesterone) in the body. And though some women are positive enough to cross this phase of life with no significant problems, it must be remembered that the symptoms of menopause are highly individualistic. Some of these symptoms are as follows:
- Hot flushes (it is a feeling of warmth that spreads over the body and is more pronounced over head and chest)
- Irregular periods (heavy, scanty. early, late)
- Dry skin
- Disturbed sleep
- Vaginal dryness
- Changes in appearance (weight gain, acne, unwanted hair growth on chin, upper lip)
- Heaviness in breasts and feeling of bloating in the stomach.
- Hair tall, thinning of hair
- Urinary symptoms frequent urge, infections and leakage of urine
- Osteoporosis
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Diminished libdo
- Ernoteonal symptoms – irritability, tearfulness. forgetfulness, diminished concentration, fatigue, lethargy and mood swings.
Lifestyle Management
Certain lifestyle changes mentioned below can play a vital role in easing the discomfort associated with this phase of life and can help in dealing with individual symptoms.
- A healthy diet consisting of low tat, high fibre, less sugar and rich in fruits, green vegetables and whole grains.
Drinking plenty of water. - Induding soya, calaum rich foods or vitamin supplements.
- Avoiding alcohol, aerated drinks and caffeine which can trigger hot flushes.
- Regular exercising like including physical activity of 30 minutes (walking, swimming, cycling, aerobics etc.) daily will help in elevating the mood, maintain weight and strengthen the bones. It will also improve sleep.
- Regular practice of stress reduction techniques such as yoga, meditation breathing exercises are very helpful.
- Avoiding cigarettes, highly spicy and seasoned food, too helps.
Treatment With Homeopathy
Treating menopause through hormone replacement therapy is still controversial. Although HRT may provide benefits for some women, not many women adopt this treatment because of its serious health risks and undesirable side effects. Homoeopathic medicines are very effective in treating and controlling menopausal symptoms and help the patient to lead a normal lite.
These medicines are safe and because of this reason, there is a marked shift in peoples choice for adopting homoeopathic treatment. Homoeopathy helps the patient keep the symptoms under control. It treats the patient holistically by taking a detailed history of physical. mental and emotional well-being. Therefore, treatment is highly individualistic and personalized.
After a person takes homoeopathic medicines, there is a marked improvement in the symptoms and in energy levels as well. Women can start the treatment when they feel some physical and emotional changes in their routine. Along with homoeopathic medicines counselling of the patient is also very important. The patient needs to understand that menopause is a normal stage in every woman’s life and it should be welcomed and accepted as menarche (commencement of menses) was.
There is a wide range of highly effective homoeopathic medicines which help in treating the hormonal imbalance symptoms during menopause. These are as follows :
- Lachesis
- Amyl Nitrosum
- Sepia
- Graphites
- Cimicituga
- Sabina
- Caulophyllum
- Pulsatilla