How to Naturally Calm Perimenopause Symptoms
Perimenopause is the time of transition between having regular menstrual cycles and total cessation of menstrual cycles. This can last up to a decade and may include symptoms such as irregular periods, insomnia, vaginal dryness, hot flashes, depression, mood swings, decrease in sex drive, tenderness in the breasts, frequent urination and fatigue. Although there are conventional treatments, such as estrogen replacement therapy, choosing natural remedies may be a much better option, because they have little or no risk of dangerous side effects. Sometimes, making a few subtle changes in your diet and lifestyle, as well as adding certain herbs and supplements, can make a sizable improvement in your perimenopausal symptoms and contribute to your overall quality of health.
Things You'll Need
- Evening primrose oil supplements
- Damiana supplements
- Valerian root tea
- Dong quai supplements
- Dietary changes
- Regular exercise
Instructions
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Take evening primrose oil capsules. Evening primrose oil comes from a North American biennial and has been known to help ease breast tenderness and pain. It should not be used if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have been diagnosed with mania or schizophrenia.
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Consider using damiana supplements, which come from a Central American shrub with aromatic, yellow flowers. This herb has long been used to help combat a low libido. Speak with your doctor before taking damiana if you have liver problems, suffer from diabetes, are pregnant or are on a prescription medication. Breastfeeding women should not take damiana. Make sure that you use a high-quality, reputable brand of damiana to avoid harmful added ingredients. Take as directed by the individual product you are using.
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Drink a cup of valerian root tea at bedtime to aid in falling to sleep, when needed. Valerian comes from a perennial found in parts of Asia, Europe and South Africa. The herb has been commonly used to treat insomnia and nervousness. It has a calming effect. Valerian should not be taken together with the herb skullcap, as the combination could have an adverse effect on the liver. You should avoid taking valerian if you are on anti-anxiety drugs, and valerian should only be used for a short term, when experiencing bouts of sleeplessness.
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Take dong quai supplements for vaginal dryness and irregular menstrual periods. Dong quai comes from a perennial commonly grown in areas of Asia and has been used for female complaints for centuries. When taking dong quai, use caution when being exposed to sunlight. Also, you should not take this herb if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, on the prescription drug warfarin or taking herbal blood thinners such as ginger, turmeric, garlic, feverfew or ginkgo biloba.
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Modify your diet to include more raw foods and limit meat and dairy products, which can contribute to hot flashes. Some common examples of raw foods are fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, raw honey, olives, fresh sprouts, seeds and nuts.
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Get regular exercise, which will help reduce many of your perimenopausal symptoms. Examples of exercises you can do are walking, swimming, water aerobics and strength-training exercises. You can also try tai chi and yoga, not only for their physical benefits but also to ease depression and stress.
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Tips & Warnings
Always contact your doctor before taking any alternative remedy. Make sure you use supplements from reputable companies.
