Commonly referred to as “the change of life,” menopause is a truly dreaded phase that all women will eventually reach, usually kicking and screaming the entire way. Most women will reach menopause as they age gracefully, but premature menopause can occur due to genetics, autoimmune disorders, or medical procedures. While menopause brings a stop to your monthly menstrual cycle, that’s about the only welcomed relief associated with it. A lot of women don’t know what to expect when they think they feel menopause start to creep up on them, and others completely deny the symptoms they are experiencing, rationalizing their denial with the fact that it is widely believed that menopause occurs in women over a certain age and they have yet to reach that magic number.

Honestly, menopause is widely misunderstood, and just as we see with other issues that affect women’s bodies, it’s because of our contentment with not talking about it, or when we do, we’re often told that we’re giving too much information on the inner workings of our bodies. So let’s do the very thing that we have been trained by society not to do: Let’s talk about our bodies, and specifically, let’s dig deeper into what menopause is, how it affects women, and what women can do to treat the symptoms they experience as a result of this phase of life.

What is most frequently believed to be menopause is actually three different and distinct phases, menopause being the second phase. Perimenopause, or menopause transition, is the very beginning stages of menopause. This phase usually begins in a woman’s 40s, but can begin in her 30s, or in few cases, can even occur in a woman’s 20s. Perimenopause is when the ovaries gradually produce less estrogen over the course of about four years on average. Perimenopause can be a difficult time in a woman’s life because women will often experience the symptoms of menopause, but continue to have a monthly or erratic menstrual cycle.

Menopause, the second stage, is when a woman has not had a menstrual cycle in 12 months. It is at this point in life that a woman’s ovaries have stopped releasing eggs and producing most of their estrogen, marking the end of her reproductive period. The symptoms of menopause affect about 70% of women and are taxing both physically as well as mentally. The symptoms include mood swings, fatigue, decreased libido, breast tenderness, memory loss, difficulty sleeping, among others. The most common symptom of menopause, however, are hot flashes.

Studies suggest that hot flashes occur in menopausal women due to the withdrawal of estrogen from the system. This results in feelings of sudden, intense heat, flushing, perspiration, and rapid or irregular heartbeat and pulse. Not fun. In fact, hot flashes are a lot of the time to blame for the difficulty women in menopause have with falling and staying asleep. Waking up several times a night because of hot flashes certainly leads to fatigue and, if you don’t get enough sleep at night, you’re likely to become highly irritable. A lot of what we feel mentally and experience physically is directly linked to the amount of sleep we get and how restful it is.

There are many treatments for menopause available, including hormone replacement therapy. However, many doctors will typically advise against the use of hormones and many women are now choosing to steer clear of hormone therapies and synthetic remedies for their symptoms. A little treatment called Amberen is now coming to the aid of these women. Amberen is currently the only natural, nonprescription treatment for hot flashes on the market. Using patented technology, this treatment works with your body’s natural cycles and functions to reverse the body’s acceleration into the aging process. Through this treatment, countless women have experienced relief from hot flashes which has allowed them to sleep soundly through the night, alleviating mood swings and regaining a sense of clarity and focus that allowed them to continue to live their lives.

Finally, the third phase of menopause is postmenopause, which simply marks the years after menopause has occurred. If you are experiencing menopause’s harshest symptoms, take solace in the fact that this is but another rite of passage of being a woman. There are many treatment options available for women that will successfully treat menopause symptoms, which should be talked about with your doctor. Together, you can devise a menopausal treatment plan that is perfect for you.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Amberen. Incentive was provided to me, and opinions are my own.

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