WHY BE AFRAID OF MENOPAUSE?

Menopause is a fact of life that all women will eventually have to face. It, however, does not necessarily have to be something to be feared. A number of resources and options for combating the symptoms of this natural life transition are now available.

What is menopause?
Menopause is simply the permanent ending of a woman's menstrual period. This signals the end of a woman's ability to conceive children, thus marking the end of her reproductive years.

Menopause can be natural or induced. Natural menopause usually occurs in women between the ages of 42 to 58 years, with the average age being 51 years. However, it can occur to women as young as in their 30s and a few as old as in their 60s.

What causes induced menopause?
Several types of surgeries can induce menopause, including:
- Surgical removal of both ovaries, with or without hysterectomy

- Hysterectomy (or the surgical removal of the uterus or the female
reproductive organ)

- Destruction of the ovarian function by chemotherapy or pelvic radiation
therapy. Chemotherapy, a drug treatment to destroy cancer cells, can
alter a woman's hormone levels and therefore cause the onset of
menopause. Depending on the type of chemotherapy, this induced
menopause can either be temporary or permanent. In contrast, pelvic
radiation therapy, which uses high energy radiation waves to kill cancer
cells in the pelvic area, is more likely to bring on permanent menopause.

- Abdominoperineal resection (the removal of the anus, rectum, and parts
of the colon)

- Total pelvic extenteration (the removal of the uterus, cervix, ovaries,
vagina, fallopian tubes, bladder, and rectum), performed when a woman
has a recurring cervical cancer

Induced menopause may increase a woman's chances of experiencing more severe, frequent, and longer lasting symptoms of menopause.

What is perimenopause?
Perimenopause is defined as the phase before and immediately after a woman's last period. Perimenopause can last for approximately 4 years, during which a woman can have prolonged or irregular periods. During this phase, the ovaries will reduce their production of female sex hormones.

What are the symptoms of menopause?
During menopause, a woman's hormone levels rise and fall irregularly, affecting a woman's metabolism, growth, and reproductive systems. These changes manifest themselves in the following symptoms of menopause:

Hot Flashes
Hot flashes are the result of changes in a woman's estrogen hormone levels. As the levels of estrogen drop in a woman's body, her glands secrete higher amounts of other hormones. These other hormones cause the woman's body temperature to fluctuate.

Vaginal Dryness and Other Changes in the Vagina
The walls of the vagina becomes thinner, drier, and more vulnerable to infections. For some, intercourse and sexual stimulations may become increasingly uncomfortable or even painful.

Changes in the Urinary Tract
Changes in a woman's urinary tract may lead to incontinence or leakage of urine. Some forms of incontinence can be treated with medications or may require wearing an undergarment (adult diaper). For some women, an exercise to strengthen the pelvic muscle may also help (see Kegel Exercise Article).

Psychological Changes
Because of their fluctuating hormone levels, some women experience depression, fear and anxiety, mood swings, irritability, nervousness, and insomnia or sleeplessness.

Decrease in Sex Drive or Libido
Some women experience lower sex drive or libido during menopause. This may be caused directly by the changes in the woman's hormone levels and the decreased blood flow to the vagina. Furthermore, changes in the vaginal tissue and the lowered levels of the natural lubrication can make sex uncomfortable for menopausal women.

Increase in Sex Drive or Libido
On the other hand, some women actually experience increased sex drive or libido. These women should be careful to make sure that they are indeed truly cannot get pregnant before giving up their birth control precautions. It is important to keep in mind that during the transition to menopause a woman's period can become irregular. Therefore, the stopping of menstruation for a short period of time may not be a good indicator of a woman's ability (or here, inabiliWhat is the medical treatment for menopause?
Women with severe symptoms of menopause can go on hormone replacement therapy, where female sex hormones of estrogen and progrestin are given in a pill form. A recent study, however, suggested that hormone replacement therapy may not reduce the risk of heart attack - a benefit previously thought to be brought on by the therapy. Instead, the study found a higher risk of heart disease and breast cancer in women taking the hormone pills.

What are some natural treatments for menopause?
The following are somethings you can do to help make this natural midlife transition a smoother one:

Diet and exercise
Certain lifestyle changes can be made to help relieve the symptoms of menopause. For example, it may be helpful to eat vegetables that are high in phytoestrogens, such as soy beans or other soy products. Phytoestrogens may help reduce the intensity of hot flashes. Women should also avoid foods and beverages that may increase the severity of hot flashes, such as alcohol, caffeinated beverages, and spicy foods.

Regular exercise is recommended to help a woman maintain her general health as well as to improve her circulation. Exercises that relieve stress, such as yoga, are believed to be very beneficial in reducing the severity of the symptoms of menopause.

Vitamins
The use of various vitamins can help relieve some of the symptoms of menopause. Vitamin E, for example, is believed to help with vaginal dryness and may offer minor relief from hot flashes.

Herbal supplements
There are a variety of different herbs that are believed to be beneficial in treating certain discomforts associated with menopause. These herbs include:

Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)
Also known as squaw root, black snake root, and rattle weed, Black cohosh is a plant found throughout North America. It has been used by Native American women to ease the pain of menstrual cramping and other gynecological ailments. Recent studies have shown that Black cohosh may have the ability to help improve various symptoms associated with menopause, such as hot flashes, insomnia, irritability, nervousness, depression, and vaginal dryness.

There are no known side effects associated with the normal use of Black cohosh, although consuming overly large doses may cause dizziness, headaches, nausea, and stomach pain.

Dong Qui (Angelica sinensis)
Also known as Danggui, Chinese Angelica, and Umbellifrae. Dong Qui is a member of the celery family and is a plant native to China and Japan. It has been used for many decades in traditional Chinese medicine to treat female gynecological ailments such as uterine bleeding, abnormal menstrual cycles and bleeding, as well as cramping. It has also been used to help relieve hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause.

Dong Qui may have some rare side effects such as incresaed sensitivity to sunlight.

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TEN TIPS ON HOW TO ELIMINATE PREMATURE EJACULATION

What is premature ejaculation?
Premature ejaculation is, well, ejaculation that is premature - that is it occurs before a man wants it, or too quickly during intercourse to satisfy his partner. This, of course, is relative: what's considered too quick for someone might be completely normal for others.

What is normal, then?
Studies have shown that it is normal for men to have an orgasm and ejaculate within 2 to 3 minutes after penetrating the vagina. This is far quicker than what most men expect or wish (especially when comparing their performance against those adult film stars. That's one reason why they're in that business, folks).

There may also be an aspect of expectation on behalf of the man's partner. Studies have suggested that most women climax after 10 to 15 minutes of intercourse. Keep in mind, however, that the majority of women (some say between 65 to 75%) are unable to reach orgasm by intercourse alone. Moreover, it is estimated that about 10% of women can't reach orgasm at all!

Nevertheless, premature ejaculation exists and is actually a big problem for many men. Indeed, it is the number one sexual complaint among men under 50. Some will ejaculate immediately after erection, right before penetration, or just seconds after it.

What causes premature ejaculation?
Most severe premature ejaculations are caused by biological factors - including urinary tract infections, so if this is your complaint, see a doctor.

Other causes include psychological factors, especially anxiety, stress, or guilt. Many premature ejaculation problems go away by themselves, as these underlying psychological factors disappear.

Lastly, drugs such as over the counter cold pills and cigarette smoking have been implicated as causing or contributing to premature ejaculation. If you smoke, consider this as yet another reason to quit (as if the other health dangers are not enough ...)

Are there drugs for premature ejaculation?
Not officially, although serotonin uptake blockers or serotonin reuptake inhibitors used to treat depression have been used "off-label" to treat men with premature ejaculation. It is important to note that these drugs have not been indicated for this treatment, and therefore their use must only be prescribed by a knowledgeable physician.

So, what can I do to last longer?
Plenty. Both cheap (or free) and not
So, what can I do to last longer?
Ten tips on how to eliminate premature ejaculations are given below. The easiest (and cheapest) things first ..

1. The stop and start technique
2. The breathing technique
3. The squeeze technique
4. Wear a condom
5. Masturbate first
6. Different sexual positions
7. Desensitizing cream
8. Pelvic muscle exercise
9. Herbal treatments
10. Testicular restraint and penis ring

Let's discuss these tips in more details...

Stop and start technique
This technique simply means to bring yourself to (near) the point of no return, and stopping all stimulation before it's too late. For some men, this includes removal of the penis from the vagina, although for others this may not be necessary.

After the urgent feeling to ejaculate subsides, usually after 30 seconds, then thrusting and intercourse can be resumed. This stop and start technique can be repeated several times.

Communication is the key here, guys. Let your partner know that you are getting close to orgasm and to slow down or temporarily stop.

In addition to intercourse, the stop and start technique can also be practiced with your hand, with or without lubricant.

Remember to breathe...
Believe it or not, breathing deeply and relaxing your body during intercourse can help! This works best for premature ejaculation that is caused by anxiety or tension.

Because of its relaxing effect, some men report that drinking one (just one ,guys) glass of red wine before lovemaking can help.

For others, distracting oneself by thinking about other things like the office or football can also help to prevent premature ejaculation. Just remember not to think out loud!

The squeeze technique
This technique involves gently squeezing the base or end of the penile shaft and stopping sexual stimulation until the urge to ejaculate passes. The squeezing can be done by either the man or his partner, and can be repeated until ejaculation is desired.

Wear a condom
One of the most overlooked simple cures of premature ejaculation is to wear a condom. Besides being a good practice against sexually transmitted diseases and as a contraceptive, a condom can help reduce the sensation and thus prolong sex.

Masturbate first
Masturbating first a couple of hours before making love can result in the increased ability to last longer. Unfortunately, this often reduces the man's desire for sex.

Different sexual positions
Some men reach orgasm and ejaculate faster in the traditional missionary position (man on top). These men may last longer when their partner is on top. Remember, however, that sexual position preference varies very widely.

Changing positions every so often can also help, perhaps by giving the man brief pauses during lovemaking every now and then.

Desensitizing cream
Desensitizing cream works by lessening the sensation felt by men during intercourse. Although it lengthens staying power for many men, it comes with a price: most of these men said that the cream also makes sex less pleasurable.

Be sure to tell your partner that you are using desensitizing cream. Unfortunately, the dulling effect can also be transferred and felt by the woman, making it longer for her to reach orgasm (which may be one of the reasons a man feels he's not lasting long enough in the first place!).

Pelvic muscle exercise
Would you believe that an exercise usually reserved for incontinent women can help a man prevent premature ejaculation?

In a woman, pregnancy and childbirth are the main cause of the weakening of the pelvic floor muscle. This usually leads to female incontinence. The good news is that a simple pelvic muscle exercise (also called Kegel exercise) can help.

The same pelvic muscle is also involved in the ejaculation process (if you must know, the contraction of the pelvic muscle forces the seminal or ejaculate fluid from the prostate gland). This means that for a man, the same pelvic muscle exercise can help gain control over his premature ejaculation.

The pelvic muscle exercise is simple: "flex" the pelvic muscle as if you are holding back from or stopping urination. Hold the muscle for about three to five seconds, relax for about three seconds, and repeat. With practice, you should be able to work your way up to hold your pelvic muscle for ten seconds and do as many as one hundred contractions per day.

Remember, you can do this discreet exercise at almost anytime and in any place.

Herbal treatment
There are many herbs for men's sexual health available in the market today. Some of these, such as yohimbe and maca extracts, are basically stimulants and may have unwanted side effects, especially for older men.

A very promising herb is purified Tribulus terrestris extract, available under the brand name Libilov. Taken regularly, Tribulus has been proven by many scientific medical studies to help men overcome premature ejaculation without side effects. Moreover, the herb helps boost sex drive, increases stamina and control, and even improves sensation. Visit Libilov for Men for more information.

Testicular restraint
Gently restraining the testicles from moving during intercourse can help some men from ejaculating prematurely. Although some found it uncomfortable or too much hassle, testicular restraint is generally safe. It can be purchased discreetly through erotic mail-order companies.

Taking cues from the squeeze technique and a vacuum device for impotence, an erotic device called a penis ring or band works to prevent premature ejaculation in some (adventurous) men. Here, a stretchy rubber ring on the base of the penis does the squeezing. Some men, however, feel slight discomfort during intercourse when wearing this ring.

Premature ejaculation can be treated
The tips above have been reported to help about 95% of men to prolong their lovemaking. Remember to be sure to contact your health provider if you feel that you have a severe premature ejaculation problem.

http://www.sexhealthinplainenglish.com

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