Menopausal treatment

MENOPAUSAL TREATMENT Menopausal Treatment There are various conditions that strictly occur in women due to their unique characteristics. One of such conditions is menopause. Menopause is known as the last menstrual period to occur in a woman (Newson, 2013). Mostly, it occurs as one age progresses. This is because as one gets older the ovaries begin to produce small amount of oestrogen that acts as the primary female hormone (Newson, 2013). However, early menopause may occur through the removal of the uterus. In most countries of the world, the condition occurs at 51 years of age (Newson, 2013). There are various symptoms that can be caused by menopause. Such symptoms include hot flushes and alteration of the vagina area (Newson, 2013). On the other hand, there are various ways of alleviating symptoms. One of such is through hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, HRT being avoided due to the various risk associated with it (Newson, 2013). Hence, such risks have forced most patients to opt for herbal treatments. The paper will focus on “ herbal” treatments as a first-line option for their menopausal symptoms. It will also address their effectiveness as well as side effects or interactions with the herbal treatments.
There are various herbal treatments for menopausal symptoms. The first herbal compounds are known as phytoestrogens. These are plant compounds and have the same chemical components as the female sex hormone oestrogen (State Government of Victoria, 2015). Hence, they act as oestrogen receptor parts in a woman’s body and helps in reducing symptoms (State Government of Victoria, 2015). The first is known as isoflavones. The natural source for this phytoestrogen is soybeans, beans, and red clover (State Government of Victoria, 2015). The other one is known as lignans. It is easily found in fruit, vegetables, grains, and oilseeds. The third one is known as coumestans. It is easily found in sprouting seeds such as alfalfa. The only challenge is that soy products are thought to lead to the development of breast cancer in women. Therefore, there is advice to avoid such products in those women that are at high risk of developing breast cancer (State Government of Victoria, 2015). The drugs have been shown not effective in alleviating hot flushes (Cleveland Clinic, 2014).
The other medicine is St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum). It has been shown useful in reducing symptoms. The only challenge is that this medication may interact with other drugs one is taking causing severe side effects (State Government of Victoria, 2015). The other one is evening primrose oil. The drug has been popular in treating menopausal symptoms. It has been shown not efficient as compared to other drugs in treating of hot flushes. The other one is red clover. It has been used in relieving menopausal symptoms as it has isoflavones (State Government of Victoria, 2015). It is helpful in controlling hot flushes. However, it has been shown to have an effect on bone health of women. Wild yam creams is also another form of herbal medication. It has been shown not effective in easing menopausal symptoms. Black Cohosh is another form of herbal medication. Most of the studies show that it is no effective in alleviating symptoms. It has side effects such as stomach upset and liver toxicity (Cleveland Clinic, 2014). The other one is acupuncture. It is reported to be beneficial for some women in relieving symptoms. However, it is uncomfortable to some of the women. The last one is vitamin E. It has been shown to be effective. It has side effects such as heart failure and may lead to death in high doses (Cleveland Clinic, 2014).
References
Cleveland Clinic. Diseases & Conditions. Retrieved from http://my. clevelandclinic. org/health/diseases_conditions/hic-what-is-perimenopause-menopause-postmenopause/hic-non-hormonal-ways-to-cope-with-hot-flashes-and-menopause.
Newson, L. (2013). Menopause – Alternatives to HRT. Retrieved from http://www. patient. co. uk/health/menopause-alternatives-to-hrt.
State Government of Victoria. (2015). Menopause and complementary therapies. Retrieved from http://www. betterhealth. vic. gov. au/bhcv2/bhcarticles. nsf/pages/Menopause_and_alternative_therapies.