Menstrual cramps and age

According to statistics, menstrual pain is the number one reason why women younger than 30 years old absent themselves from work or from school. Worse, 10% of these women who experience menstrual cramps are temporarily disabled by the pain and other symptoms.

Women who started having periods at a very young age, usually less than 11 years old, are more predisposed to experience menstrual pains. Also, those who have never been pregnant have sharper menstrual cramps than those who have already given birth. Other risk factors include obesity, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and a period lasting for more than 5 days.

Causes of menstrual pain

Basically, the culprit responsible for bringing about menstrual cramps is prostaglandin. Prostaglandin is produced in the tissues lining the uterus, and this becomes the stimulus for the muscles of the uterus to contract. Contraction of the uterine muscles produces pain, and so the more prostaglandin a woman produces, the more painful it will be.

Aside from prostaglandin, menstrual pain is also associated in several reproductive conditions, like the presence of fibroids in the uterus, endometriosis, infections in the reproductive tract, ovarian cyst, narrow cervix, abnormal pregnancy, and intrauterine device for birth control.

There are two types of menstrual pain or dysmenorrhea – primary and secondary. Primary dysmenorrhea is when the woman had menstrual pains from the very start of her period. However, if he menstrual cramps are secondary to a medical condition like endometriosis, then it is called secondary dysmenorrhea. The latter can be remedied once the underlying cause is treated.

Symptoms of menstrual pain

Aside from the obvious symptom that is pain in the lower abdominal region, a woman may also experience low back pain and leg pain. This is because the pain from the abdomen radiates to these parts. Menstrual pain happens just before a woman begins her period, and the symptoms may continue until 2 to 3 days after.

Other less common accompanying symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headaches, diarrhea, weakness, and irritability. In worst cases, a woman may even experience fainting spells. Some women also cannot do their normal activities because of extreme pain.

Prevention

Menstrual cramps can be prevented. Even though majority of women experience menstrual pain before their period, there are still a few who get to be comfortable during their periods.

Since overweight women are more prone to menstrual cramps, it is advisable to maintain a normal body weight. Also, you must live a healthy lifestyle. Avoid drinking too much alcohol or smoking cigarettes. Regular exercise should also become a part of your routine. And finally, you should stick to a low fat diet, which is not only good for avoiding menstrual cramps but also for avoiding a lot of other health problems.

Treatment

If you are the type of person who experiences severe menstrual cramps, then it might be advisable for you to take painkillers, such as Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and Ketoprofen. These drugs are available over the counter and they inhibit the release of prostaglandin so that pain will not be felt. Remember that these medications must be taken before the onset of menstruation for optimum results. Also, since these are anti-inflammatory drugs, it is necessary to take these with meals to avoid having an upset stomach.

Of course, you can also just opt to relieve menstrual cramps using non-pharmaceutical methods, such as placing a heating pad to the lower abdominal area so as to relax the contracting uterine muscles. You can also massage the aching areas.

Speaking of less aggressive treatment modalities, why don’t you try taking supplements to aid you in fighting menstrual cramps? The acai berry is said to have a lot of wonderful benefits, and one of them is kissing menstrual pain away. This is because acai berry is rich in calcium content. Calcium coats the lining of the uterus and the stomach, so that there is less pain felt when the uterus releases prostaglandin and starts to contract. Other symptoms associated with menstrual cramps are also alleviated because of acai berry.

Which Acai Berry is right for me?

If you are looking for the right type of acai berry supplement to take, try the freeze dried or powder form. It is more concentrated than the juice form, so you are sure that you are only getting 100% acai berry extract. Also, it is more convenient to bring, since it is very compact and you can take it anywhere. Moreover, you can be sure that there are no preservatives added, and that you are only getting pure acai berry at its finest.

Menopause is a perfectly normal event that occurs in the mid or late forties. It signifies the end of the female reproductive cycle commenced in early adolescence.

There are several misconceptions about menopause: many women going through this change feel they are growing old and that they are past the prime physical vigour stage of life. Other women feel that menopause brings with it a cessation of sexual pleasure but these beliefs are are far from true.

Menopause may be the end of a women’s fertility but certainly not of her virility. It does not decrease a woman’s physical capacity, sexual vigour or enjoyment of same.

The symptoms of menopause include but are not limited to: hot flashes, night sweats, nervous tension, menstrual disturbances, insomnia, diminished interest in sex, irritability and depression. In addition, chilly feelings, fatigue, palpitation, dizziness, headaches and numbness are also experienced by some women.

The severity and length of the symptoms can vary widely from woman to woman and are dependant on a large range of factors from age, to health to diet. Something to keep in mind, if you are truly healthy, if you body is in a non-toxic state and if you eat a proper, well-balanced diet, menopause should be largely asymptomatic. The discomfort experienced comes from an ill equipped body trying to cope with major hormonal changes. Since menopause isn’t an artificial condition, however, it stands to reason that the body would be built to handle the change, and it is, however, toxicity, improper diet and other factors can block the body from being able to handle it as easily as it should be able to.

If you are finding the symptoms of menopause to be unbearable or even uncomfortable, you have a couple of options. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been around for years and is quite popular with both women and men (who use HRT to combat andropause, the male hormonal equivalent of menopause). The problem with HRT, however, is that it has been linked to some cancers, although not conclusively. In other words, it may cause cancer and it may not—but do you really want to take that risk?

A safer option would be to supplement your diet with a good quality acai product, like that sold by Natural Home Cures. Acai can help to alleviate menopausal symptoms by providing essential micronutrients to the body. Remember I said that only the ill equipped body suffers from the symptoms of menopause? For many women, years of improper eating have left their body bare of essential micronutrients like potassium, sulphur and magnesium. A decent acai supplement simply restores the proper balance to the body, allowing it to heal itself or, more accurately, giving it the tools to handle the changes taking place.

I said “good quality” product for a reason. Poor quality products just won’t give you the punch you need to deal with menopause and, in fact, may make it worse! (due to fillers). Acai sold in liquid form isn’t pure acai at all. In order to make it taste good many companies add other fruit juices to the mix. And, in order to keep the juice from spoiling they add stabilizers (usually citric acid). This results in a product that’s high in sugar and full or preservatives which is the absolute last thing an already nutrient deprived body needs!

Always look for acai that is in solid form. As I mentioned above, the product sold by Natural Home Cures is of excellent quality. They sell acai in solid form with nothing added. The benefits of a solid form product are: purity, a non-irradiated product (I can only be sure that Natural Home Cures’ products are not irradiated) and ease of use.

I’ve already talked about the fillers that liquid state supplements contain, but even more insidious is the irradiation process that the juice goes through. Since the acai is not juiced in the same country it is picked, it must be irradiated (the process of intentionally exposing something to radiation) in order to kill virus’, bacteria and other pests that would cause disaster if exposed to a new ecosystem. The problem is, this process leaves harmful carcinogens in the fruit which are then passed on to you when the acai is juiced.

Once again, I’d recommend Natural Home Cures acai supplements over any other brand out there. It’s 100% pure, a fraction of the cost of liquid supplements and much better for you.

Menopause is a natural occurrence that happens to every woman, most often between the ages of 45 and 55. It is diagnosed after a woman stops having a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. This period also signals that a woman can no longer conceive and bear a child. Although menopause doesn’t actually happen until there’s no menstrual flow after 12 months, people commonly refer to it as the entire transition period wherein the bodily changes occur.

Why Do These Changes occur?

These changes take place because of altered functioning of the ovaries which causes a decline in the production of hormones such as progesterone, estradiol and estriol, 2 of the three estrogen hormones. These hormonal fluctuations happen years before the actual menopause and symptoms include irregular menses, hot flashes, night sweats, sleeplessness, vaginal dryness, mood swings, headaches, weight gain and concentration problems among other things. This period of transition can take a few years and can even reach as long as 10 years or more but the degree to which symptoms happen vary considerably from person to person.

How Will You Know If You’re In The Perimenopausal Stage?

Clues that involve your menstruation will begin to appear such as skipped periods, irregularity in terms of quantity of blood discharge, bleeding between periods and having periods close to each other. These things will clue you in that you’re in the perimenopausal period.

Hot Flashes

Hot flashes may be one of the most recognized symptoms of menopause.The sudden increase in your body temperature induces a sensation wherein your body reaches its peak temperature and then rapidly returns to normal. This condition is caused by the reduction of estrogen levels in your body. Although hot flashes occur in varying degrees, the sudden increase in temperature causes the woman to feel weak and experience heavy sweating as the body tries to cool down. Hot flashes that occur at night are termed night sweats and may cause sleep disturbances to some women. A rapid pulse, as well as chills after the hot flashes may also be experienced. Although discomfort is experienced because of this occurrence, physicians don’t consider it harmful and simply suggest various treatment options such as hormone replacement therapy, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or SSRI medications and plant-based estrogens.

Weight Gain

More than hot flashes, a lot of women gain weight concentrated on the buttocks, lower abdomen and thighs attributed to the body trying to retain the small amount of estrogen left inside the body a little bit longer. The deposition happens particularly on those parts because estrogen is fat-soluble and so that the long bones will be padded to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, which menopause further increases.

Decrease in Libido

Furthermore, vaginal dryness, accompanying itchiness along with hormonal changes makes some women experience a decrease in their sex drive or just discomfort in having sex.

Other Signs And Symptoms of Menopause

Some women also complain about incontinence or urine leakage and although this might be normal during the ageing process, menopause may partially be responsible since lowered estrogen levels lead to the thinning of the urethral lining, which is the outlet for the bladder. Mood swings can also take place due to hormonal changes, sleeplessness, stress and other factors and even more symptoms arise like fatigue, memory and concentration problems, bone aching, dry eyes, hair loss on your head and increased facial hair.

Fear Not, For Acai Berry is Here!

The good news is women experience symptoms of menopause differently and while some are burdened with many of these difficult bodily changes, others experience just a few. And what’s better news is that the perimenopausal symptoms caused by the many changes happening inside your body can be managed. While menopause typically doesn’t require treatment, supplements such as Acai Berry can help make your life much easier during this phase.

Acai Berry is a powerful herb that’s making waves because of its antioxidant properties and countless health benefits, but how does it help a woman experiencing hormonal changes due to menopause specifically?

For one, Acai Berry is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals such as Beta-Carotene, Calcium, Folate, Iodine, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Potassium, Selenium, Chromium, Copper, Boron, Zinc and Vitamins B, C, D and E, as well as antioxidants helping increase your energy and stamina and boost your immune system. Consumed on a daily basis, Acai Berry can bring your immune system to a higher level, freeing up more energy for other things and ultimately eliminating fatigue. Acai Berry also promotes a more restful sleep by providing amino acids that help your muscles relax, as well as Vitamin B that regulate neurotransmitters that induce sleep in the brain. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know that a restful sleep equals more energy the next day.

Acai Berry also contains high levels of Calcium to help combat the risk of osteoporosis. Studies conducted by experts link lower levels of estrogen to osteoporosis repeatedly over the years. Bone loss speeds up during menopause and because this condition is irreversible, taking high levels of Calcium, as well as Vitamin D as that in Acai Berry can help fight the onset of osteoporosis.

Lastly, Acai Berry helps control weight, which is a cause for concern of women undergoing menopause by being a good source of natural fiber, helping promote healthy digestion. It also curbs the appetite by its low glycemic index property, making carbohydrates break down slower. This allows glucose to be released in a more gradual manner so that your blood sugar levels don’t spike up, as well as keep you feel fuller longer.

If you’re having problems with menopause or just want something to combat its effects, Acai Berry might just be the thing for you. When choosing between pill and juice form, go for the former. You want to maximize the benefits you can get from acai, and you will not get that from the juice form, which uses other ingredients and additives, leaving a little concentration of acai in the final product. The capsule form uses 100% acai and does not need to use preservatives. Stabilizers and additives found in the juice form may do you more harm than good, defeating the purpose of taking acai to make use of its medicinal properties.