Post Menopause Symptoms – Can Natural Remedies Help?

Post menopause is defined as the day after your last period. However, until you have gone one year with no periods, you cannot confirm that you have reached menopause, so you will only know you are in post menopause after you have been in it for one year!

Post Menopause Symptoms

Some of the symptoms of peri menopause and post menopause will be the same. I started having hot flashes the year my periods became irregular, which was about two years before my menopause. I am still having hot flashes two years later, but they are much less intense than when they started. Most of my other perimenopausal symptoms are gone, but I do have some new postmenopausal symptoms. My moods are more stable and a good night's sleep is much easier to come by. Here are some post menopause symptoms:

Weight gain, especially around your belly – for more on this, see Menopause Belly Fat

Hot flashes – For information on natural relief, see Hot Flash Remedy

Vaginal atrophy and vaginal dryness are two post menopause symptoms that can make the idea of sex unattractive. However, there are things you can do – for dryness, you have many choices of lubricants, from over the counter aids to home remedies like coconut oil or olive oil. According to Susun Weed, in her book, The New Menopausal Years, vaginal atrophy can be helped by taking motherwort or vitex.

Incontinence – Pelvic floor exercises (Kegels) are your best remedy for incontinence

In addition to these post menopause symptoms, it is an excellent time to get serious about preventing heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis.


Women and Heart Disease

According to Medline Plus, heart disease is the number one killer of women over age 65. Women often have different symptoms with heart attacks than men. One symptom women have in common with men is chest pain, but chest pain is not always present as a symptom of heart attack in women.

Signs of heart attack

chest pain
breathlessness
indigestion
nausea, vomiting
sudden or overwhelming fatigue
dizziness
unexplained sweating
pain along neck, jaw or upper back

Signs of Stroke

Trouble walking – loss of balance or stumbling
Trouble speaking – confusion, inability to complete a sentence or slurred speech
Trouble Seeing – blurred vision
Paralysis or numbness on one side of the body – a crooked smile is an indicator of this. Or if you cannot raise both arms overhead at the same time and keep them there
Sudden, severe headache

Heart attack and stroke are both medical emergencies and require immediate attention. The sooner the treatment starts, the less damage there will be. Women have a higher risk of death from heart attack, so it is critical to seek attention immediately, even if you're not sure that's what it is.


Metabolic Syndrome/Syndrome X

Diabetes is at epidemic proportions in this country. Syndrome X or Metabolic Syndrome increases your risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

The risk for developing Syndrome X goes up as we approach menopause

If you have three or more of the following symptoms, you have Metabolic Syndrome

Waist measures 35” or 88m or more (for women
Serum triglyceride above 150mg/L
HDL below 50mg/dL
Blood pressure over 135/85 or on medication for high blood pressure
Fasting blood glucose over 110mg/dL or taking antidiabetic medication

For more about Syndrome X, see Menopause Belly Fat.

See this page to reduce insulin resistance.


Osteoporosis, or the loss of bone mass, is a risk as we approach menopause. One of the best preventives for this is weight-bearing exercise. A simple plan of walking five days a week can reduce your risk of losing bone mass. Calcium from food sources will also help. Cod liver oil is a good source of vitamin D, which helps make strong bones. Many Americans are deficient in vitamin D.

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