All Change

If you are starting to experience night sweats, hot flushes and mood swings you could be menopausal. Read on for some herbal remedies that can help to bring relief

It may be a word you would rather not hear but menopause is not something you can run away from. The best way to cope with it is to regard it as just another stage in life. And on a more positive note once you have gone through it you may well wonder what you were so worried about.   

Menopause literally means the last day of your last period and the average age at which women go through it is usually around 51. Your body, however, goes through a series of changes leading up to this event, which are known as the perimenopause  - meaning around the time and before the onset of the menopause. As you enter your 40s your ovaries start to slow down, egg production gradually stops and oestrogen, the hormone produced by the ovaries during childbearing years, also starts to decline.

Oestrogen levels drop further in your early 50s and as a result many women start to experience symptoms, which can last for months or linger for years. These include hot flushes, night sweats, headaches, urinary infections and vaginal dryness. Mood swings, forgetfulness, lack of concentration, anxiety and irritability are also common.

Although hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been the most popular treatment for many years many women are now looking for more natural alternatives. And the good news is there are plenty of herbal remedies that can help restore the balance of your body’s own hormones.

AGNUS CASTUS

Also known as chaste berry, agnus castus has been used for centuries to relieve symptoms associated with female hormonal imbalances.  It can be useful for helping with heavy bleeding experienced by some women during the run up to the menopause as well as helping with other symptoms such as hot flushes and depression.

ST JOHN’S WORT

Mood swings and generally feeling low are common symptoms around the time of the menopause and this is where St John’s wort can help. It has long been used as a natural antidepressant, and research shows it can help ‘mood disorders related to the menopausal transition’.  It is also thought it may help to boost libido in post- menopausal women.

BLACK COHOSH

If night sweats and hot flushes are making life a misery, black cohosh is the herb to try. Research shows that extracts of this plant, a member of the buttercup family, can help to control hot flushes by lowering blood levels of luteinising hormone  (LH), which dilates blood vessels and sends heat to the skin. Some women also find that black cohosh helps relieve vaginal dryness, anxiety and depression.

SAGE

This member of the mint family is one of the oldest herbal remedies around and has been used successfully to alleviate hot flushes and night sweats. It can also help improve memory and concentration, both of which can start to decline around the time of the menopause.

VALERIAN

If anxiety or night sweats are keeping you awake at night it might be worth considering a dose of valerian. This lovely sleep-inducing herb is popular with people with insomnia and is especially valued for its lack of side-effects compared to more conventional sleeping remedies, which can leave you feeling groggy and tired in the morning.  It is non- addictive and works by calming the brain and body rather than inducing sleep directly so sleep can occur naturally.

COOL TACTICS FOR HOT FLUSHES

•  As soon as you feel a flush coming on, take several deep breaths to help reduce their severity.
•  Avoid hot drinks and soups, which can aggravate flushing. Alcohol and hot spicy foods are other triggers.
•  Wear several layers of thin comfortable clothing, which are easy to peel off if you start to feel a flush coming on.
•  Use lightweight bedclothes that you can arrange according to the temperature.
•  Go for cotton nightwear and avoid anything made from manmade fibre.
•  Carry some cool wipes in your handbag at all times.

St John's wort is found in Karma - A traditional herbal medicinal product used to relieve the symptoms of slightly low mood and mild anxiety based on traditional use only.