Women’s Health ‘Change of Life’ - Meno Pause

Once a woman reaches a certain age (often between 45 and 55) she will start feeling the ‘change of life’ called menopause. It is the time in a woman’s life when the body produces less of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone and the periods finally stop.

It remains the conventional medical mindset that menopause is a deficiency disease, not a natural process. Although this approach can be a helpful paradigm for restoring hormone values for some perimenopausal and menopausal women, it has its limitations. It reduces the developmental richness and deep wisdom available to women at midlife to a collection of common symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, night sweats, memory problems, irritability and restlessness and other psycho-emotional problems.
Many symptoms are less to do with a shortage of hormones and more to do with an imbalance. Often a hectic lifestyle and exposure to pollutants and non organic food means that our bodies are more prone to imbalances that will cause discomfort during the years of hormonal change, so it is more important than ever to prepare ourselves for that time.

A holistic approach and positive changes in lifestyle can enhance our overall health.
Homoeopathy, Acupuncture/-pressure, Nutritional Advice (e.g. on phytoestrogenes), Reflexology, Massage, Counselling and regular visits to your GP and Gynaecologist (ask for a bone density test, breast examination and blood test) are well suited to treating the menopause. Emotional and mental symptoms are given as much weight as physical ones. Exercise, watch your weight and take time for yourself to feed body, mind and soul.
Woman in midlife are at a turning point: either they can continue living with situations that they have outgrown – a choice that can hasten the ageing process and the chance for disease – or they can do the developmental work that their bodies and their hormone levels are calling out for. With that they truly prepare for the springtime of the second half of their lives.

A full – well attended - day on this issue was organised by The Health Oasis and Women’s Networking in Kyleakin on 19/3/2005.

The following articles are excerpts taken from this seminar.