Irregular Periods Treatments

Irregular periods are one of the first signs that the body is entering the menopausal transition. For most women, changes in the menstrual cycle are completely normal, and, though slightly bothersome, do not require any type of intervention. For other women, particularly those who suffer heavy, prolonged, and/ or painful periods, treatment for irregular periods can greatly relieve these symptoms.

Read on to learn more about how to treat irregular periods during menopause.

Irregular Periods	If you are experiencing troublesome irregular periods, it is a good idea to speak with a health care professional who can rule out other serious but rare causes and determine how to help you. That said, for the majority of women entering the natural menopausal transition medical intervention is not necessary. In fact, a few healthy lifestyle changes, combined with natural treatments can do wonders to ease difficult irregular periods. Read on to learn about the three main approaches to treatment of irregular periods. Three approaches for treating irregular periods A woman wishing to treat irregular periods has three categories, or levels, of treatment available to her: (1) Lifestyle Changes, (2) Alternative Medicine and (3) Drugs and Surgery.
Irregular Periods Overview About Irregular Periods Definition Symptoms Fertility Special Cases Causes of Irregular Periods Hormonal causes Other causes When to see a doctor Treatments

Women are encouraged to begin with the least risky approach to irregular periods treatment-lifestyle adjustments. While these are often effective at diminishing troublesome symptoms of irregular periods, they alone do nothing to address the underlying cause of irregular periods-hormonal imbalance. Fortunately, natural supplements can be combined with lifestyle changes to safely and effectively treat irregular periods. While medical intervention is not usually necessary, some women may wish to consider drug or surgical options if they are unable to find relief from natural irregular period treatment. For women considering this option, it is important to understand, and carefully weigh, the risks associated with such treatment.

1: Lifestyle changes:

Lifestyle changes are the first level of treatment available to women wishing to ease the effects of irregular periods. While these changes are usually cost-free and virtually risk-free, they do require the greatest amount of self-discipline.

Believe it or not, daily behaviors can have a significant impact a woman's experience of problematic periods. For example, leading a more sedentary lifestyle or consuming too much caffeine or alcohol can exacerbate the experience of irregular periods. Increased stress due to work pressure or family obligations can also increase the severity of irregular periods.

Making lifestyle changes is easier said than done. For example, some triggers can be hard to avoid: it may be possible to drink more water or take more walks but virtually impossible to avoid work-related stress. It can also be difficult to suddenly and drastically change habits and preferences you may have had your whole life.

Moreover, while these changes will help alleviate many symptoms, they do not address the cause of irregular periods: hormonal imbalance. Fortunately, alternative medicine treatments are available to treat the root hormonal imbalance that causes irregular periods. These natural treatments for irregular periods have a much lower risk of side effects, compared to medical hormonal treatments. Read on to learn more about natural irregular periods treatment.

2: Alternative medicine:

Alternative approaches involve little to no risk and can be an extremely effective way to treat irregular periods.

This level of approach can involve several different therapies. Herbal supplements are the most prominent, though in addition women may turn to such techniques as acupuncture, biofeedback, massage, homeopathy, or hypnosis. All of these can be valid and effective options, though most women find that herbs are the easiest alternative treatment to follow, as the others require a greater time and monetary commitment. In addition, herbal supplements are the only viable option to treat the hormonal imbalance directly at its source.

Herbal Supplements	Herbs are used to stimulate or support hormone production
Acupuncture	Very fine needles are inserted in body along "energy pathways" to cure ailments
Massage	Effective for relaxation or medicinal purposes
Homeopathy	Uses small amounts of natural substances to stimulate the body's own defense and healing process

In the case of herbal supplements, there are two types of herbs that can be used for treating irregular periods: phytoestrogenic and non-estrogenic herbs. Phytoestrogenic herbs (e.g. Black Cohosh) contain estrogenic components produced by plants. These herbs, at first, do treat the hormonal imbalance by introducing these plant-based estrogens into the body. However, as a result of adding outside hormones, a woman´s body may become less capable of producing estrogen on its own. This causes a further decrease of the body´s own hormone levels.

By contrast, non-estrogenic herbs, as the name suggests, don't contain any estrogen. These herbs stimulate a woman´s hormone production by nourishing the pituitary and endocrine glands, causing them to more efficiently produce natural hormones. This ultimately results in balancing not only estrogen, but also progesterone and testosterone. Non-estrogenic herbs (e.g. Macafem) can be considered the safest way to treat irregular periods naturally as the body creates its own hormones and doesn´t require any outside assistance.

A combination of approaches is usually the most effective route to take. Lifestyle changes combined with alternative medicine will most likely be the best way to alleviate the symptoms of this hormonal imbalance. While this approach is optimal for many women, others will find that they want or need to go to the third level of treatment.

3: Drugs and surgery:

Interventions at the third level involve the highest risk and often the highest costs. However, these are sometimes necessary for those whose irregular bleeding signals a more serious underlying condition.

The type of medical treatment used for irregular periods will depend on this underlying cause. For example, uterine fibroids will often require surgical removal, though this depends on the size, location, number and symptom severity of the fibroids. In rare cases, the underlying causes of irregular periods require a hysterectomy, or full removal of the female reproductive organs. Women who experience abnormal bleeding after menopause may also require medical treatment.

In the West, the most common drug therapy for treating irregular periods is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This may be a quick and strong way to combat hormonal imbalance; but, unfortunately, it entails the risk of serious side effects, including certain types of cancer, as the following study has proven.

In 1991 the National Institute of Health (NIH) launched the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), the largest clinical trial ever undertaken in the United States. The WHI was designed to provide answers concerning possible benefits and risks associated with use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This study was canceled in July 2002, after it was proven that synthetic hormones increase risks of ovarian and breast cancer as well as heart disease, blood clots and strokes. The findings were published in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and to this date have not been disputed.

It is important to bear in mind that while these drugs have the potential to assist in irregular periods relief, they all carry side effect risks, some of which may outweigh any potential benefits. If symptoms are at the level of severity that a woman wishes or needs to consider this option, it is wise to speak to a healthcare professional for guidance.

These three levels of approaches are not mutually exclusive. A woman may use different approaches at different times or any combination of them, depending on the duration and severity of symptoms. Today more and more women find that dealing with menopause symptoms is best accomplished via a combination of healthy lifestyle and alternative treatments.

Return to home page and learn more about the 34 Menopause Symptoms.