Menopause is the next natural step in a woman’s life. This is when the woman is no longer fertile, and her body has stopped all production of oestrogen. Most menopausal symptoms are usually happening two to five years after the symptoms start, but some women can experience symptoms for many more years.
It is estimated that eight out of ten women in the UK experience symptoms leading up to the menopause. Only one in 10 women seek medical advice when they go through the menopause, and many do not need any treatment at all. However, if you are having menopausal symptoms and they are severe enough to interfere with your daily life, there are natural treatments available that can help.
Common symptoms of menopause
Hot flushes and night sweats – A hot flush is a sudden feeling of heat in your upper body, which can start in your face, neck or chest, before spreading upwards and downwards. Hot flushes that occur at night are called night sweats.
Sleep disturbance – Many menopausal women have trouble sleeping due to night sweats, but sleep disturbance may also occur as a result of anxiety or insomnia. You may find that a lack of sleep makes you irritable, and that you have problems with your short-term memory and ability to concentrate.
Vaginal symptoms – During the peri-menopause, you may experience vaginal dryness, itching or discomfort.
Urinary symptoms – You may find that you become prone to recurrent lower urinary tract infections. You may also experience an urgent need to pass urine, and need to pass it more often than normal.
HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and menopause
HRT contains oestrogen which replaces the oestrogen that your ovaries no longer make and is very effective to stop hot flushes. The main side effect is that HRT can increase in the risk of developing a serious blood clot (thrombosis), breast cancer, stroke, heart attack, ovarian cancer. The British Menopause Society advise that women using HRT for more than five years should see their doctor for an annual risk assessment.
Chinese medicine and menopause
Menopause can be successfully treated by acupuncture and herbal medicine which contain no hormones. Chinese herbs provide relief by correcting imbalances of the yin, yang, qi and blood. Such imbalances are the cause of hormonal imbalances and are the root of most menopausal complaints.
Acupuncture is useful for menopause, because it can clear heat. Needles placed in the fleshy part of the hand, between the thumb and forefinger (hegu), cool and relieve pain in the upper body. Stimulating the tip of the third finger can relieve insomnia.
In most cases, if you are experiencing hot flushes and night sweats, you will need to take Chinese herbs for at least three months for the treatment to have its full effect.