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Posts Tagged ‘Irritability’

Menopause is a difficult experience for any woman. The symptoms are irritating. Most treatments take exorbitant amounts of time to actually show results and some never do. You probably have all sorts of people giving you unsolicited advice. You pray for the day when you go deaf so you won’t have to hear everyone’s advice. Truthfully, it’s expected since one of your symptoms is irritability. Fortunately, for those around you there are many treatment options available.

When you discover one treatment doesn’t work for you don’t fret there is likely more. Here are some proven effective treatments you might not know about yet.

Develop a diet rich in phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens come from a variety of naturally occurring foods. Lignans are one of the types of phytoestrogen available in the food we eat. You can find lignans in foods that contain flaxseed, whole grains and they are also in many fruits and vegetables.

Isoflavones are also found in some beans. Most women will forgo hormone replacement therapy by using these foods rich in phytoestrogens. Tests have shown some promise as far as phytoestrogens are concerned but there is no solid proof that they can completely replace hormones. Treatment results vary greatly depending on the person. Many women describe fewer symptoms with treatment. Hormone therapy has also been reported to diminish these symptoms. It should go without writing but to keep everything covered and spelled out: a healthy and balanced diet really is an effective menopause treatment. Consuming a balanced and nutritious diet will help you keep your whole body healthy. Of course the needs of a woman going through menopause are going to be different than the needs of a woman who has not gone through the change yet. One’s calcium intake should be increased during and after menopause. If you want to keep osteoporosis at bay and keep your bone density levels up, doctors say you should get at least 1200mgs of calcium.

Smoking is, obviously, a no-no. Actually, you should not ever smoke. Quitting smoking can make you more irritable in the beginning but once you get over the initial withdrawals, leaving nicotine behind is a quite effective menopause treatment. Women who do not smoke experience fewer hot flashes. If you smoke you will probably go through menopause earlier than your non-smoking friends. So throw out the cigarettes!

You cannot universally treat menopause. No single treatment that will help every menopausal woman exists. Most women find that a combination of herbal, medicinal and lifestyle treatment is the best menopause treatment method. Other women choose only one form of treatment. Still others insist that menopause is not actually happening to them. You will figure out what is best for you. Make sure, however, that no matter what kind of menopause treatment that you decide to try, you run it past your doctor. Don’t try anything new without your doctor’s okay. You want to help yourself not hurt yourself.

This article aims to identify the physical and psychological symptoms of the menopause and describe the use and possible side effects of regularly used pharmaceutical drugs to help in relief of these symptoms. Natural relief of symptoms will also be described. This article does not aim to describe all all of the physical or psychological characteristics of the menopause, these will be covered in a later article.

Physical Symptoms Of The Menopause.

The menopause usually affects women between the ages of 40-50 years. The menstrual cycle becomes irregular about 5-7 years before the onset of the menopause. Nearer the onset the number of cycles where ovulation does not occur increases. During the menopause the woman may experience dryness of the vagina. This can cause inflammation and an increased risk of infection. A decrease in libido is usually experienced, yet some women get an increase. Some women suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure). Hot flashes are common caused by an decrease in estrogen levels.

Psychological Symptoms Of The Menopause.

The psychological symptoms were, for many years, dismissed by many Doctors and Physicians. However, they have found to be real, usually connected to low estrogen levels. Symptoms can include irritability, fatigue, anxiety, and severe emotional disturbances. These can be treated and managed by the use of small amounts of estrogen

Treatment Of The Menopause By The Use Of Pharmaceutical Drugs.

HRT: Hormone replacement therapy.

Estrogen: Estrogen is used to treat ‘hot flashes’ (sometimes called ‘hot flushes’) in women who are experiencing menopause. Some brands of estrogen are also used to treat vaginal dryness, itching, or burning, or to prevent osteoporosis. However, women who need a medication only to treat vaginal dryness or only to prevent osteoporosis should consider a different treatment. Side effects of estrogen include increased risk of endometrial cancer, and vaginal bleeding amongst others.

Progestogen: Progestogen is used to regulate the effects of estrogen and are often prescribed together. In women with a uterus, the addition of a progestogen cyclically (for at least 10 days per 28-day cycle) reduces the additional risk of endometrial cancer; this additional risk is eliminated if a progestogen is given continuously. However, this should be weighed against the increased risk of breast cancer.

Oestrogen:Oestrogen is given systemically in the perimenopausal and postmenopausal period. Menopausal atrophic vaginitis may respond to a short course of a topical vaginal oestrogen preparation. Systemic therapy with an oestrogen or drugs with oestrogenic properties alleviates the symptoms of oestrogen deficiency such as vasomotor symptoms.

Tibolone: Tibolone given in the postmenopausal period also diminish postmenopausal osteoporosis. Tibolone combines oestrogenic and progestogenic effect and it is given continuously, without cyclical progestogen. Tibolone increases the risk of breast cancer.

Clonidine: Clonidine may be used to reduce vasomotor symptoms in women who cannot take an oestrogen, but clonidine may cause unacceptable side-effects.

Possible Side Effects Of Hormone Replacement Therapy

HRT increases the risk of venous thromboembolism, stroke, endometrial cancer ( which may be reduced by a progestogen), breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. Women who start combined HRT more than 10 years after menopause have an increased risk of heart disease. Women using combined or oestrogen-only HRT are at an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (commonly DVT) and of pulmonary embolism especially in the first year of use. An oestrogen may be given by mouth or it may be given by subcutaneous or transdermal administration (patch). In women who have a personal or family history of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, severe varicose veins, obesity, the use of HRT needs to be given careful consideration.

Like all drugs, HRT has side effects yet has helped many women through the ‘change’ (menopause).

Treatment Of The Menopause By The Use Of Natural Means.

Agnus Castus: Vitex agnus-castus. Clinical studies have shown that these berries work on the pituitary gland and help stabilise hormone fluctuations so helping menopausal symptoms..

Black Cohosh: Cimicifuga racemosa. The primary use of black cohosh extract is for alleviation of menopausal symptoms. It has been widely researched, especially in Europe, for its ability to alleviate the symptoms associated with menopause. While black cohosh is generally considered safe, people with liver disease or a family history of liver disease should consult their physician before taking black cohosh.

Damaiana: Turnerna diffusa. This shrub historically been used as an aphrodisiac and has been claimed to induce euphoria.

Dang Gui: Angelica sinensis. Dang gui acts as a phytoestrogen and has similar, but milder, effects of oestrogen. Dang gui also helps support the cardiovascular system, which can of help to menopausal women suffering hypertension (high blood pressure).

Soy: Soy contains natural plant estrogens called phytoestrogens. These are weaker than human estrogens However, studies show they behave similarly in the human body. In the body, phytoestrogens help balance a woman’s estrogen level.

Vitamin E: Vitamin E is an antioxidant. Studies have been done that suggest it may help relieve hot flashes and postmenopausal vaginal dryness and it has been popular for that purpose ever since.

There are other natural remedies said to help women experiencing the menopause.

Chronic sinusitis is the persistent form of sinusitis that continues unabated for a long period of time. It has been observed that this disease generally sets in after the incidence of a bout of acute sinusitis but thankfully, its occurrence is much rarer. Here’s a chronic sinusitis treatment guide for your reference.

Chronic sinusitis is generally persistent for 90 or more days and is a very stubborn form of affliction that is generally caused by repeated incidence of sinus problems. Sometimes it also causes damage and change to the mucus lining of the nasal passage with extremely harmful effects to personal health.

Causes: The onset of this disease is preceded by bouts of acute sinusitis. There are many causes of this. For one, nose allergy that is allergic rhinitis is said to be a primary reason as it causes blocking of the inner lining of the nose leading to nasal passage blockage. Asthma and cystic fibrosis also cause chronic sinusitis. Acute immunity problems like those in AIDS are also quite responsible for chronic sinusitis as the body is unable to fight infection and inflammation over prolonged periods of time.

Symptoms: Runny nose where the mucus drips out incessantly is a primary symptom of this disease. Cough and fever can also be observed along with reduced sense of smell due to nasal passage blockage. The nasal region could also experience pain. In many cases headache, toothache, fullness in the ears and random tiredness may be observed too. In kids, feeding difficulty, irritability and mouth breathing can be observed.

Treatment: Various medical treatments can be prescribed for tackling chronic sinusitis. If the cause is asthma, it must be treated. Prolonged dosage of antibiotics may be called for as also usage of steroid nasal sprays. If fungal infection has occurred, anti fungal treatment is required. In very severe cases, there may be need for surgery where an endoscope may be inserted in the nasal region and clearing of the passage done by the surgeon.

If you suffer from insomnia then you probably already know the devastating effect it can have on your quality of life. There is a great number of problems that can result from insomnia such as lack of concentration, loss of memory, irritability, delusions and more. Not getting enough sleep can literally ruin your mental health. If you find yourself suffering from chronic insomnia, it is important to get treatment for your condition as soon as possible.

When it comes to treating insomnia, just like many other conditions or problems that you may face, prevention is always better than a cure. If you do take the proper steps to try to prevent yourself from getting insomnia in the first place, it will be much more helpful than trying to treat insomnia that you already have. Here are some ways you can prevent insomnia: