Do-it-yourself cures for what ails you

Menopause

Menopause is not a disease—though the way this natural process is portrayed in the press, you might think otherwise.

Don't believe the hype. Menopause does not have to be a horrendous life-altering change. Many women cruise through menopause with minimal symptoms, and many of the symptoms women do endure can often be controlled naturally.

Doctors commonly define menopause as the 366th or 367th day after a woman's last period (think 1 year and 1 day). This event can occur in a woman's forties or her sixties, but most commonly, the change takes place when a woman is in her early fifties.

The symptoms of menopause vary widely from woman to woman. They may not affect a woman at all, or they may hit like a blizzard in Buffalo. As women age, their estrogen levels drop, which triggers menopausal symptoms and also increases their risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. The most common symptoms are weight gain, vaginal changes (including dryness and loss of elasticity), sleep disturbances, emotional changes, and hot flashes.

Sound bad? It doesn't have to be. Eat right, exercise, and talk to your doctor about the possibility of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), other medications, or herbal remedies. They all can help smooth your transition, enabling you to enjoy the benefits of menopause: no more PMS, no more periods, and no more pregnancy worries.

When to Call a Doctor


Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., has a few rules for when you should see your doctor about menopause-related symptoms. First, she recommends an annual exam no matter what. Also, if you have irregular spotting or strange bleeding for any reason, see your doctor, she says. Finally, if menopause leaves you feeling unwell in general, see your doctor.

Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., has a few rules for when you should see your doctor about menopause-related symptoms. First, she recommends an annual exam no matter what. Also, if you have irregular spotting or strange bleeding for any reason, see your doctor, she says. Finally, if menopause leaves you feeling unwell in general, see your doctor.

Panel of Advisors


Serafina Corsello, M.D., is and international lecturer on the topic of women's hormonal balance, fertility and andropause. She is the author of The Ageless Woman. Larrian Gillespie, M.D., is a retired assistant clinical professor of urology and urogynecology and president of Healthy Life Publications. She is the author of The Menopause Diet and The Goddess Diet. Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., is a clinical professor at Yale University School of Medicine and an obstetrician-gynecologist in New Haven, Connecticut. She is the co-author of What Every Woman Needs to Know about Menopause: The Years Before, During and After and A Women's Guide to Menopause and Premenopause.

Serafina Corsello, M.D., is and international lecturer on the topic of women's hormonal balance, fertility and andropause. She is the author of The Ageless Woman.

Larrian Gillespie, M.D., is a retired assistant clinical professor of urology and urogynecology and president of Healthy Life Publications. She is the author of The Menopause Diet and The Goddess Diet.

Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., is a clinical professor at Yale University School of Medicine and an obstetrician-gynecologist in New Haven, Connecticut. She is the co-author of What Every Woman Needs to Know about Menopause: The Years Before, During and After and A Women's Guide to Menopause and Premenopause.

If You Do Just 1 Thing


Stamp out the butts	Your chances of developing heart disease and osteoporosis jump during menopause. Smoking makes those odds rise even higher. That's not the only reason to quit.

Stamp out the butts

Your chances of developing heart disease and osteoporosis jump during menopause. Smoking makes those odds rise even higher. That's not the only reason to quit.

Remedies


Refrain from binge drinking	Too much booze is another no-no for both your bone and heart health as you transition into menopause. "Drinking a glass of wine a day is fine," says Dr. Minkin.	1 2 3 4 5
Bone up on calcium	You can get a healthy dose of 1,200 milligrams a day of calcium from dairy products.	1 2 3 4 5
Don't forget vitamin D	This is the other nutrient that Dr. Minkin pinpoints as crucial to good menopausal health. The best way to get a daily dose of 400 IU of vitamin D is with a good multivitamin.	1 2 3 4 5
Know the truth about HRT	A persistent myth exists that it's dangerous to go on and off HRT. "It's not," says Dr. Minkin.	1 2 3 4 5
Know the truth about your diet	"Women metabolize foods differently than men," says Larrian Gillespie, M.D.	1 2 3 4 5
Try a lubricant	Another typical complaint of menopause is decreased sexual desire, sometimes caused by low estrogen-induced physical changes in the vagina.	1 2 3 4 5
Try old-fashioned sleep aids	If sleep is a problem, Dr. Minkin advises some of the old tricks your grandmother might have taught you.	1 2 3 4 5
Share your troubles with friends	Much of the stress of menopause for women is due to other life changes that may be occurring at the same time.
Give your partner a book	You might have menopause totally licked from your end.
Buy black cohosh	"This is my favorite herb to use for menopausal symptoms. It really does make a big difference," says Connie Catellani, M.D.
Get milk thistle	If you've been taking synthetic hormones and having symptoms related to excess hormone levels—such as breast tenderness, headaches, or bloating—it may mean that your liver isn't "clearing" the breakdown products of these drugs well, says Serafina Corsello, M.D.
Seek out St. John's wort	Hormone-related depression, if experienced earlier in life, may return during menopause, Dr. Catellani says.
Consider kava	Kava is emerging as the herb of choice for women who want to mellow out when life puts them on edge.	1 2 3 4 5
Sample some soy	As a natural phytoestrogen, soy has proven useful for helping women overcome the symptoms of menopause in numerous studies.	1 2 3 4 5