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Herbal Options for Menopause:
By:
Colleen Jo Gagliardi, ND
Menopausal symptoms can sometimes be challenging, but need not
be debilitating. The use of herbs can frequently
moderate
the severity of common menopausal symptoms, and in some cases,
totally banish them. Herbs can be a
gentle, natural way to support the body as it becomes ready for
a new change in life. Because some women experience
a
combination of symptoms associated with menopause, herbal
formulas can also be individualized, and address the
unique symptoms that may be present.
Peri-menopause (the time around menopause) is a time of shifting
hormones. During this time, there is a decreasing
production of estrogen and progesterone by the ovaries, as the
production of hormones is shifted to the adrenal glands.
This
shift comes in part, as a result of decreased ovulation by the
ovaries as a normal part of aging. However, just as
the
hormonal shifts that occurred during puberty had ups and downs,
so too, do menopausal hormonal shifts have ups
and
downs (menopausal symptoms), as well. This shift in hormones
could be likened to a dance. Sometimes the
hormone dance feels like a jitterbug, sometimes a waltz, but
sometimes, it becomes a whirling mass of confusion.
Frequently, herbs can help the "music" become sane, and the
dance of hormones becomes a dance that you can keep
up
with again.
Some of the common herbs used to assist with menopausal symptoms
are as follows:
Hot
flushes/night sweats: black cohosh, astragalus, dong quai
Sleep disturbances: ashwaganda, valerian, skullcap, passion
flower
Fatigue: ginseng, rehmannia, licorice root (but don't use
licorice if you have high blood pressure), ashwaganda.
Mood changes/depression/anxiety: black cohosh, St. John's Wort,
lavender, vervain, lemon balm
Vaginal dryness: Black cohosh
General hormone regulators: Chaste tree (especially helpful),
wild yam, dandelion root, yellow dock root, black cohosh
If
you are considering herbal therapy for menopausal symptoms, it
is always a wise idea to consult a qualified health
practitioner
who can safely prescribe the appropriate herbs for your
symptoms, in the correct dose, while taking into
account
any medications that you may currently be taking.
Yellowstone
Naturopathic Clinic
720 North 30 Street
Beautiful downtown Billings, Montana
Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic
720 N. 30th St.
Billings, MT 59101
PHONE 406·259·5096/FAX 406·248·5655
ync@180com.net
Dispensary
406·254·9682
dispensary@yncnaturally.com
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