What Natural Remedies Can Reduce Menopausal Symptoms?

Menopause marks the time in life when a person stops menstruating. This signifies the end of a person’s reproductive years and commonly occurs around 50 years old. Menopause is diagnosed when you have gone 12 months without experiencing a period.

Menopause affects each person in different ways and can be a challenging time for those experiencing it. It’s a time that affects your body, hormones and emotions. Lots of women look for ways to relieve menopause symptoms. These treatments can take the form of medication, hormone replacement therapy or lifestyle adjustments. If you’re looking for more holistic medicine for menopause, we’re here to suggest some natural cures for menopause symptoms.

Menopausal Symptoms

What exactly is happening to your body during menopause? At the menopausal stage, the ovaries have stopped releasing eggs and producing estrogen. This causes your hormones to become unbalanced causing various symptoms. Some symptoms and indications of menopause can include:

• Irregular periods
• Vaginal dryness, which can cause pain during sex
• Hot flashes
• Chills
• Night sweats
• Mood changes
• Weight gain
• Changes in metabolism
• Thinning hair
• Dry skin
• Loss of breast fullness

Natural Remedies for Hormonal Symptoms

Because your body is producing less estrogen than before, a common treatment used for menopause is horomone replacement therapy. A person takes medication to alleviate symptoms caused by the lack of estrogen hormone in the body. However, this is a chemical solution to treating menopause symptoms. Some people look toward natural menopause treatment options to reduce these symptoms. That’s why we want to help you start healing naturally with 5 natural ways to combat menopause.

1. Eat Foods Rich in Calcium and Vitamin D

As you age, you start to lose bone density which causes your bones to become weaker leading to osteoporosis and increased risk of fractures. Make sure you are getting enough vitamin D and eating foods rich in calcium such as dairy, vegetables and eggs. 

2. Black Cohosh

Black Cohosh is a member of the buttercup family that can act as herbal menopause relief. Black Cohosh can help to alleviate hot flashes during menopause and has also been shown to help with night sweats and occasionally lower blood pressure.

3. Exercise

Weight gain is a common symptom experienced during perimenopause and menopause. Exercise is a natural way to put off the extra pounds and keep your body healthy. Exercise also helps with mood, bone and memory health making it an catch all solution to menopause symptoms. 

4. Avoid Trigger Foods

Some people have foods that can activate their hot flashes. This could be spicy foods, coffee, caffeinated drinks, alcohol and more. These trigger foods can be different from person to person, so finding what yours are and avoiding them is going to be another way to help steer clear of those uncomfortable hot flashes. 

5. Vitamin E

Vitamin E can help with vaginal symptoms that come with menopause. Vitamin E that can be applied topically to the vagina to help with lubrication and in some cases reduce hot flashes.

Before adding any new treatment into your daily life it is best practice to consult with your doctor first. Although these are natural remedies, some supplements can have side effects when mixed with other medications. Not all treatments are proven to work for every person so finding the natural remedy that is right for you may take some trial and error. Menopause can be a lot of change at once so hopefully some of these remedies can help make the transition more manageable.