What is Menopause?

Menopause is the time in every woman's life that marks the end of her reproductive years.  This happens when her ovaries have stopped producing enough estrogen and progesterone to keep the menstrual cycles going.
Menopause is determined by the cession of her menstrual periods for 12 consecutive months.

The mean age a woman undergoes menopause is 51, but may vary between ages 40 to 55.
Common symptoms that women experience are: night sweats, hot flashes, mood change, difficulty falling asleep, fatigue, increased muscle and joint pain, headaches, and weight gain

These symptoms are a direct result of estrogen and progesterone deficiency caused by menopause.

To effectively treat these symptoms it is important to understand the roles of the female hormones: estrogen and progesterone.

Estrogen:
Promotes: quality of sleep, mood, quality of skin/hair/nails, improved libido/vaginal lubrication, decrease in musculoskeletal complaints, elimination of hot flashes, improved mental functioning
Deficiency: bloating, irregular bleeding, breast tenderness, blood clots, gallbladder problems, fibroid problems, anxiety

Progesterone:
Promotes: suppression of endometriosis, increase sex drive, control of abnormal bleeding, improved mood, bone protection, reduced hot flashes

Deficiency: moodiness and irritability, depression, bloating, abnormal bleeding, frizzy hair, headaches, breast pain, PMS

Conditions complicated by menopause:

Due to decreases in hormones women in menopause are at greater risk for:
Heart Disease
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women.  Natural estrogen has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 50%!
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break.  In the 1st 10 years after menopause women loose 1-2% of cortical (outside) bone and 5% of trabecular (inside) bone per year!
Chronic Stress: 
Cortisol, the stress hormone and insulin, the body’s sugar regulating hormone, play important roles in your body’s physiology.  High levels of cortisol and insulin, caused by chronic stress and insulin resistance respectively, impair normal hormone functioning.  This becomes critical when a menopausal woman’s hormone levels are all ready low.

FYI on breast cancer & cardiovascular disease. 
Natural estrogen comes in three forms E1, E2, and E3.  While some studies indicate that E1 is linked to certain cancers when it metabolizes to a 16-alpha-hydroxyesterone, E3 is found to be protective.  Natural progesterone is also found to be protective  
There are mixed studies linking prescription HRT (hormone replacement therapy) to breast cancer and cardiovascular disease.