Reduce Menopausal Symptoms Without Going Through Hormone Replacement Therapy

You can reduce menopausal symptoms without having to go through hormone replacement therapy. Your options include exercise, healthy eating, and herbs to help the unwanted side effects of menopause. You may not want to risk suffering from the side effects of replacement hormones without trying to seek for alternative and natural solutions first.

Taking hormone replacement therapy has proven beneficial for women experiencing menopausal symptoms. There are disadvantages of this procedure, however. Taking replacement hormones can cause short-term side effects such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, unwanted facial hair and breast tenderness. Studies also indicate more serious long-term side effects including in increased risk of some forms of breast cancer and endometrial cancer.

The following are options that are known to offer a possible solution to reducing menopause symptoms:

Herbal Remedies: Adding certain herbs to the diet is one natural way to alleviate the symptoms of side effects without taking replacement hormones. However, you should always exercise caution when using herbal remedies. Most herbs are not FDA approved. You should always check with your doctor about using them especially if you are already on other medications for your menopause symptoms. Herbs such as Dong Quai, licorice root and black cohosh are all known to help reduce nausea, swelling and vaginal dryness.

Soy: Studies show that soy protein may be very important for menopausal women. Soy can be found as supplements as well as in products such as soy milk and vegetarian foods. Findings indicate that in countries that have diets rich in soy protein, women report less severe symptoms of menopause. In fact, it has also been found that consuming daily amounts of soy to the diet can help reduce the risk of some forms of cancer, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and help with hot flashes. Rich sources of soy protein are found in tofu, temphe and edamame.

Acupuncture and Yoga: Both yoga and acupuncture are shown to be helpful during menopause. Acupuncture is often used in China or Asian countries to relieve hot flashes. Yoga can also keep the body limber and healthy. Hence, it can help reduce the intensity and frequency of mood swings, depression, night sweats and hot flashes. You can sign up with a gym for yoga classes. You may find that there are other women just like you who are going for yoga to reduce their menopausal symptoms.

Other tips: Reducing your stress levels by not taking on so much work, hiring a housekeeper or just finding some time to relax on a daily basis can also help. Other ideas include reducing junk food, foods high in sugar and fat and adding more lean protien and fresh foods. Also, it is reported that reducing the amount of caffiene, alcohol and not smoking can also help in reducing menopausal symptoms.