Natural Approach To Hyperthyroidism

A thyroid manages and helps control our body temperature, our weight, and our metabolism. It definitely plays an important role in our overall health. When your thyroid produces too many hormones it can lead to hyperthyroidism. There are drugs that can help with this condition but there are also natural approaches that can help.

Hyperthyroidism can have many symptoms including:

Accelerated heart rate

Weight loss

Muscle deterioration

Warm, moist skin

Chest pain

A feeling of being too warm all the time

Nervousness and trembling

Insomnia despite feeling exhausted

Breathlessness

Diarrhea and GI upset

Warm, moist skin

Hair loss

Bulging eyes

Heightened anxiety, irritability, moodiness or depression

Light or absent menstrual periods/infertility

Increased appetite

Light or absent menstrual periods/infertility

Weight loss Muscle deterioration

Sometimes it is hard to know that it is hyperthyroidism that you are dealing with. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism can be the same as those experienced with anxiety disorders. That's why it is always a good idea to have your thyroid function checked to be sure. 

Hyperthyroid symptoms can also worsen gradually over time. Women can have an overactive thyroid for many months or even years and not even recognize it until the symptoms finally get severe in nature. In older women, the symptoms may be only depression or weight loss or both without any of the other symptoms. 

It's always a good idea to get checked out by your doctor and also find out what your options are. Ask your doctor if there are natural ways to help with this condition. 

My Journey Through Menopause......

We'll I finally did it! I have been wanting to blog for a long time and kept putting it off..........procrastination at its finest!..........I never really thought of myself as a writer. Then I realized that you don't have to be a "writer" to be a blogger! You just need to put your thoughts, ideas, life experiences etc down on paper ( well, the computer) and hope that it will help someone else on their journey through menopause.


So here goes................I'd like to dedicate this blog to all the women out there who have plenty of questions and concerns about their health and are experiencing menopause sign and symptoms searching for answers and relief! Everything in my blog that I recommend I have personally used and found to be very helpful for dealing with menopause. I hope these tips and information on menopause sign and symptoms will be helpful!

Early Menopause Symptoms

Early Menopause sign and symptoms are referred to as "Perimenopause". Perimenopause can be so funny................it just kinda sneaks up on you. At first you notice few symptoms and then whoa!..............you're in menopause! I did a lot of research fast, out of necessity, as I started experiencing changes and needed answers fast! On the right you'll see links to many of my favorite sites that have helped me along the way.

Here's a helpful list I found of Menopause sign and symptoms:

Changes in periods. One of the first signs may be a change in a woman’s periods. Many women become less regular; some have a lighter flow than normal; others have a heavier flow and may bleed a lot for many days. Periods may come less than 3 weeks apart or last more than a week. There may be spotting between periods. Women who have had problems with heavy menstrual periods and cramps will find relief from these symptoms when menopause starts.

Hot flashes. A hot flash is a sudden feeling of heat in the upper part or all of your body. Your face and neck become flushed. Red blotches may appear on your chest, back, and arms. Heavy sweating and cold shivering can follow. Flashes can be as mild as a light blush or severe enough to wake you from a sound sleep (called night sweats). Most flashes last between 30 seconds and 5 minutes.

Problems with the vagina and bladder. The genital area can get drier and thinner as estrogen levels change. This dryness may make sexual intercourse painful. Vaginal infections can become more common. Some women have more urinary tract infections. Other problems can make it hard to hold urine long enough to get to the bathroom. Some women find that urine leaks during exercise, sneezing, coughing, laughing, or running.

Sex. Some women find that their feelings about sex change with menopause. Some have changes to the vagina, such as dryness, that makes sexual intercourse painful. Others feel freer and sexier after menopause — relieved that pregnancy is no longer a worry. Until you have had 1 full year without a period, you should still use birth control if you do not want to become pregnant.

Sleep problems. Some women find they have a hard time getting a good night’s sleep – they may not fall asleep easily or may wake too early. They may need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and then find they aren’t able to fall back to sleep. Hot flashes also may cause some women to wake up.

Mood changes. There may be a relationship between changes in estrogen levels and a woman’s mood. Shifts in mood may also be caused by stress, family changes such as children leaving home, or feeling tired. Depression is NOT a symptom of menopause.

What Causes Menopause?

What Causes Menopause?

Menopause sign and symptoms occurs when declining levels of estrogen cause changes in your periods. During menopause, ovulation (egg production) stops, causing periods to become less frequent, and eventually stopping altogether. For many women, this process begins silently somewhere around age 40. Declining estrogen levels during menopause may lead to poor vaginal and uterine health. Estrogen also helps women maintain strong bones and good cholesterol levels.

What can I Expect?

Perimenopause - gradually declining hormone levels (mid-to-late 30's to mid 40's)

The transition to menopause is a time period known as perimenopause, a process that begins 8 to 10 years before menopause and marks the beginning of declining hormone production by the ovaries. In the final one to two years of perimenopause, the decrease in estrogen accelerates and many women begin to experience menopausal discomfort such as irregular menstrual periods, hot flashes, mood swings, and lack of energy.



Menopause - cessation of menstrual periods (late 40's to mid 50's)

At this stage, the ovaries have stopped releasing eggs and producing most of their estrogen. It's during this time women can expect to experience the bulk of menopausal discomforts. Once a woman has gone 1 full year without a menstrual period, she has made it through menopause and at this point is considered postmenopausal.



Postmenopause - increased health risks (late 50's and beyond) These are the years following menopause. During this stage, menopausal discomforts, such as hot flashes, ease for most women. However, at this time the health risks associated with the loss of estrogen (such as loss of normal bone and heart health) begin to increase.

Women And Vitamins

Here's a vitamin/mineral supplement that I found that I really like. It is a food form vitamin which means your body recognizes it as REAL food and actually absorbs it. Its easy to swallow, doesn't smell and really works! (unlike some vitamins I've heard of that have been found by the Porta Potti people in the same form as it went down!) If you'd like to know more, here's a link! Just click on your country of origin and then click on products. Order PhytoMatrix Click Here!

Signs and Symptoms of Menopause

Hey, I found a great list of menopause sign and symptoms. And just so you know, this is not an exhaustive list.....there are many other related symptoms. But these are probably the most commom ones. This article came from the Mayo Clinic.



Signs and symptoms

Every woman experiences menopause differently. Even the age at which menopause begins may be unique to you. Some women reach menopause in their 30s or 40s, and some not
until their 60s, but menopause most often occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.



Your menopause sign and symptoms also are likely to be very individual. You may breeze through menopause with few signs and symptoms. Or you may experience a number of physical and emotional changes, including:

Irregular periods. Your menstrual periods may stop suddenly, or gradually get lighter or heavier and then stop. The unpredictability of your periods may be your first clue that menopause is approaching.



Decreased fertility. When ovulation begins to fluctuate, you're less likely to become pregnant. Until you haven't had a period for a year, however, pregnancy is still possible.



Vaginal and urinary changes. As your estrogen level declines, the tissues lining your vagina and urethra — the opening to your bladder — become drier, thinner and less elastic. With decreased lubrication you may experience burning or itching, along with increased risk of infections of your urinary tract or vagina. These changes may make sexual intercourse uncomfortable or even painful. You may feel the need to urinate more frequently or more urgently, and you may experience urinary incontinence.




Hot flashes. As your estrogen level drops, your blood vessels may expand rapidly, causing your skin temperature to rise. This can lead to a feeling of warmth that moves upward from your chest to your shoulders, neck and head. You may sweat, and as the sweat evaporates from your skin, you may feel chilled, weak and slightly faint. Your face might look flushed, and red blotches may appear on your chest, neck and arms.

Most hot flashes last from 30 seconds to several minutes, although they can last much longer. The frequency, as well as the duration, of hot flashes varies from person to person. You may have them once every hour or only occasionally. They can occur any time during the day or night. They may be a part of your life for a year or more, or you may never have them.





Sleep disturbances and night sweats. Night sweats are often a consequence of hot flashes. You may awaken from a sound sleep with soaking night sweats followed by chills. You may have difficulty falling back to sleep or achieving a deep, restful sleep. Lack of sleep may affect your mood and overall health.


Changes in appearance. Many women gain a modest amount of weight — about 5 pounds on average — during the menopausal transition. The fat that once was concentrated in your hips and thighs may settle above your waist and in your abdomen. You may notice a loss of fullness in your breasts, thinning hair and wrinkles in your skin.

If you previously experienced adult acne, it may become worse. Although your estrogen level drops, your body continues to produce small amounts of the male hormone testosterone. As a result, you may develop coarse hair on your chin, upper lip, chest and abdomen.


Emotional and cognitive changes. You may experience irritability, fatigue, decreased memory and diminished concentration as you approach menopause. These symptoms have sometimes been attributed to hormonal fluctuations.


Yet other factors are more likely to contribute to these changes, including sleep deprivation and stressful life events — such as the illness or death of a parent, grown children leaving home or returning home, and retirement.

Menopause and Soy

I found the following article from Revival Soy Bars
I've been eating these bars the last couple of years and definitely noticed a huge difference.


Menopause, Perimenopause, and Postmenopause Discomforts Support*

Menopause is a natural stage of life all women experience as they age. And while it may be normal, it certainly doesn't feel normal. The hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and lack of energy can make menopause one of the most physically and emotionally miserable times in a woman's life. So, let's review what causes menopause, what you can expect, and how soy can help support a more comfortable midlife.

Health Support with Soy?

While soy is not a replacement for prescription medication or HRT, over twenty clinical trials show that soy can help you have a more enjoyable and healthy midlife by lessening hot flashes and other common discomforts of menopause.1-10 Soy consumption has been shown to significantly improve a woman's comfort and health during perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause. A medical review in American Family Physician (the journal of the prestigious American Association of Family Physicians) found that soy can significantly improve the discomforts of menopause. A recent Revival clincial trial also showed very positive benefits.

Scientists became very interested in soy's potential role for menopause health support after demographic studies revealed that only 9% of women living in Asia, where the diet is rich in soy, experienced hot flashes during mid-life, in contrast to almost 80 to 90% of Western women who experience menopausal discomforts.

Because soy can support menopausal health, and may also promote normal bone and cholesterol health, many doctors and healthcare providers now recommend soy as part of a healthy midlife strategy.

FACT: Results from a menopausal discomfort study using Revival Soy at a leading medical hospital are very positive. Participants experienced significant improvements in midlife quality of life with daily Revival Soy use (one serving per day). It's that simple and delicious!

Menopause and Wellness..An Oxymoron?

Menopause and Wellness........sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it? So many symptoms, so many questions,..........how in the world can you experience wellness in the midst of it all? When I first started experiencing menopause sign and symptoms, I desperately started searching for answers to feeling better and finding relief. Even though I had been in the health and wellness field for many years this was definitely a new experience for me. My hope and prayer is that I can share some helpful info that will help you so you can begin to enjoy this time in your life rather than dread it.