Introduction Menopause is a fact of female life. All women will go through it (if they live long enough!), but some will feel the effects profoundly, others will feel some of the effects, and still others may feel nothing whatsoever and glide through the whole experience, oblivious to the whole "change of life" apart from the obvious cessation of menstrual periods. As an inescapable fact of life, it's essential that women know what to expect and when to expect it, and understand the issues that may arise and the options that are open to them. What May Happen With the approach of menopause, production of the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone declines, causing menstruation to cease. This, in turn, can cause a number of symptoms. Some of these may be short term, such as hot flashes, fatigue, night sweats, loss of libido, headaches. Others are usually longer term, such as vaginal and urinary problems, and may become permanent but are not life-threatening, and can be remedied or at least alleviated by several therapies. However, there are other consequences of the decrease in sex hormones at menopause that are dangerous and may be unnoticed, until they pose a serious problem. One of the main risks at menopause is the development of osteoporosis, a loss of bone mass that can be seriously debilitating and even life threatening. Other conditions that more readily arise after the decline in estrogen production are coronary heart disease leading to heart attacks, cerebrovascular disease leading to strokes, and certain cancers. On the positive side, there are many treatment options available depending on your symptoms, from hormone therapy (HT) to nutritional supplements and from dietary changes to beneficial exercises. HT has proved invaluable to millions of women around the world, but the debate surrounding it is controversial and ongoing, and the guidelines on its use have changed in light of recent research. Reviewing the Options Creams, patches, tablets, suppositories, implants, even nasal sprays are widely available, and they have given relief from menopausal symptoms and long-term protection from certain conditions. However, getting to grips with the advice being offered by different experts is at times mind-boggling, so it is essential that every woman considering HT is fully informed of her options, and discusses these with her healthcare provider to ascertain what each treatment can offer, and to balance any potential benefits against any possible risks. In addition, as we approach midlife, other life changes begin to take place -- at home, at work and at play. For women with families, this is often a time when children leave home and when partners may also be going through a time of transition in their own lives, both of which can cause anxieties. New light is often thrown on the work-life balance, and women begin to look forward to lessening (or, sometimes, strengthening) their commitments at work. Also, whereas younger adults are driven by personal ambition, adults entering midlife tend to find intellectual pursuits and interests far more inspirational. With all this turmoil and activity, it's no wonder this time of life is referred to as "the change"! Your Life Your Way Along with providing you with information on various therapies and techniques, this book can help you overcome the negative aspects of menopause and has been written to inform you of the positive changes that can happen at this time. For far too long menopause has been seen in a bad light -- the end of something rather than the beginning of something new. A century ago, female life expectancy in the U.S. was just 51 years, and many women were not expected to live to experience the symptoms of menopause. Now, females are expected to live well into their eighties -- which means that for many of us, almost half our lives will be spent as postmenopausal women -- one very good reason to explore all the possible avenues to make your experience of menopause a good one. In addition to an increased lifespan, women are now more vocal and more curious about things they can do for themselves. Menopause was never a subject for discussion or comparison in our grandmothers' or even our mothers' generations. Information was limited and "grin and bear it" was the maxim to live by -- what other options were there? However, breakthroughs in science and medicine, along with new thinking about alternative therapies have changed all that. Moreover, women are eager to know more and to put that knowledge to use. Unwilling to simply place their trust in doctors who "know what's best," women are much more determined to take control of their health issues and find workable alternatives to complement or replace traditional medicine. The Aim of This Book These are the most important reasons why The Menopause Bible has been created. It has been designed to bring you the most up-to-date information from experts in the various fields of female health. Most health books written for the layperson provide a single point of view and therefore present the author's own biases and perspectives. In most cases this is fine -- you want your information to come from a respected specialist source. However, because of the complex nature of the physical, emotional, psychological and intellectual changes that occur at menopause, it's not always possible to ensure that one author has expertise in all related fields. In The Menopause Bible, a team of respected authorities from a variery of fields have written on their specialist subjects. The team ranges from physicians and psychologists to sex therapists, herbalists and nutritionists, and their common goal is to inform you about the preventive medicines, therapies and self-help techniques that will help you at this time. They provide in depth information on what you can expect, when you can expect it, and what to do when symptoms or situations occur. Overall, their goal is to provide reassuring information that will help you navigate this important period in your life and to empower you to come through it healthy and revitalized and ready to deal with whatever life holds from then on. Robin N. Phillips, M.D. Excerpted from The Menopause Bible: The Complete Practical Guide to Managing Your Menopause All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
