Studies Show Vitamin E and Minerals Help Menopause Hot Flashes and Insomnia

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Menopause, Bloating, Hot Flashes - And Now Acne!

If you`re suffering from acne AND menopause, you have my sympathies.

Menopause can cause a dip in confidence at the best of times. Your body starts behaving in ways that you never expected or experienced before - hot sweats, bloating, incontinence! Which is enough to knock anyone sideways. But then you look in the mirror one morning and you can see the first signs of a breakout. I don`t mean a few harmless pimples here and there, but blackheads, whiteheads and small pustules. The type where your skin looks like a ripe tomato and a new blemish seems to pops up every couple of minutes. I can tell you that it`s a horrible experience.

Your first response may be to rush out and buy the strongest medication that you can lay your hands on, and if you have really bad acne, that may be necessary, but before you do that why not try to control your breakout without visiting the pharmacist.

Acne affects menopausal women more than you may imagine, in fact it`s quite a common problem. And unlike teenagers, who are warned about the dangers of eating sweet, greasy foods, for us older ladies, things are not quite so simple.

As with almost all menopausal symptoms, it`s those pesky hormones estrogen, testosterone and progesterone that are mainly responsible for our less than perfect complexion. They fluctuate greatly as our body goes through the menopausal changes and consequently, we experience all of the associated menopause symptoms.

I was fortunate, in that I had worked in the cosmetic industry for many years and so my skin care routine was impeccable. I had always insisted on natural products, with no added color or fragrance (and animal friendly), that may cause an allergic reaction. I drank plenty of water and never went to bed without removing every last trace of make up. As I got older, I changed only my moisturizer and made sure that it was rich enough to nourish my skin, but did not clog the pores. I also exfoliated weekly without fail, which many women do not do, but which does make a big difference as the dead skin cells do not slough off as efficiently on mature skins. This not only makes the skin look dull, but the dead skin cells will block the pores and cause spots.

It is a not true to say that acne is caused because people fail to wash their faces often enough. Too much cleansing or scrubbing the skin harshly can make acne worse.. The best way to cleanse the face is to gently wash it twice daily using a mild cleanser. Be careful to remove make-up without harsh scrubbing.

If you do find yourself in the grip of menopausal acne, don`t be tempted to buy the strongest cleanser possible and literally try to dry out every last bit of oil on your skin - as this would be counter productive and leave you with flaky skin which still had pimples. Cleaning away all of the surface oils doesn't help menopausal acne, as it starts under the skin

Of course, it goes without saying, that no matter how tempting, don't pick or squeeze your spots because you can cause infection and the skin will certainly become red. By stressing and being self-conscious, you will only draw attention to yourself and stress can, in fact also trigger an acne breakout. Worrying and fretting about your face, affects your hormones and will not help your emotional state - or your skin.

In time, the acne will improve and eventually disappear completely. But in the meantime - apart from trying to maintain a sense of humor - here are a few other suggestions to help combat menopausal acne.

* Practice relaxation techniques
* Drink plenty of water
* Use gentle products that won`t aggravate your skin
* Speak to your doctor about stopping hormone replacement therapy if you think it is the cause of your acne
* GENTLY exfoliate twice a week
* Exercise will get the blood pumping, increase your oxygen intake - and help improve your complexion.

....And did I mention retaining a sense of humor always helps?

For more information on menopause acne and all symptoms of menopause, visit us at the Complete Menopause

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St. John's Wort, Depression, and Hot Flashes

Many people, both men and women, take the herbal treatment St. John's Wort for mild-to-moderate depression. In the case of menopausal women, it is a safe, more natural alternative compared to hormone replacement therapy when depression is one of their symptoms. Like some of the other alternative medicines being used to relieve menopausal symptoms today, St. John's Wort comes from a flower and is considered very safe to use.

The difference between mild-to-moderate depression and more serious depression is the number of symptoms a person experiences and for how long. See the resource listed below for more information on the signs of depression.

What Do the Clinical Trials Tell Us?

There have been several clinical trials suggesting that St. John's Wort is effective in relieving mild-to-moderate depression, yet, according to a report published in the Journal of American Medical Association, it was no more effective than the use of a placebo in these cases. The report blamed the results on the poor design of those studies.

There have been a few trials of combination therapy using St. John's Wort and black cohosh. When women were randomized to either treatment or placebo, results showed significant improvement of menopausal symptoms, especially hot flashes, for women in the treatment group compared with the placebo group.

In addition to treating mild to moderate depression, a new study conducted at the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran suggests that St. John's Wort can help relieve hot flashes. The study consisted of 100 women approximately 50 years old who had been experiencing at least one hot flash every day. The study revealed that in a group of randomly assigned women, those taking St. John's Wort experienced significantly fewer hot flashes than the women who took a placebo. Not only did it help reduce frequency of hot flashes, but also reduced their intensity.

Typically, trials use 300 mg of St. John's Wort given three times a day, which is the dose that offers a therapeutic effect. It's important to remember that this herb is not effective for more serious depression, which should be treated by your healthcare provider.

St. John's Wort is readily available over the counter in most pharmacies, supermarkets, and natural food stores. It can be taken in two separate forms: liquid or pills, and comes in tablets, capsules, tinctures, and even tea bags.

Side Effects and Concerns

By itself, St. John's Wort is not considered especially dangerous. The most serious side effects typically consist of dizziness, gas pains, and fatigue. However, the most trouble is associated with its ability to negate the effectiveness of other drugs. For example, it often has a negative interaction with antidepressants. It has even been reported to interfere with birth control pills and some heart disease medications, reducing their effectiveness.

For this reason, it is important that you discuss St. John's Wort with your doctor before taking it. If you experience any allergic reactions, increased blood pressure, or upset stomach while taking it, contact your doctor immediately.

Everyone's situation and body is different. Only your healthcare provider can evaluate your specific situation and prescribe an appropriate plan for dealing with your specific needs.

HotFlashNetwork.com (HFN) is a health, wellness, and lifestyle website where women will find searchable access to a broad and varied spectrum of content and resources regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and survival tips for managing their Hot Flashes and other disruptive symptoms of Menopause. HFN's primary mission is to educate and empower women by providing a filtered resource of significant, diverse, and relevant content and product information without opinion, recommendation, or bias.

Most importantly, through the website, the HFNewsletter, the HFN Forum, Facebook, and Twitter communities, site visitors are able to connect with a global network of like-minded women who face these similar challenges and garner support from sympathetic women all over the world who understand exactly what they're going through.

Please visit us at: http://www.hotflashnetwork.com/

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