Menopause is a biological reality for all women in their forties and fifties. Yet the way we think about the cessation of menstruation is influenced by a variety of factors. Cultural and technological influences combine with biology to transform this universal phenomenon into an experience that varies considerably between cultures and individuals. In this concise book, Lynnette Leidy Sievert draws on her own case studies from Puebla, Mexico, and western Massachusetts, as well as on comparative data from other studies in places such as Slovenia, Paraguay, and Hawaii, to explore the different ways that women experience menopause around the world. Sievert suggests that attempts by medical professionals to define the "normal" occurrence of menopause, including its typical onset and symptoms, may not be realistic when considering how lifestyle, nutrition, and workload can contribute to diverging realities. She explores how women feel about hysterectomies, chemotherapy, and other medical procedures and treatments that stop menstruation prematurely. She also considers recent advances in technology, including post-menopausal birth, which have turned what was previously an unavoidable end of fertility into something that can be postponed. A unique comparative look at women's experiences, this text brings new perspectives to the mainstream literature on the subject and invites readers to consider compelling questions about menopause, its meanings, and its future.

A thorough review of relevant facts about menopause from every known medical specialty that has anything to say about it. Covers physiology, diagnosis, and epidemiology; medical and gynecological aspects; other problems such as breast disease, skin care, and sleep disturbance; and management and therapeutic guidelines. Because the specialist contributors are writing for nonspecialists, most of the text is accessible to readers with a minimum of medical knowledge. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This volume is a guide for anyone who wants to know about the menopause and how best to manage its effects.

Describes a program to counter the symptoms of menopause through nutrition, and details how such a diet can reduce the chance of heart disease, osteoporosis, breast cancer, weight gain, and diabetes

As women grapple with the issue of whether hormone replacement therapy is necessary for them, they need a greater understanding of what the body is undergoing in menopause. Dr. Ifeoma Ikenze, an M.D. and a homeopath, writes from her experience of treating women daily in her Northern California practice. She explains the changes that begin to occur in the female body after thirty-five, and how homeopathy can help. Using patient cases as examples, Dr. Ikenze shows how physical, emotional, professional, and spiritual problems can challenge one's health and self-image. She incorporates the latest medical reserach and addresses the spiritual and emotional challenges of menopause, which most physicians overlook.

A positive, practical approach to understanding and coping with male and female hormonal changes While most people are familiar with female menopause, it is not as well known that men, too, have their own version of midlife transition and it s far more common than one might suspect. It s only recently been understood that men also suffer from hormonal changes often called andropause and that resources for couples struggling to cope with his-and-hers midlife changes have not been readily available. Double Menopause is the first book to explore the phenomenon of simultaneous female and male menopauses. Dr. Nancy Cetel addresses the emotional and psychological reactions as well as the physiological changes both you and your partner may experience. Even the most solid relationship can crumble under the weight of hormonal change; Cetel offers a compassionate and reassuring survival guide for both men and women to help you regain control of your life and renew your commitment to each other. Utilizing practical, effective, and even fun techniques, Cetel helps you: * Identify the signs and symptoms of menopause and andropause * Understand the myths, fantasies, and realities of midlife sexuality, from both the male and female perspective * Work through inevitable conflicts in your relationship * Ignite your "midlife love hormones" * Evaluate the pros and cons of hormonal supplements such as DHEA and growth hormone * Discuss potential treatment options with your physician Based on the latest cutting-edge research, including the author s own, Double Menopause offers you and your mate a healthy, loving prescription for optimal health at midlife and beyond.

Discusses all of the factors related to menopause, looks at the social status of women in two cultures, and compares cultural attitudes toward menopause

This guide, for women in their late thirties to late fifties, is meant to demystify the menopause condition, symptoms, remedies, side effects, and emotional impact. The information about rememdies includes both traditional and alternative treatments. The author stresses the benefits of good nutrition and fitness.

For nearly as long as women have been around, they have been going through menopause. It is a bodily process as old as human birth, death, and of course, menstruation. Like many normal biological events, menopause was gradually medicalized, and with the rise of pharmaceutical medicine, women and their doctors were convinced that it was an "estrogen deficiency disease" that could be treated by supplementing the body's declining estrogen levels with hormones. By 2002 hormone treatment had been on the market for more than fifty years when doctors and women alike were shocked by the results of a massive clinical trial, the Women's Health Initiative: women taking hormones had more heart attacks, breast cancer, strokes, pulmonary embolisms, and blood clots than women who did not, and patients were left scrambling to find new and sometimes difficult answers to their menopause and midlife health questions. In The No-Nonsense Guide to Menopause, Barbara Seaman, a legendary figure in the women's health movement, and Laura Eldridge have written a comprehensive, easy-to-use resource that will give you all the information you need to make smart and informed decisions that will put you in control during this time of transition -- medically, psychologically, sexually, and even financially. With the latest research on everything from hormone replacement therapy to skin creams to preventing osteoporosis, The No-Nonsense Guide to Menopause is the definitive manual on this important subject. You'll find out which changes are expected and natural and which can be a cause for concern; how hormonal shifts can affect your heart, your sex life, and your mood; and what you can do to address these issues. Whether the authors are discussing the risk factors for heart disease, the benefits of lifting weights, or if you should consider a hysterectomy, they offer unbiased, straightforward information and advice with a signature blend of wisdom and sensitivity. Perhaps most important, you'll learn how to evaluate what you read in magazines, hear on the news, and are told by your doctor, so you can distinguish between solid facts and dubious claims. By learning how to read and evaluate scientific studies and becoming familiar with what goes on behind the scenes in research labs, at doctors' offices, and at pharmaceutical companies, you will be able to become your own advocate. The next time you go to the doctor's office, you will know how to make the most of your visit and leave feeling confident, informed, and in command. There is no one way to experience menopause and no single way to handle the challenges it can present, but as a no-nonsense patient, you will have the tools you need to make decisions that are right for you.