Don't Just Endure Menopause

How To Keep Hormones In Check The Natural Way

(CBS)  The National Institute Of Health recently weighed in on menopause and treatment options, saying women should wait out the changes their bodies are making because it's often difficult to determine the symptoms of menopause from signs of aging.

But Dr. Erika Schwartz, author of "The 30-Day Natural Hormone Plan," tells The Early Show women should not just "grin and bear it" when they feel the symptoms setting in.

She says, "That's just what they're saying and I'd like them to come into my office and listen to patients every day complaining about how they feel. I'd like them to tell us how you distinguish between menopause and aging. Isn't menopause loss of hormones? Isn't aging loss of hormones? What's the difference?"

Dr. Schwartz notes menopause is actually the result of a hormonal imbalance and says it is important to know what causes this imbalance.

She says, "It could be anything or a combination of factors, some of which include your diet, exercise regimen, your stress level and your ability to manage stress, the amount of sleep you're getting, and the overall lifestyle you lead. All of these affect your hormonal balance, and if any of these factors are not well taken care of, it will throw off your balance, and that could spell trouble."

The symptoms could be PMS, weight gain, and loss of libido, she explains.

For women who do suffer hormone problems, there are some effective ways to treat it.

She says, "For a while, synthetic hormone replacement therapy was really taking over, but two studies conducted back in 2002 found that women on synthetic hormone replacement therapy were shown to be at higher risk for heart disease, stroke and breast cancer. The problem with synthetic HRT is that it's synthetic, so your body is not going to like anything that's synthetic. And it's a replacement. It replaces things rather than supplement things. So the key to curbing these symptoms is to supplement rather than replace.

"To do that, women can get a prescription for natural hormones; which are identical to what your body makes, identical meaning that your body accepts them. So they supplement what your body is missing as you're having symptoms. And finally, there are a variety of alternative remedies available that claim to quell the symptoms: so many herbal products out there on the market as well as a variety of vitamins and supplements."

Dr. Schwartz also stresses the importance of diet and exercise to keep hormones in check. And she notes that a study is now under way to determine the effectiveness of amino acids to treat symptoms of menopause.

She says, "Researchers at the University at Buffalo are in the midst of a study looking to see if amino acids can effectively treat menopause. Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle, and they're found naturally in our bodies. So if they're proven to be effective, it's good news, and yet another all-natural option for women looking to treat symptoms of menopause without having to rely on synthetic hormone replacement therapy."