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Three Methods:Maintain a Healthy LifestyleAlternative HealthSee Your DoctorCommunity Q&A

Menopause is a normal part of a woman's aging process. It occurs when the ovaries are depleted of eggs and stop producing hormones. As a result, the menstrual cycle ceases and reproduction is no longer possible. Most women experience at least some symptoms of menopause, which commonly include hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, irritability, mood swings, depression, fatigue, muscle and joint pains, weight gain and a decrease in sex drive. You may not be able to entirely prevent menopause symptoms, but you can decrease their severity by making some healthy lifestyle changes.


Method 1
Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

  1. 1
    Follow dietary recommendations for menopausal women.
  2. 2
    Quit smoking.
  3. 3
    Keep a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same time very day, even on your days off. Irregular sleeping hours contribute to insomnia.
  4. 4
    Engage in some form of physical exercise for 30 to 45 minutes each day. Weight bearing exercise, which requires your muscles work against gravity, is especially important during menopause because it slows muscle loss. Walking, jogging, yoga or weightlifting are good choices.

Method 2
Alternative Health

  1. 1
    Practice relaxation techniques and deep, abdominal breathing at least twice each day. Studies have found that women who practice deep breathing exercises have a decrease in hot flashes and other symptoms.
  2. 2
    Take black cohosh 2 to 3 times a day. Black cohosh is an herbal remedy that has been found to decrease menopause symptoms. It is sold in many health food stores in several different forms, including powdered root, tea, powdered extract, fluid extract and tincture.
    • Black cohosh is used in some over-the-counter menopause treatments, such as Remifemin.
  3. 3
    Visit an acupuncturist. A study done in Sweden found that women who received acupuncture experienced relief from hot flashes and other menopausal side effects that lasted for several months.

Method 3
See Your Doctor

  1. 1
    Discuss the risks and benefits of using hormone therapy to prevent menopause symptoms. Women who undergo natural menopause are typically prescribed estrogen and progestin, which is a synthesized version of progesterone.
  2. 2
    Estrogen taken without progestin may increase the risk of cancer of the uterus. However, women who have had a hysterectomy no longer have a uterus, so they can take estrogen alone.
  3. 3
    Consider taking a low dose antidepressant. Paxil or Effexor are sometimes prescribed to menopausal women, as these medications have been found to be effective in decreasing the severity and frequency of hot flashes.
  4. 4
    Undergo other health tests as recommended by your doctor. Your doctor may test your bone density and iron levels, to monitor the changes in your body as you go through menopause.

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Categories: Women’s Health

In other languages:

Español: prevenir síntomas de la menopausia, Русский: предотвратить симптомы менопаузы, Português: Evitar Sintomas da Menopausa, Italiano: Prevenire i Sintomi della Menopausa

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