A woman’s body undergoes many changes during its lifetime. When the productive years near their end, the body transitions to menopause. Menopause is the time when the menstrual cycle completely stops, and the woman experiences two stages: perimenopause and menopause.
In perimenopause (menopausal transition), your body naturally transitions to menopause and you may experience symptoms, such as irregularity in your monthly period when you are in your 40s, although some women experience the changes in their mid-30s. Your level of estrogen falls and rises unevenly, and your monthly period may be short or long. There will be menstrual cycles where your ovaries do not ovulate. Other women may have sleep problems, vaginal dryness, and hot flashes. After 12 consecutive months of not having a menstrual period, you enter the menopause stage.
At this stage, most women will have night sweats and hot flashes. According to experts, the body fails to control its temperature because it lacks estrogen. The hot flashes, which can continue years after menopause, are sudden bursts of internal heat. You can have sweat on your chest, neck, or face. Prescription drugs and hormone replacement medications can help. Likewise, you can manage hot flashes and other symptoms with natural and home remedies.
Black Cohosh
One of the top home remedies for menopause symptoms, such as mood swings, hot flashes and night sweats, is black cohosh. This is a woodland herb indigenous to North America, and traditional medicine practitioners typically use the root as medicine, particularly for conditions related to estrogen. Many people use the herb to help manage several conditions, such as brittle and weak bones, painful menstruation, premenstrual syndrome, and menopause symptoms. Some reports say it can also lower blood pressure.
However, studies show that black cohosh can reduce hot flashes by about 26 percent, making the herb one of the natural supplements that shows a lot of promise. Thus, it is gaining more attention from scientific researchers. So far, they have observed that black cohosh can help reduce mild hot flashes and night sweats in short-term use. But the use of black cohosh shows different effects. Trusted sources say that it can increase the effects of estrogen in some parts of the body while the estrogen effects can decrease in other parts.
It is still important to see your doctor before taking the herb. Moreover, ensure that you are using black cohosh. Blue cohosh and white cohosh are not related to black cohosh.
