Menopause symptoms : hot flushes

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Some women sail through the menopause years with relative ease but for many it is difficult stage of life. Naturally, menopause takes place when the ovaries become unable to produce the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. Un-naturally this also happens after surgical interventions such as ovary removal, often in conjunction with a hysterectomy.

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Ovaries naturally fail to produce oestrogen and progesterone when they have few remaining egg cells and this number of egg cells reduce as the years go by.

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This process results in changing levels of hormones/ imbalance as oestrogen and progesterone levels operate within a hormone feedback system with the pituitary gland which is attached to the base of the brain. The pituitary gland continues to send out other hormones but without ovulation these continue to build to much higher levels than before menopause.

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The resulting low, and changing levels of ovarian hormones, particularly oestrogen, are thought to be the cause of many menopausal symptoms and later consequences in older women.

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Menopausal symptoms are numerous and affect women in all sorts of different ways and levels of severity. One of the most commonly occurring symptoms is ‘hot flushes’. This problem  can occur at any time of day or night and range from a couple of flushes per day to frequent waves of extreme heat  continuing all night. Many women find it difficult to cope with the resultant sleep disturbance; persistent  sleep deprivation leads to extreme tiredness, lack of energy and associated depression.

For those women who choose not to take HRT (hormone replacement therapy) or are medically unable to, some alternative therapies such as acupuncture, herbal medicine and  changes of diet can offer effective relief of symptoms. Acupuncture in particular can in many cases offer a solution which really improves quality of life and helps restore energy levels and balance within the body.