Menopause. "The Change". The period signaling the end of a woman's childbearing years. A condition that in the past has been met by many women with misunderstanding, fear or trepidation. Tales of wild mood swings, extreme physical changes, night sweats, and the infamous "hot flashes" have served to create significant anxiety in younger women contemplating their entry into that life stage.

At menopause, a woman's ability to become pregnant and bear children is at its end. Her body ceases to go through the monthly process of menstruation which prepares her for possible pregnancy. Hormonal changes occur, especially in relation to her body's production of the hormone progesterone. Although the body usually continues the production of estrogen at lower levels, its production of progesterone drops significantly.

In some cases as the level of progesterone in the body decreases, a condition of estrogen dominance occurs which leaves the body in a state of significant hormonal imbalance. This can have several unpleasant results including more intense menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, headaches. In addition, a woman can be at greater risk for cancer. So how can progesterone help with menopause?

If menopausal symptoms are particularly uncomfortable or severe, treatment for relief of those symptoms may be warranted. Adding additional progesterone to the body's system to increase its levels has been shown to be affective in treatment for menopausal symptoms. The additional progesterone serves to restore its levels to the point they were prior to the onset of menopause. This restores hormonal balance within the body, and acts as the natural counterbalance for estrogen. In this way, estrogen is prevented from increasing to disruptive levels.

If you are experiencing problematic menopausal symptoms, it's worth your effort to have your hormone levels checked, and investigate the possible benefits of progesterone treatment for your health and relief.