The reproductive phase in a woman’s life undergoes 3 fundamental stages. The first is marked by the onset of menstruation when the body declares its readiness towards childbirth. The second major phase is childbirth, which in itself is extremely demanding.

Menopause signifies the final stage that projects the culmination of the reproductive phase. While the indications of menopause in the form of erratic menstruation may arise towards the mid years of the decade of 40s in the life of a woman, the actual term is defined by the absence of periods for 12 months continuously. During these years that are from 45 to 55 years of age, there is gradual reduction in the production of the two hormones, estrogen and progesterone.

Most symptoms associated with menopause are due to the fluctuations in these hormones. Some of the signs of menopause are change in pattern of periods, hot flashes or flushes, night sweats, disturbed sleep, vaginal dryness, mood swings, loss or thinning of hair and additional hair growth on the face. Since estrogen aids in making the bones strong, therefore many woman may even experience weakness in the bones called osteoporosis.

There are various steps that can help in reducing the repercussions of menopause. In general, doctors suggest a healthy diet and exercise as remedies for coping with menopause. Apart from this, the only medical treatment available is called hormone therapy. The positives of this therapy include reduction in the hot flashes, treatment of vaginal dryness, slowing bone loss and better sleep. However, this hormone therapy comes with the threat of blood clotting, heart attack, stroke, breast cancer and gall bladder disease. Some women resort to herbal cures by increasing the intake of soy, which is said to contain phytoestrogens.

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