By the year 2030, the World Health Organization estimates that 1.2 billion women will be age 50 and older, the age when hormone production by the ovaries declines and most women experience symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, rapid heartbeat, night sweats, difficulty sleeping, irritability, memory lapses, dryness, loss of libido, muscle aches and weight gain. The extent and type of symptoms are extremely varied among different women, and the way we experience menopause is definitely not a one size fits all.

"A positive way to approach menopause is to gain greater awareness of the changes and embrace these changes with knowledge, understanding and acceptance," says, Karen Giblin, Founder and President of Red Hot Mamas, the largest menopause education program in the U.S. and Canada. It's important for women to obtain information, know what to expect when menopause arrives and know how to manage its course."

Menopausal women experience physiological changes, and millions are confused when they begin to explore the world of options to manage their symptoms-from Hormone Therapies to alternative solutions. Women should question their healthcare providers about all aspects of menopause and the treatment that's right for them. Non-hormonal solutions include:

- Replens Long Lasting Vaginal Moisturizer is estrogen-free and provides long-lasting relief of feminine dryness. Replens stays in place replenishing vaginal moisture for long-lasting hydration. The National Institutes of Health lists feminine dryness among the most common menopausal symptoms. http://www.replens.com

- Remifemin and Remifemin Good Night, the most extensively researched black cohosh product in the world, safely reduces hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, occasional sleeplessness and anxiety by over 70 percent. Backed by 15 clinical studies and widely recommended by OB/GYNs, non-estrogenic Remifemin is an excellent alternative to Hormone Therapy, and safe even for women who cannot take estrogen. http://www.enzymatictherapy.com/Remifemin

- "Eat To Defeat Menopause for A Healthy Midlife" cookbook encourages women to make healthy changes that will carry them through their menopausal years and discusses dietary strategies for symptom relief and maintenance for a healthy lifestyle. The book is co-authored by Karen Giblin and Mache Seibel, M.D., Professor of OB/GYN at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the Director of Complicated Menopause Program. http://www.Amazon.com

Yale Clinical Professor of OB/GYN, Mary Jane Minkin, MD, says, "80% of women experience bothersome symptoms-from mildly uncomfortable to outright vexing," Minkin says. "There are solutions for everyone, so there's no need to suffer. We should all be having a good time now-maybe even the best time of our lives."

"There are lots of treatment options for menopausal symptoms besides estrogen," says Dr. Machelle Seibel, Director of Complicated Menopause Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. "The key for women is to talk with their health providers and to become knowledgeable about alternative approaches."

Source
Red Hot Mamas