Complementary Therapies in Menopause Symptoms

Women spend more than one thirds of their life spans in postmenopause period. Prolong life span gains an additional importance in terms of the quality of life. Hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleep disorders, irritability and depression are symptoms which accompanied with menopause. It is reported that these semptoms are seemed approximately 40 percent in United Sates of the America and 80 percent in Turkey of womens in climacteric period. The fear of increased risk of cancer and worrisome side effects such as uterine bleeding, headaches, and breast tenderness may hinder to use of hormone therapy by women. Therefore women’s interest in and use of complementary therapies have been increasing. Complementary therapies which are currently used by women; vitamin E, soy and soy products which include phytoestrogens, body therapies, mind-body techniques, herbal therapies: ginseng, pollen, red sage, sarsaparilla, licorice root, dandelion, raspberry, motherwort, black cohosh, damiana, dong quai, evening primrose, red clover, saw palmetto, flaxseed, sage, chamomile, ginkgo, hops, passion flower, St. John’s wort, and valerian. The methods of complementary therapy are being used wide spread in our country and worldwide. However, a number of individuals are able to buy herbal mixtures that they do not even know their names and use them with the haphazard-doses. To use or to apply these methods in the right way by getting expert opinion is essential. This article provides a overview currently the complementary therapies used for menopausal symptoms