As you enter this new phase of your life, we believe that your most powerful tool is information. The information EaseFemin™ has included here is to get you started and in no way substitutes the importance of a good dialog with your physician or health care practitioner.

Menopause: Technically Menopause is a date, the date that a woman completes 12 uninterrupted months without any periods or menstruation.

Perimenopause: The years before a woman's final period and the 12 months subsequent to that final period. This phase is characterized by the reduction in a woman's body production of reproductive hormones, including estrogen and progesterone. Their levels may become more irregular and fertility diminishes.

Post-menopause: Is the entire period of years subsequent to Menopause, or the last menstrual period.

When does it happen? You may notice signs of the menopause transition as early as age 35, however, for most women the transition takes place in the mid to late 40's.

What conditions can affect it? There are some conditions that can trigger menopause much earlier. One of these being the surgical removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy) in an ovulating woman that can result in immediate menopause. Certain cancer chemotherapy and radiation therapy (depending on type and location of the cancer) if given to ovulating women can trigger menopause symptoms during or after such treatments. Finally premature ovarian failure, normally associated with hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus), can also trigger menopause and affects about 1% of the female population.

How long does it last? The duration of perimenopause and the culmination of this time on menopause date can be anywhere from two years to ten years or even longer. Unfortunately it is not possible to predict the actual duration and severity of perimenopause in any woman.

What are the symptoms? Throughout the years of perimenopause, many women experience changes related to hormonal fluctuation. The most common symptoms of menopause are the hot flashes during the day and night sweats at night. They are characterized by a sudden increase in a woman's body temperature; the body temperature peaks and then rapidly returns to normal, thus the expression “flash.” These events can raise your body temperature by many degrees quickly. As a result you may feel weak and break out in heavy sweating.

Is it dangerous? Although this stage of your life can generate discomfort; hot flashes, night sweats and mild irritability are not considered harmful by physicians.

What can I do? Menopausal discomforts can be treated! There are a variety of ways to address them. Traditional medicine has used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for many decades. Many women are concerned about the possible negative side effects that have been reported in recent studies on HRT. Alternatively, plant-based phytoestrogens such as the ones present in our all natural EaseFemin™ have been used for hundred of years by woman in many parts of the world and are becoming increasingly popular among women of all parts of the world.