Having problems with vaginal dryness during menopause, but don’t want to risk your health by trying out potentially irritating creams or gels? If so, rest assured that there are several different natural treatments for menopause vaginal dryness.

Causes of vaginal dryness

Since vaginal dryness, also known as atrophic vaginitis, can have two distinctly different causes, it’s important to know what’s causing yours before you start looking for a treatment. The most common cause of vaginal dryness is a decline in estrogen production, which can lead to weakening, thinning and drying of the vaginal wall. A hormone-related decline in libido can also be responsible.

If you suspect this is the cause of your vaginal dryness, make sure it’s really menopause related.

It could be bacterial vaginitis or a yeast infection. It’s especially important keep watch for these conditions at menopause because dryness reduces the number of friendly bacteria in the area, leaving you more vulnerable to infections.

Another cause of vaginal dryness during menopause is depression and stress. When you’re feeling down or exhausted, you’re not likely to be in the mood, so your body just isn’t going to respond as well as it would under better circumstances.

The fact is, though, these two factors are often combined. Vaginal dryness can make intercourse uncomfortable if not downright painful. This alone can kill your libido, which in turn leads to even more dryness.

Vaginal dryness treatment

There are several different ways to go about treating vaginal dryness during menopause. The simplest is one you may not have thought about: drink more water. You may need to make a conscious effort to do this, but it really can help. Another thing to consider if you follow a low-fat diet is to get more fat. Yes, you read that right. The estrogen needed for vaginal lubrication is made from cholesterol, so you do need a certain amount of fat in your diet. The nutrients are vitamin E and magnesium are also important for vaginal health.

Home remedy for vaginal dryness

Once you’ve got your diet in order, you may want to try out some herbal remedies for menopausal dryness. Black cohosh and red clover are commonly recommended, especially if you also suffer from hot flashes. If you think your dryness is the result of stress or diminished libido, try chasteberry, wild yam, or passionflower, herbs which mimic the hormone progesterone. The only problem with these treatments is that they need time to take effect, so you may want use something else in the meantime.

Natural product for vaginal dryness

Many women find using a personal lubricant to be the best option for instant lubrication. While there are quite a few on the market, look for natural products based on water and vegetable glycerin with botanicals added to create the same pH level as in the vaginal area. These are far less irritating than the chemical-laden varieties. Another option is a natural progesterone cream, which is usually made from phytoestrogens (plant estrogen).

Fortunately, treating minor vaginal dryness during menopause isn’t too difficult. You may find drinking more water and adding a little fat and the right herbs to your diet solves the problem. If not, though, a commercial product like a personal lubricant or progesterone cream might be for you.

When it comes to progesterone cream, you simply do not want to be using the brands which are chemically enhances in a laboratory and/or tested on animals.

Why you ask? Because progesterone should be natural! It is a naturally occurring human hormone so why would you need it to be formulated with chemicals? Simple – you don’t! Organic natural progesterone such as NatPro is 100% natural, just like the progesterone that occurs in your body. Since progesterone is produced naturally in the human body, why would you want to supplement it with synthetic progesterone? It just doesn’t make sense!

What makes more sense is to only use 100% organic natural progesterone like NatPro.

NatPro and other 100% natural progesterone creams will assist in relieving symptoms of PMS and menopause as well as a host of other benefits that only supplementation can provide for you. It is made only from vegetable substances and it is important to note that no animals have been used to test NatPro, unlike many other products where animals suffer simply to test the products. Thankfully NatPro does not put animals through this cruel process. Organic progesterone also ensures that there are no growth hormones in the product – something to be wary of if you are using products that use any part of an animal in it (this is actually more common than people think).

So why else is 100% natural organic progesterone best for your body?

It has these benefits:

Can be used to treat the symptoms of menopause, PMS, stress and general health. Can be used to control anovulatory bleeding. Can be used to prepare the uterine lining in early pregnancy Studies are also being undertaken to find out if progesterone is useful as a therapy for multiple sclerosis. As you can see, organic progesterone has many benefits.

When ordering a progesterone cream, make sure it is not of the wild yam variety as many of theses creams actually have no progesterone in them at all, let alone the recommended minimum of 30 milligrams per gram.

So how much does a good quality cream cost?

Surprisingly, very little.

NatPro, one of the leading these creams on the market, costs just $69.00 for a set of 3 tubes of progesterone cream. Three tubes should last you three months and each contains 3.33% of progesterone which is the ideal amount as determined by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Quality natural progesterone cream like NatPro consists of the following ingredients:

Spring water Organic virgin macadamia oil Natural progesterone 2000 mg Organic citrus extract Glyceryl stearate Vegetable glycerine Sodium borate Cetearyl alcohol Cetearyl glucoside Vitamin E Titanium dioxide Silver chloride

These ingredients combine to give you all the benefits of progesterone in a natural formulation. Because it is all natural, there are no side effects when the cream is used according to the instructions. NatPro is an excellent way to increase your levels of progesterone in a safe and natural way.

It’s the classic symptom of menopause: the heat on your face and upper body, sweating, and rapid heartbeat known to menopausal woman everywhere as hot flashes or, the nighttime version, night sweats. While some women only experience a little warmth, others women’s hot flashes are accompanied by nausea, dizziness, muscle weakness, headaches, and a feeling of anxiety. Just because they’re common, though, that doesn’t mean you have to put up with them. Understanding the causes and treatments for hot flashes and night sweats can help you deal with this uncomfortable symptom.

Causes of hot flashes and night sweats

While just about every woman entering menopause knows what a hot flash is, not many can tell you exactly what causes hot flashes. As with most menopause symptoms, hormone fluctuations are the underlying cause, but it’s little more complicated than that.

Estrogen regulates not only your reproductive cycle, but also your body temperature. This hormone, along with testosterone (yes, even in women), affects the hypothalamus, the segment that regulates your body temperature. Without the normal amount of estrogen, your hypothalamus gets the signal that you’re too warm. Your body then starts doing it’s best to cool you off by getting your heart pumping in order to increase blood flow to the skin, where the excess he can be let off. That leaves you a pounding pulse and sweating like it’s 110 degrees out.

Treatment for hot flashes

The good news is that there are plenty of treatments for hot flashes. The place to start is with what you eat and drink. Stay away from caffeinated beverages, alcohol, and spicy foods as much as possible. Decreasing the fat in your diet may also help although the effects are slow to show up. You might also want to try increasing the amount of vitamin E and omega 3 fatty acids in your diet by eating more nuts, olive oil, and fish like salmon and trout.

Herbs for hot flashes

Natural remedies for hot flashes are also available. Herbs for hot flashes include licorice root, black cohosh, red raspberry leaves, chasteberry (Vitex), spearmint, motherwort, and wild yams

Evening primrose oil can also help stave off hot flashes, but this may only be because of the essential fatty acids it provides.

Products for hot flashes

If adjusting your diet and using herbal remedies doesn’t help, consider a product for hot flashes that includes natural progesterone. These products are made from plants rich in phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) and have been shown to help some 80% of women who use them. Besides helping with hot flashes and night sweats, products like these have also been shown to lessen other menopause symptoms like insomnia and loss of libido.

With time, the intensity of menopause hot flashes decreases and eventually they’ll stop altogether. That said, in around 30% of women, hot flashes can keep happening for years before and during menopause. If you’d rather not put up with regular hot flashes and night sweats, but aren’t willing to resort to traditional medications, look into some of the herbal remedies or progesterone creams available.

Menopause is an unfortunate reality for all women as they get older and with it comes many painful and irritating symptoms. The purpose of this article is to give you some information on a variety of herbal and non-herbal treatments available that may be of help to you dealing with any symptoms you may feel. These include:

o Phytoestrogens- Phytoestrogens are compounds that come from plants. These compounds are often used as a treatment for menopause because they have a similar genetic make up to the naturally occurring female hormone estrogen.

o Wild Yam Creams- Whilst there is little medicinal evidence supporting the use of wild yam creams as a treatment for menopause is inconclusive, wild yam creams are still a highly popular over the counter remedy. Diosgenin is a compound in wild yams that can be synthesized in to progesterone, however the human body does not have the enzyme capable of this synthesis.

o Herbal Medicines- Herbal remedies are also wildly popular in treating menopausal women. They may not be useful in treating menopause per se, but a naturopath or herbalist can prescribe herbal treatments to help alleviate symptoms associated with menopause.

o Progesterone Treatments- Progesterone is a naturally occurring female sex hormone. It declines during menopause and some studies suggest that many menopausal symptoms are a direct result of an incorrect ratio between progesterone and estrogen levels. Progesterone remedies are normally taken in the form of a cream. Progesterone treatments can often be taken with other hormone treatments.

Menopause can be a painful and irritating time for women but there are a variety of treatments you can consider that may help alleviate your suffering. I have listed four popular treatments above and you may want to consider trying one or all of them to see which of these treatments work best for you.

Menopause insomnia is more common than you may think. While it’s frustrating in and of itself, it also exacerbates all the other symptoms of menopause and can be the cause of mood swings and low libido. In fact, an April 2008 issue of Journal of Clinical Nursing published a report of a survey in which participants deemed sleep problems as the worst menopause symptom. It came in ahead of forgetfulness, hot flashes and irritability.

The usual pattern

For most women, sleep problems during menopause usually take the form of waking up in the early morning and not being able to get back to sleep for half an hour or more. What wakes you up may be night sweats, an anxiety attack, nightmare or seemingly nothing at all. Other women have trouble falling asleep when they go to bed at night.

The causes

Although the exact causes of menopause insomnia aren’t know, it’s thought menopausal women often wake up in the middle of the night due to fluctuations in body temperature, which are caused by hormone fluctuations. Usually you wake up when your body temperature has reached a high enough point that your system wakes you in attempt to get you to do something to cool off. That’s why so many women often wake up right before having night sweats.

For other women, there may be no obvious feeling of being too warm, but from a change in estrogen levels, the body’s regulatory systems have gotten the signal they need to cool things down. In either case, it can take between 20 minutes to an hour or more before hormone levels settle enough to let you go back to sleep.

Another common, though often overlooked, cause of insomnia during menopause are emotional issues like stress, anxiety, and depression. These feelings are often responsible for an inability to fall asleep after going to bed. Stress and worry keeps your mind skipping from one problem to the next and just won’t let you fall asleep. Although sometimes these emotions are caused by hormone fluctuations, they can also be caused by the prospect of facing major life changes such as retirement.

Natural remedies

So, now you know what might be behind your insomnia, but the question of how to get to sleep during menopause still remains. Fortunately, though, since sleep problems aren’t exclusive to menopausal women, plenty of natural remedies for insomnia have been developed and many of these are remarkably effective.

How you treat your insomnia depends on the cause, though. If you believe night sweats are the primary cause, you’ll do best with treatments that get those under control, such as black cohosh and wild yam.

For sleep problems related to emotions, there are two tracts you can take. The first is to find a way to work through the stress. This may be meditation, relaxation techniques, or guided imagery. Use these to come to grips with any social or job related issues before you go to bed.

If those don’t seem to work for you, try one of the herbal treatments for relaxation like chamomile, hops, lavender, passion flower valerian, kava kava, or St. Johns wort.

Not being able to sleep during menopause is a fairly common symptom, but it’s not something you should ignore. Lack of sleep can worsen just about every other symptom of menopause, including weight gain, and just make you all around miserable. To keep yourself healthy, do what you can to manage emotional stress and consider natural treatments for night sweats and insomnia.

Natpro Progesterone Creams is one of the best creams out there on the market for women suffering from PMS or menopause symptoms. Just listen to what others have said about it:

“To this day I have continued to use natural progesterone cream almost without a break. The symptoms have not returned although when I’ve been through a stressful situation, mild depression and bruising has recurred. This is soon remedied by applying more natural progesterone.”

“I have over the years, tried several different brands but Natpro is one of the best, with a balance of ingredients which work quickly and effectively”

Unlike many other creams on the market, Natpro Progesterone Cream contains no animal products (so no animals are harmed in its production.) Natpro Progesterone Cream is made from only vegetable substances that are not genetically modified in any way but it mimics the progesterone in a woman’s body because it is bio-identical to the hormones the body produces itself.

To show you that there are no toxic substances in Natpro Progesterone Cream, here are a list of the ingredients to be found in a single tube- spring water, organic virgin macadamia oil, natural progesterone 2000 mg, organic citrus extract, glyceryl stearate, vegetable glycerine, sodium borate, cetearyl alcohol, cetearyl glucoside, vitamin E, titanium dioxide and silver chloride. The natural progesterone component is derived from soya rather than Wild Yam which has been shown to be somewhat ineffective in use as natural progesterone source.

The ingredients contained in Natpro Progesterone Cream remains largely unchanged since 1996 when it was first developed, however its inventors are constantly working to make it more healthy for its users.

Jean Morgan is currently going through the menopause having previously suffered really badly with PMS and has researched natural remedies extensively. Visit her website about [http://www.buynaturalprogesterone.net/]Natural Progesterone for more information about the PMS and menopause and how natural progesterone can help.

Jean also has a blog at http://mywebinfosites.com/menopause/ where she offers menopause information and some menopause humour for those lighter moments.

If you would like to buy Natpro Natural Progesterone it is available to purchase online at her websites.

How More Women Can Survive The Hot Flash

A hot flash is not something that can easily be seen by an onlooker; you almost have to be the one under attack. A hot flash can be described as having an intense fever or the feeling you get after standing too long near a blazing fire. It’s an intense uncontrollable heat within a woman’s body that may last a few seconds or up to an hour. Some women have reported having a hot flash as often as every 90 minutes!

Hot flashes are described as sudden waves of heat that primarily affects the head and neck region when blood vessels near the surface of the skin dilate. Some women can predict when they are going to have a hot flash or even the duration and frequency.

During a hot flash, the heart rate increases. The woman begins to react to the heat by perspiring usually on the upper lip or forehead, and some women fan themselves with their hand, a fan, magazine or whatever is available to generate cool air.

Following a hot flash, flushing or redness occurs underneath the skin and for many the body temperature drops as women experience a chill as the body struggles to regain its normal temperature. Some women also experience nighttime hot flashes or night sweats.

Some of the most unpleasant symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and night sweats, have long been believed to originate in the ovaries. This theory is popular because women experience relief from hot flashes once they replace their lost estrogen.

The most recent theory indicates hot flashes start in the brain because the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland stop reacting normally to estrogen. This occurs because estrogen production affects the part of the brain that controls the body’s temperature. The theory deduces that the drop in estrogen confuses the hypothalamus which is referred to as the body’s thermostat and results in making the body too hot.

Hot flashes can be triggered by spicy food, dairy products, meat products, hot drinks, alcohol, sugar, smoking, caffeine, diet pills, stress, hot weather, hot showers, hot beds, hot rooms, hot tubs, saunas, tobacco, marijuana, anxiety, stress and anger. Women should avoid fried, rich, spicy and sugary foods because they can develop heartburn, acid reflux, and gallstones. Hot flashes are more common in the evening and during hot weather with the most common times identified for hot flashes between six and eight in the morning and six to ten at night.

If you can identify what triggers your hot flashes, that is a good indication of survival during an attack. It is also advisable to keep a record of when your hot flashes happen and what you were eating or doing, or how you were feeling at the time in order to be able to predict when and how the may occur.

The best way to beat a hot flash is naturally. The medical profession has generally ignored natural, less risky remedies for hot flashes to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Recent studies have shown that medication is not always helpful. However, you should always begin with the least aggressive approach to treating menopausal symptoms which would be natural remedies.

There are some natural remedies that provide relief for menopausal symptoms, such as isoflavones found in soybeans. Isoflavones is similar to the hormone estrogen and when ingested, stimulates estrogen production. Although study results are not entirely consistent, isoflavones from soy and red clover have been found to be helpful for symptoms of menopause.

Bioflavonoids are chemicals found in citrus fruits that have been shown to protect capillaries and other small blood vessels. Bioflavonoids, when taken with Vitamin C, have been found to strengthen and stabilize the capillaries and other small blood vessels which can prevent hot flashes from occurring. The effect on hot flashes may be due to the similarity between certain bioflavonoids and our bodies own estrogens.

Vitamin E supplementation has also been shown to significantly reduce hot flashes. Clinical trials reported that vitamin E controlled flushing in more than 50% of the cases. It is thought that vitamin E may act as an estrogen substitute, thereby reducing the intensity of hot flashes.

Some other herbal supplements that have shown to reduce hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause are: bioflavonoid supplements, evening primrose oil (also used for PMS symptoms), ginseng, black cohosh, chickweed tincture, vitex agnus castii, blue cohosh, dong quai, wild yam root, natural progesterone, licorice root, false unicorn, lachesis, pulsatilla and sarsaparilla. Additionally, other alternative remedies that women can benefit from for relief of hot flashes are sage tea, acupuncture, meditation and biofeedback.

Functional health beverages containing certain fruit or vegetables with the nutrients polyphenols, flavenols and phytosterols also contain estrogen like chemicals that can reduce menopause symptoms.

Testimonials received from functional health beverage users state positive results from menopausal and PMS symptoms when consuming functional health beverages.

Medical Disclaimer

It is important when using herbs and vitamins to pay attention to our bodies’ responses and to remember that natural doesn’t mean we can take large amounts of a substance without thinking of side effects. It is recommended to obtain advice from someone who is familiar with herbs and vitamins for the correct dosages.

Information in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to act as a substitute for medical advice provided by a qualified health care provider, nor is any information on this topic intended to diagnose, treat, care or prevent any diseases. Statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration.

Natural progesterone side effects are of concern to anyone new to the idea of using natural progesterone as a therapy. In recent years, natural progesterone has enjoyed increased popularity and usage among women. Users are interested in restoring hormonal imbalances without the use of synthetic hormones and other pharmaceuticals having potentially very dangerous side effects, including various forms of cancers.

Compounding the concern about natural progesterone side effects is the continued reluctance of mainstream medical practitioners to promote and prescribe the use of natural progesterone among patients. While the effects of natural progesterone and hormonal imbalance has been studied for a number of years, the last 30 years has seen a significant increase in the costs related to medical studies and trials, as well as pharmaceutical testing. These days, a great deal of medical research and testing is conducted in close relationship with pharmaceutical companies. It is very possible, and highly probable that these companies may not be so eager to promote a treatment with a product (natural progesterone) for which there can be no patent, and thus no significant financial gain for any pharmaceutical entity.

So what are the possible side effects of using natural progesterone?

First, let’s make the distinction that natural progesterone, which is made from wild yams, is bioidentical to progesterone manufactured in a human body. It is not a synthetic hormone. Possible side effects are often the result of the dosage used.

If taken in larger than recommended doses, progesterone may contribute to hormonal imbalance and thus cause bloating, increased breast tenderness, increased headache, increased menstrual cramping, increased weight gain and increased mood swings. In addition, natural progestrone creams are absorbed through the skin and accumulate in fatty tissues. Over time, it is possible that this may cause disruptions in the adrenal hormones such as DHEA, cortisol, and testosterone.

Many women use natural progesterone with no side effects. When first using natural progesterone creams, it is advisable to consult a medical professional, and begin by using the lowest recommended dosage until you find the dosage that works best for relieving your problematic symptoms.

Although natural progesterone side effects may be cause for concern, natural progesterone provides relief for a number of women safely and naturally. Educating yourself about its benefits and uses, and consultation with authorities within the medical and health community will help you to make the best decisions regarding your health issues, and find the greatest possible benefits of using natural progesterone therapy.

There is a divide in the world of progesterone. On one side are those who believe that wild yams provide the perfect base for progesterone products and on the other side are those who believe that wild yam is of no benefit to humans when used in progesterone formulas.

A yam is a tuber which is grown in Central and South America as well as in certain parts of Africa and Asia. Yams are similar to sweet potatoes (and are often confused as such) but they are in fact a different species of plant.

Wild yams contain diosgenin which is a plant steroid. Our bodies are unable to metabolize diosgenin from wild yam into progesterone; it must be processed by chemical means in laboratories. Obviously this detracts from the “natural” claims of wild yam based progesterone. A product simply can not be classes as natural if it has undergone chemical processing in a laboratory!

In stark contrast to the misleading claim of wild yam being a natural basis for progesterone, NatPro is made from the soya bean and this is actually identical to the progesterone that your body manufacturers itself. No chemical altering and no processing. This makes NatPro all natural compared to the non natural wild yam forms of progesterone.

Wild yam actually stopped being widely used in 1976 when it was found that diosgenin should not be used a principal sterol to synthesize progesterone. Why did people start realizing that wild yam was not beneficial to people? Simply because it was discovered that they do not contain progesterone in their extracts.

It is important for a progesterone cream to have a certain amount of progesterone in it. The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology stated in a study in 1999 that this level should be at least 30 milligrams per gram.

Wild yam based progesterone creams were found to have as little as 5 milligrams per ounce. Some even had none at all!
The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology even stated “the creams that are made from Mexican yams are not metabolized to progesterone by women”. Thankfully people are now realizing that wild yam based progesterone is of no benefit to humans.

As mentioned, Natpro uses progesterone which is derived from the soya bean. Being identical to the progesterone found in the human body, soya bean extracts form the perfect base for progesterone creams.

The website Quackwatch.com which keeps track of frauds, myths and misleading information concerning medical products, states that dioscorea villosa, from which the wild yam based cream is supposedly made, is not a source of progesterone and in fact is may even be estrogenic. They claim that the plant is useful in a lab but not in humans.

Quackwatch also go on to say “Not only is there little reason to suppose that Wild Yam Cream would be helpful for the medical conditions for which it is being promoted, but it doubtful that it ever could be as useful as synthetic progesterone.” It should be noted that these comments were made by a qualified doctor and therefore by someone who knows both sides of the story.

It is even said that there is a danger that menopausal women who use wild yam based progesterone could forego or even stop their hormone replacement therapy due to the sometimes deceptive promotion of wild yam based progesterone.

The greatest danger posed by this product and its deceptive promotion is that it will lead many menopausal women to forego or even discontinue appropriate hormone-replacement therapy (HRT).

Wild yam based progesterone is not recommend for women due to the fact that it is not natural and undergoes chemical processing before being sold to the public.

When it comes to progesterone cream, you simply do not want to be using the brands which are chemically enhances in a laboratory and/or tested on animals.

Why you ask? Because progesterone should be natural! It is a naturally occurring human hormone so why would you need it to be formulated with chemicals? Simple – you don’t!

Organic natural progesterone such as NatPro is 100% natural, just like the progesterone that occurs in your body. Since progesterone is produced naturally in the human body, why would you want to supplement it with synthetic progesterone? It just doesn’t make sense!

What makes more sense is to only use 100% organic natural progesterone like NatPro.

NatPro and other 100% natural progesterone creams will assist in relieving symptoms of PMS and menopause as well as a host of other benefits that only natural progesterone supplementation can provide for you.

NatPro is made only from vegetable substances and it is important to note that no animals have been used to test NatPro, unlike many other products where animals suffer simply to test the products. Thankfully NatPro does not put animals through this cruel process.

Organic natural progesterone also ensures that there are no growth hormones in the product – something to be weary of if you are using products that use any part of an animal in it (this is actually more common than people think.

So why else is 100% natural organic progesterone best for your body?

It has these benefits:

Can be used to treat the symptoms of menopause, PMS, stress and general health.
Can be used to control anovulatory bleeding.
Can be used to prepare the uterine lining in early pregnancy

Studies are also being undertaken to find out if progesterone is useful as a therapy for multiple sclerosis.

As you can see, organic natural progesterone has many benefits.

When ordering a progesterone cream, make sure it is not of the wild yam variety as many of theses creams actually have no progesterone in them at all, let alone the recommended minimum of 30 milligrams per gram.

So how much does a good quality natural progesterone cream cost?

Surprisingly, very little.

NatPro, one of the leading natural progesterone creams on the market, costs just $69.00 for a set of 3 tubes of progesterone cream.

Three tubes should last you three months and each contains 3.33% of progesterone which is the ideal amount as determined by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Quality natural progesterone cream like NatPro consists of the following ingredients:

Spring water
Organic virgin macadamia oil
Natural progesterone 2000 mg
Organic citrus extract
Glyceryl stearate
Vegetable glycerine
Sodium borate
Cetearyl alcohol
Cetearyl glucoside
Vitamin E
Titanium dioxide
Silver chloride

These ingredients combine to give you all the benefits of progesterone in a natural formulation. Because it is all natural, there are no side effects when the cream is used according to the instructions.

NatPro is an excellent way to increase your levels of progesterone in a safe and natural way.