Menopause is defined as the time when all of a woman's menstrual periods permanently stop. It's also referred to as the "change of life," but isn't that a definite understatement? All women experience menopause, either when their menstrual periods end or their ovaries are surgically removed.

The average woman starts menopause at age 51.. Menopause can actually begin anytime between the ages of 40 and 60. Now here's an interesting thing: there's a good chance that neither you nor your doctor will know for sure if the crazy symptoms you're living through are truly caused by menopause. In fact, not all women experience menopause symptoms.

The symptoms of menopause may feel really unnatural, but they signal a completely natural transition in a woman's life. It all comes about because of the decreased production of the hormone estrogen that accompanies menopause. Lowered estrogen levels lead to a variety of symptoms. It's important to remember that lower estrogen levels are the real culprit behind menopause symptoms.

The symptoms of menopause seem positively bizarre to friends and family members, so I can't even imagine what it must be like to experience them personally. Hot flashes, mood swings, irritability--these would be enough to drive anyone crazy. But how about insomnia, night sweats, changes in sexual desire? There are up to 32 distinct symptoms that indicate you might be approaching menopause.

Since many of the uncomfortable menopause symptoms are caused by the decline in estrogen production, it seemed only logical to the medical community that "replacing" the lost hormones was the best treatment. That's why treatment consisting of estrogen pills came to be known as "hormone replacement therapy," or HRT.

Of course, it wasn't really a case of replacing unnaturally low estrogen levels, because lower estrogen levels would actually be normal for a woman in this phase of her life. Recently, doctors have begun referring to this type of therapy as simply HT or "hormone therapy." It may also be called ET or "estrogen therapy."

Now, doesn't it seem to you that artificial tinkering with a natural process usually turns out to be a bad idea? Well, that's what happened with hormone replacement therapy. Studies began to suggest that hormone pills were linked with increased risk of blood clots, breast cancer and stroke.

So suddenly women were faced with a awful choice--either endure the maddening symptoms of menopause or risk their life and health by taking what was probably a short-term fix all along.

There are <---****HYPERLINK****--->"http://www.naiveremedy.org">native remedies for menopause. Some say they work better because being natural herbs, they are more attuned to your body.. <---****HYPERLINK****--->"http://www.nativeremedy.org">Native remedies for menopause symptoms provide a natural, holistic alternative to hormone therapy. The most effective herb used in natural remedies for menopause symptoms is black cohosh.

Black cohosh is an herb that is native to the United States and Canada. Here's a little known fact: it was actually used by Native Americans as an antidote to poison, specifically rattlesnake bites. Black cohosh has been thoroughly researched and tested. It actually behaves enough like estrogen that it binds to your body's estrogen receptors, but doesn't raise your estrogen levels. In fact, it actually helps your body achieve balanced estrogen levels.

Additional studies have shown that black cohosh can be very effective at reducing hot flashes, one of the most common and irritating symptoms of menopause. It also reduces irritability and helps to stabilize mood swings.

Another herb often used in natural remedies for menopause is "dong quai." Dong quai is a Chinese medicinal herb that has a long history of effective use in the natural treatment of menopause symptoms.

Menopause is a natural part of every woman's life. There's absolutely no reason why any woman should suffer through agonizing symptoms caused by changing hormone levels. At the same time, it's not necessary to consider dangerous and artificial methods like hormone therapy. Choosing a natural remedy for menopause may be a very wise decision.

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