MenopauseThe End of a Life Cycle

Menopause - the very word conjures up feelings of inadequacy and terror in women around the world. And why? Because the word has always held connotations of the end of a woman's life. No longer able to bear children, most women feel as though a piece of them has died. The sad thing is, these women don't understand that - although menopause may well be the end of a particular life-cycle - it is most certainly not the end of life.

Understanding Menopause

In order to change women's perception of menopause, we must first explain exactly what it is. Menopause is, quite simply, the end of a woman's reproductive years. Her ovaries cease to produce eggs, and certain hormone levels in her system decrease. Most women goes through the Change when they reach their fifties; however, many women begin their pre-menopausal symptoms as young as 45, and there are even cases of premature menopause beginning in a woman's thirties.

As a woman enters into her menopausal years, she will begin to notice certain changes in her body, and in hew moods. The biggest reason for the mood shifts a menopausal woman will experience is the sudden flux of her reproductive hormones such as oestrogen, progesterone, estradiol, and estriol. The end of the menopausal years is marked by the day a woman finishes her last period.

Symptoms Of Menopause

Menopause also has a number of symptoms which a woman will experience before she has her final period. The first symptoms that most women experience are hot flashes and night sweats. These sweats are caused by the sudden shift in a woman's hormonal balance, and are fairly easily treated using either natural menopause remedies or medical hormone replacement therapies.

The Mental Symptoms Of Menopause

Now that we’ve covered the technical aspects of menopause, it's important that we also talk about the mental and emotional aspects of menopause. It's disheartening to look around the internet and in resources everywhere to see article after article on women's lives ending after they gone through menopause. One such article even has the nerve to suggest that grandmothers and others who have passes menopause aren't of much use. It's little wonder with things like thing being pushed down women's throats that so many experiencing menopause also experience depression and feelings of worthlessness.

The truth of the matter is that menopause represents the time in a woman's life when she is of the most use to society. Her wisdom and inner beauty surpass that of any woman half her age, and the contributions she makes to society are far beyond those of the younger set. In many cultures, women who have passed menopause - or crones as they are sometimes known - are respected above all others, and are held in reverence by the rest of their society.

If you have been experiencing feelings of depression due to your menopausal condition, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor. He or she can recommend with a natural remedy for these symptoms, or even possibly an anti-depressant depending on how severe your symptoms are. It is important to understand, though, that menopause is a natural part of a woman's life - an era to be celebrated and not reviled - and as such should always be treated as naturally as possible.