Menopause is a point in time 12 months after a woman's last period. The years leading up to that point, when women may have changes in their monthly cycles, hot flashes, or other symptoms, are called the menopausal transition, or perimenopause.
The menopausal transition most often begins between ages 45 and 55. It usually lasts about 7 years but can last as long as 14 years.
Menopause can result from:
• Naturally declining reproductive hormones. As you approach your late 30s, your ovaries start making less estrogen and progesterone - the hormones that regulate menstruation - and your fertility declines.
In your 40s, your menstrual periods may become longer or shorter, heavier or lighter, and more or less frequent, until eventually - on average, by age 51 - your ovaries stop releasing eggs, and you have no more periods.
• Surgery that removes the ovaries (oophorectomy). Your ovaries produce hormones, including estrogen and progesterone, that regulate the menstrual cycle. Surgery to remove your ovaries causes immediate menopause. Your periods stop, and you're likely to have hot flashes and experience other menopausal signs and symptoms. Signs and symptoms can be severe, as hormonal changes occur abruptly rather than gradually over several years.
Surgery that removes your uterus but not your ovaries (hysterectomy) usually doesn't cause immediate menopause. Although you no longer have periods, your ovaries still release eggs and produce estrogen and progesterone.
• Chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These cancer therapies can induce menopause, causing symptoms such as hot flashes during or shortly after the course of treatment. The halt to menstruation (and fertility) is not always permanent following chemotherapy, so birth control measures may still be desired. Radiation therapy only affects ovarian function if radiation is directed at the ovaries. Radiation therapy to other parts of the body, such as breast tissue or the head and neck, won't affect menopause.
• Primary ovarian insufficiency. About 1% of women experience menopause before age 40 (premature menopause). Premature menopause may result from the failure of your ovaries to produce normal levels of reproductive hormones (primary ovarian insufficiency), which can stem from genetic factors or autoimmune disease. But often no cause of premature menopause can be found. For these women, hormone therapy is typically recommended at least until the natural age of menopause in order to protect the brain, heart and bones.
In the months or years leading up to menopause (perimenopause), you might experience these signs and symptoms:
• Irregular periods
• Vaginal dryness
• Hot flashes
• Chills
• Night sweats
• Sleep problems
• Mood changes
• Weight gain and slowed metabolism
• Thinning hair and dry skin
• Loss of breast fullness
Signs and symptoms, including changes in menstruation can vary among women. Most likely, you'll experience some irregularity in your periods before they end.
Skipping periods during perimenopause is common and expected. Often, menstrual periods will skip a month and return, or skip several months and then start monthly cycles again for a few months. Periods also tend to happen on shorter cycles, so they are closer together. Despite irregular periods, pregnancy is possible. If you've skipped a period but aren't sure you've started the menopausal transition, consider a pregnancy test.
• In order to neutralize the acid, minerals such as calcium may be taken from the bones, increasing the risk of osteoporosis.
• Vulvovaginal atrophy
• Slower metabolic function
• Anxiety, mood fluctuations or sudden emotional changes
• cataracts
• Periodontal disease
• Urinary incontinence
• Heart or blood vessel disease
1. Stop smoking if you do.
2. Do yoga and exercise daily to lift mood, reduce stress and inflammation. For bone health, include activities like walking, running, calisthenics, and/or dancing. Resistance training also helps to slim stubborn belly fat as well as maintain strength and balance, which naturally decline during the aging process.
3. Avoid triggers of hot flash such as alcohol. More than four drinks per week can also increase your breast cancer risk, even if you have NO family history.
4. Lose weight and trim abdominal circumference (measured at belly button). Aim for a body mass index (BMI) less than 25 and an abdominal circumference less than 35 inches. Body composition should be between 25-32% fat.
5. Decrease frequency/portion size of animal based food/ dairy. Avoid restaurant or store-bought food.
6. Check your vitamin D level biannually (at summer's end in September and winter's end in March) with an optimal level of 50 to
7. Get bone mineral density tests at least every 2 years, and annually if considering medication.
8. Control your blood pressure with a goal of <120/< 80. Maintaining a healthy blood pressure may decrease your risk of memory loss as well as heart, brain, eye, and kidney disease.
9. Monitor your cycle and correlate symptoms to increase your sense of control, reduce stress, and help you make appropriate lifestyle and/or medication adjustments.
10. Practice healthy stress relief and enjoyable activity, yoga, stretching, quiet time, deep breathing, prayer, meditation, and writing in a journal, all of which have significant health benefits in menopause and beyond.
11. Monthly self-breast exams, annual doctor-administered breast exams,
12. Finally, always keep in mind that menopause is not a disease but a normal life transition. Once you have had an entire year without any period, you have arrived at post-menopause, which is a wonderful time in life. If you experience any postmenopausal bleeding, consider them as this is not normal and needs further evaluation promptly. If you continue to experience other bothersome symptoms involving sleep, concentration, mood, hot flashes, urinary concerns, or decreased libido or may be other conditions then they might need to be addressed.
Your mind is the most powerful tool you have.
Every thought you get, causes changes throughout your body.
Neutral, calming or happy thoughts have the opposite effect.
It is always a set of emotions or an emotional state that manifests itself in the form of a disease.
The key emotions that generally co-exist so as to become the root cause of Menopause are as follows.
Menopause symptoms manifest when you resist the change from one phase of life to the next. When you feel that you are not in control of these changes, your resistance increases and your body becomes prone to fluctuations. You need to find your purpose in this new phase of your life by listening to your intuition and creating what you truly desire for your future.
There may be a fear of no longer being wanted or of having no usefulness. There may be a sense of an ending of your purpose for being here as a woman and you are therefore experiencing a sense of loss of direction and fulfilment. Somewhere there's a deep fear that you ae no longer desirable and lovable and that that you will be rejected.
There may also have been a past trauma that made you feel isolated, alone and an outcast. Have you felt robbed of your feminine beauty, or even feeling resentful for being female and having the problems and challenges of being a woman? This can make you feel not good enough, resulting in self-rejecting which are manifesting as menopause symptoms.
The more difficult the menopause, the more the fear of growing old.
If you are experiencing menopause symptoms, there is also that self-consciousness by not believing that you are not as attractive or desirable as you used to be. You have become comfortable and familiar with your old routine and are very set in your ways.
Here are ways to master the mind/body connection to tackle menopausal problems.
1. Relax. Relaxation is an active state of deep rest where the mind is quiet and the body is physiologically calm.
Meditation, guided visualization, body scanning and slow, diaphragmatic breathing are some of the many techniques that achieve relaxation.
2. Stop taking stress. Stress is heavily implicated in any disease. Review your life and see if you can avoid the causes of stress or change your response to them. Stop worrying about the past or future and live in the present. As that is all you can influence.
3. Express your emotions. Emotions are energy. Suppressing them takes physical effort that can cause pain.
Repressed emotions cause poor health. Suppressing emotion also keeps you stuck, unable to move past what you are avoiding. By contrast, writing in a journal or talking to someone about how you feel, and even just sitting quietly and "mindfully" to fully experience and acknowledge the feeling, all lead to feeling better both emotionally and physically.
4. Try to be cheerful. When you laugh your body produces endorphins, the body's natural healers.
5. Process your trauma. There could be a connection between earlier experiences of psychological trauma or chronic pain or illness of the past.
Our Talk therapy-Counselling sessions are based on guiding you, through finding and resolving the root cause. The main aim of our therapy is to make you realise and understand from the beginning that your identity is on the soul level and that your body and biological makeup is just a part of your physical life experience.
They not only help you unlock and resolve emotional blocks, but are also extremely effective in relieving stress as they target and are based on the realm of the reality plane of life. Harnessing your brain to heal your emotions does transform your life!
Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. The aim of homeopathy is not only to treat the outward symptoms of the physical disease but to address its underlying cause and individual susceptibility.
As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, certain medicines are effective in the treatment of Menopause in Homoeopathy that can be selected on the basis of cause, sensation, modalities of the complaints
These remedies are quite helpful in Menopause treatment.
• Pulsatilla
• Graphites.
• Lachesis
• Sepia.
• Natrum Mur
• Sulphur
• Belladonna
• Lilium tig
• Calcarea carbonica. ...
• Glonoinum. ...
• Ignatia.
***However it should be noted that all homoeopathic medicines (except few external applications) can be prescribed only with specific indications and hence should be taken under medical supervision or as directed by the doctor.
Only if the homoeopathic medicine is prescribed on the basis of symptom-similarity, it gives good results.
Self-prescription in Homoeopathy or any other system of medicine should be avoided.
2) DIET/NUTRITION IN MENOPAUSEFoods to include:
• Whole grains for fibre, B vitamin, magnesium and zinc content.
• Pulses for their phyto-oestrogenic effects, fibre and nutrients.
• Tempeh, miso, natural soya yoghurt and tamari for phyto- oestrogens, protein, calcium and magnesium.
• Linseeds (flax seeds) for their lignans, fibre, zinc and essential fats.
• Pumpkin seeds for zinc, magnesium and essential fats.
• Omega-3 fats and protein.
• Sea vegetables for their high mineral content.
• Green vegetables for calcium and magnesium content.
• Wheat germ, mung beans and their sprouts, spirulina, millet. black beans, kidney beans and black sesame seeds can all build energy which can be low at this time.
• Liberally eat oats, flax, barley, beets, cabbage, aduki beans. olive oils, split peas, yams, fennel and sesame seeds.
Foods to be Avoided in Menopause• Coffee and chocolate contain caffeine as well as methyl-xanthines that can affect female hormone balance.
• Avoid regular tea and coffee and alcohol, which overwork your adrenal glands, contributing to blood-sugar problems and oestrogen deficiency and increasing the risk of osteoporosis.
• Alcohol upsets blood sugar, female hormones and puts a strain on the adrenals.
• Added sugar and refined carbohydrates upset blood sugar and can lead to weight gain and cardio-vascular problems.
• Refined table salt can trigger hot flushes and water retention.
• Spicy hot foods can trigger hot flushes.
Water:• During menopause, water intake supports your overall health.
• Our body is 75% Water!
• Our brain is 85% Water!
• The menopause is caused by declining levels of hormones including oestrogen. Since oestrogen helps keep us hydrated, the menopause causes our bodies to lose the ability to retain water.
1. Dehydration can raise the stress hormone cortisol. Too much cortisol supports fat storage around your midsection.
2. Dehydration can create fatigue. Lack of water crashes your metabolism, lowers blood volume and disturbs fluid balance. All these factors cause your heart to struggle to deliver oxygen and nutrients. The results are mental fog, headaches, and sluggishness. Don't reach for coffee in this case - it further dehydrates your body!
You can read about the miraculous healing properties of water our following links:
• The power of positive and structured drop of water
• Unique qualities of water ,its memory and emotions.
• Understanding the beautiful structure of water
• What we know of this drop of water
It has been proved that yoga, including restorative and supportive poses, may improve the undesirable side effects of menopause, including hot flashes, stress, depression, lack of sleep, and more.
At Nidhivan, we give customised yoga sessions by our team of yoga experts as per the need and device a module along with our therapy
Your body needs vitamin D to utilize calcium, so it is important to get some sunlight.
Vitamin C with bioflavanoids has been shown to help reduce hot flushes.
Vitamin E can help reduce hot flushes and vaginal dryness.
B vitamins reduce stress, anxiety, irritability, fatigue and poor concentration, giving the adrenals a rest.
Magnesium is known as 'nature's tranquillizer', because it helps with symptoms such as anxiety and mood changes.
• Agnus castus is the top herb for menopause. It acts as an adaptogen, balancing hormone production.
• Black cohosh may ease hot flushes and vaginal dryness.
• Dong quai can help to restore hormonal balance.
• Sage is helpful for hot sweats.
• Milk thistle helps to excrete old hormones and toxins.
• Ginkgo biloba has been shown to have a rejuvenating effect on the brain.
• Angelica for the female reproductive system, regulating hormones and improving the rhythm of the menstrual cycle.
• Red clover for balancing hormones because of its high B vitamin content.
• Shatawari is a popular Ayurvedic tonic used by some women to help to normalize the hormonal imbalances.
• Valerian can help with sleep.
• Camomile tea with a few drops of valerian an hour before bed may help.
Kindly note: all supplements and herbs should be consumed only in right proportion/dosage, under monitoring and medical supervision. Certain herbs are prohibited if there are any underlying illnesses or complications. Excess/overdosing or of any herb or supplement may prove to be detrimental .Hence Self-prescription is not advised.
At Nidhivan, we have been successfully formulating unique blends of herbs and required supplements for any particular disease condition (for ingestion as well as local application) . Our in-house proprietary blends of natural remedies have proven to be highly effective with our homeopathic medicines and other therapies..
Essential oils are tremendously effective and soothing at elevating some of the commonest symptoms of menopause like hot flashes ,heart palpitations and leg cramps as well as other symptoms of menopause
• Clary sage essential oil
• Fennel essential oil
• Juniper essential oil
• Angelica essential oil
• Geranium essential oil
• Rose essential oil.
• Neroli essential oil.
• Lavender essential oil
• Jasmine essential oil.
These essential oils are highly potent and are supposed to be used single or in appropriate combinations with specific proportions taking care of any underlying medical condition or allergies. Hence self-prescription should be avoided.
Along with the Homoeopathic treatment, we administer Our Proprietary blends of essential therapeutic oils. These combinations in specific proportions play an effective role in relieving Stress.
NIDHIVAN- INNER HEALING THERAPY WORKS AT THREE LEVELS :Holistic and Integrative therapies for the treatment for MENOPAUSE at NIDHIVAN
Based on this Body-Mind-Soul, a variety of treatment techniques are observed after considering the individuality of the person to assist them take their responsibility for their own well-being and achieve optimal health.
These include:
1-Homeopathic remedies which maintain the emotional, mental, physiological, and immune reactions of the person to guarantee long-lasting and permanent help.
2-Facilitated Physical detox
3- Herbal and Essential oil therapy
4-Patient education on Lifestyle changes and self-care to promote wellness.
5-Customized Diet advice
6-Customized Exercise and Yoga
1- Facilitated Emotional Detox
2- Individual Psychotherapy at different levels to overcome the root cause of the disease
3- Mind healing therapies. (Mind Imagery and visualization)
4- Motivational Enhancement therapies
5- Empowerment counselling (taking charge of your SELF)
6- Relationship and Family integrated Counselling sessions (if needed)
(Other individual therapies by our esteemed therapists if required in a particular case)
90% of the diseases are a result of build-up of unresolved negative emotions and pre-programming of your mind as discussed above. Your soul tries to express these unresolved negative emotions first through your thoughts and feelings. If you fail to listen to the messages that are crying out to be heard, these messages become stronger and then harder for you to ignore. They then express and manifest themselves by means of pain, discomfort or ill-health.
Along with Emotional management, Spiritual programming of your mind is a must to unwind yourself from the clutches of the negative emotions you've held so long which has ultimately led to the dis-ease.
This we achieve by means of:
1- Facilitated Spiritual Detox
2- Meditation
3- Identifying the imbalance and healing at the level of the Chakra
4- Energy healing
After-care maintenance and guidance once the goal is achieved (reversal and cure of disease)
The aim is to gain proper balance in life by achieving a permanent healing at the level of Body Mind and Soul.
We at NIDHIVAN, instead to targeting the disease or problem on the surface, aim to treat the innermost root cause of the disease, so as to achieve a permanent cure