What Doctors Don't Want You to Know About Menopause
Menopause is part of the natural progression of a woman's life. Unfortunately, many doctors view menopause as a disease and treat the symptoms with prescription drugs and hormone replacement therapies. They don't tell their patients that there are many natural herbs and supplements that can treat the unpleasant symptoms without the major side effects of prescribed treatments.
History
Women have been going through menopause for thousands of years. Until the 20th century, most women took care of themselves through the change of life or consulted with a "wise woman" who had already been through the process. Women took a variety of herbs, ate certain foods and adjusted their lifestyles until the change of life process was complete.
Significance
According to Dr. Christiane Northrup in her book "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom," medical doctors are taught in school and later in seminars to treat menopause and perimenopause as a disease of aging. Because of this, many women fear this time in their lives rather than embracing the change and learning to keep their bodies healthy and fit without drugs.
Effects
Most women enter the menopause process somewhere between the ages of 45 and 55. It is during this time that many doctors encourage a woman to start Hormone Replacement Therapy (or HRT). Hormone Replacement Therapy has been linked to breast cancer in a wide variety of studies including one published in the Journal of the America Medical Associations (JAMA 1991; 266:1362). While HRT may reduce the symptoms of menopause, the rewards gained may not be worth the risks. Any HRT program should be individualized to each specific woman's needs and not a generic one-size-fits-all program, according to Dr. Northrup.
Considerations
In her series, "Wise Woman Herbal" Susun S. Weed claims herbs such as Black Cohosh, Motherwort and Vitex can help treat symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and irritability. The addition of soy to the diet can help with estrogen imbalance, as soy contains isoflavones that mimic human estrogen. Calcium and Vitamin D supplements along with soy foods can also help to keep bones strong and more resistant to fractures. Wild yam can be taken as a replacement for progesterone and there are other natural progesterone products available at health food stores and pharmacies.
Misconceptions
Many women do not know that Premarin, the leading estrogen replacement therapy, is actually made from the urine of pregnant mares. For many years doctors and the pharmaceutical companies kept this information from women. While there are now synthetic estrogen replacements, Premarin is still often prescribed for menopausal women.
Prevention/Solution
Before starting any therapy for menopause, a woman should have a frank discussion with her doctor about what she is prescribing and why. Women should also take the time to research new breakthroughs and discuss alternative methods with their health care professionals. If your doctor refuses to discuss reasons and alternatives, seek a second opinion.
Expert Insight
There are a number of books on the market that can help a woman though the menopausal years. Dr. Christiane Northrup has written "The Wisdom of Menopause" and "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom." Naturopath Tori Hudson, N. D. has written "Women's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine" and Susun Weed has an exhaustive book, "The Wise Woman's Guide to the Menopausal Years." All of these books can be purchased at your local bookstore or ordered online from Amazon or other retailers.
Tags: About Menopause, Bodies Women, Bodies Women Wisdom, change life, Christiane Northrup, Doctors Want
