Menopause is not a disease. It is a natural process in a woman's life. It is a unique experience for every woman. It is the ending of a woman's monthly Menstrual Periods and Ovulation. It also signals other changes to the body and mind, brought on in part because the body begins producing lesser amounts of the hormones Estrogen and Progesterone.

How a woman views this time of her life can have a lot to do with how frequent and severe her symptoms are. If menopause is viewed as the end of youth and sexuality, this time will be much more difficult than if it is viewed as the next, natural phase of life, a time of greater freedom, liberation from the restrictions of youth. .

Although Menopause is one of the important physical milestones in a woman's life, with a proper diet, nutritional supplements, and exercise and simple lifestyle changes, most of the unpleasant side effects of menopause can be minimized to a great extent and with this knowledge and preparation you can step forward with grace and embrace Menopause.

Ayurveda links Menopause with Aging. Aging is a �Vata� predominant stage of life. Thus, the symptoms of menopause experienced by some women are similar to the symptoms seen when the Vata dosha rises and upsets the normal balance of the body. Vata-type menopausal symptoms tend to include depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Menopause may also manifest itself as a rise in the other two humors also. Women with Pitta-type symptoms are often angry and suffer hot flashes. Kapha type symptoms include listlessness, weight gain, and feelings of mental and physical heaviness. The type of treatment depends upon the dosha in which the woman's menopausal symptoms are manifesting.

Here it is important to note that health problems at menopause represent imbalances in the body that were already growing in the body and are unmasked by the stress of shifting hormones. Menopause symptoms are Nature's wake-up call to let you know you need to start paying more attention to your health. Taking proper steps in the direction of balancing the imbalance doshas, paying attention to your diet and making lifestyle changes now is critical to ensuring that you age gracefully without the burden of chronic health problems.

Key factors in achieving Graceful Menopause �

A smooth Menopause Transition and Great Health in the years to come can be achieved with the help of �

1. Balancing Doshas - Ascertain the imbalance dosha according to your symptoms and follow the advice by an Ayurvedic Specialist to balance that dosha.

2. Balancing Diet - Diet plays a key role in balancing hormones during and after menopause. It is well known that Japanese women rarely experience hot flashes, probably because their diet contains large amounts of Soy/Soya, a food rich in certain plant estrogens called "Isoflavones." Soya products are not the only source of plant estrogens, however. Another equally healthful source of phytoestrogens are "Lignans," compounds found in a variety of whole foods including grains and cereals, dried beans and lentils, flaxseed, sunflower seeds and peanuts, vegetables such as asparagus, sweet potatoes, carrots, garlic and broccoli and fruits such as pears, plums and strawberries. Common herbs and spices such as nutmeg, turmeric and licorice also have estrogenic properties.

Eat a varied diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It�s a rich source of phytoestrogen. Variety and moderation are important because just as too much estrogen is unhealthy after menopause, too much phytoestrogen may also be dangerous.

Apana Vata, which governs the genito-urinary tract, elimination, and menstruation, is a key area to attend to when preparing for menopause. Drink plenty of warm water throughout the day. Eat plenty of cooked, leafy greens, as this helps elimination and is also a good source of calcium.

3. Panchakarma - More serious symptoms, such as frequent hot flashes, continual sleep disturbance, and moderate to severe mood swings, are signs of deeper imbalances.
Ayurveda describes that these stubborn symptoms are usually due to the buildup of wastes and toxins, referred to as "ama," in the body's tissues.

In this case, a traditional Ayurvedic Detoxification program "Panchakarma," may be needed to clear the body's channels and gain relief. This internal cleansing approach is also the treatment of choice for more serious problems such as osteoporosis and high cholesterol.

4. Rejuvenation Procedures: Speciality Rasayana Chikitsa or Rejuvenation Procedures are told in Ayurveda to rejuvenate the systems of the body and thus live a healthy, Peaceful and long life.

Ayurveda has excellent solutions for a safe and happy Menopause. There are several single drugs and preparations that can be taken by women who are nearing the age of menopause to remain symptom-free.

Introduction

The word �cancer� brings a shiver down our spines despite profound advances in cancer diagnosis and management. When a person is diagnosed as having a �cancer� the first stumbling block that we surgeons usually face is the mental breakdown of the patient. A sense of fear looms within the patient that the days of life are now numbered and he or she then proceeds to an unknown destination!
In this world of ever increasing pollution and changing environmental conditions coupled with the increased knowledge about cancer genetics, cancer as a diagnosis would be more frequent in the coming years: so let us not be afraid of it, rather let us understand what we, as common persons can do to face a complex �cancerous� situation.
In this section, I am going to discuss briefly about breast cancer. Breast cancer is one of the leading cancer diagnoses in women although it has a low incidence in men. In fact, when considering the number of new cancer development in women, breast cancer stands out as the first one with over a million cases occurring worldwide every year. In the US, more than 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer is detected every year while around 60000 localized breast cancers occur. In India, the figure is somewhat more than 80000 per year. It is important to remember that these figures are on the rise!

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

Several risk factors for breast cancer are known. As mentioned earlier, gender is an important risk factor with most cases occurring in women. Advanced age is the next most common risk and as the aged population increases due to improved healthcare, the number of breast cancers would also be on the rise. For example, while 1 out of 50 women have a risk of developing breast cancer at age 50, the same diagnosis can be expected in 1 out of 10 men at age 80! Women who begin their periods early and who achieve menopause later in life have an increased risk. Bearing the first child after 30 years of age is also an additional risk. Breast feeding is protective so that women who do not breast feed are subjected to increased risk. There is also a small risk in women who are on Oral Contraceptives and on Hormonal Replacement Therapy after menopause but the advantages conferred by these are so profound that the small risk that they confer can be safely ignored at present. A history of breast cancer in the family also increases the risk so also is alcohol consumption.
So, what can the common person do to counter these risks? The only factors that one can modify are possibly bearing a child before 30 and breast feed the child as well as abstaining from alcohol; you cannot modify the other factors! However, keeping in mind that a small element of risk always remains, it is important that in susceptible individuals an effort is made to detect the disease when it is in the localized state and before it becomes invasive because the chances of complete cure is possible in the former condition. There are a number of strategies to achieve this aim and I will focus on Self breast Examination, a simple method of examination that can be done by most women on a regular basis. If done properly, coupled with breast examination by a surgeon done on an annual basis, the chances of early detection of breast cancer are maximized.

This method of examining your breasts may appear a bit cumbersome in the beginning but with time you will know what is �normal� and what is not. It is important to know that the feel of the breasts vary with the stage of the menstrual period with the breasts appearing more firm and slightly nodular at the time of menses. Therefore, for best results, I would advice you to do this examination a few days after your periods when the tenderness has resolved. Please note that you can detect lumps more often adjacent to your armpits: do not be alarmed as these are not cancers in most instances!



STEP 1


In the beginning, have a LOOK at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips.
Things to look out for:
*compare the two sides to see if the breasts have their usual size, shape, and color
*if there is visible distortion or swelling in either breast.
If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor's attention:
*dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin of the breasts
*a nipple that has changed position compared to earlier or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out)
*redness, soreness, rash, or swelling in either breast especially when adjacent to the nipple.

STEP 2


Raise your arms and look out for the same things as in Step 1.

STEP 3

While you're still in front of the mirror, gently squeeze each nipple between your fingers and thumb and check for nipple discharge (this could be a milky or yellow fluid or blood or any other thick or thin clear fluid as well as greenish fluid). Please bring the same to the attention of the doctor.


STEP 4

Next, lie down and feel your breasts one at a time, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. While using one hand, keep the other below your head over a pillow for best results. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few fingers of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together.
Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side�from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.
Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. Be sure to feel all the breast tissue: just beneath your skin with a soft touch and down deeper with a firmer touch. Begin examining each area with a very soft touch, and then increase pressure so that you can feel the deeper tissue, down to your ribcage.

STEP 5


Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. You can do this while in a shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in Step 4.
If you discover anything abnormal, it is imperative that you make an appointment with your surgeon as early as possible! Do not neglect: time is a critical factor in treatment!


Conclusion

Lastly, I would like to say a few things about screening mammography. Screening mammography is literally an X-ray of the breasts that is done to note anything suspicious within the breasts. This can be important in cancer detection but it is also important to note that it can miss 1 out of 5 cancers. It is of less use in younger women because they have dense breasts and therefore women in the age range 40-49 years should resort to a 2 yearly mammography while women above 50 years of age should opt for a yearly mammography.
To sum up, self breast examination is the most important part of screening for breast cancer and should be done by all women regardless of age supplemented by annual clinical examination by a surgeon or when abnormalities are detected by the patient herself during self examination. This is much more important in women who have a family history of breast cancer. Screening mammography is of most benefit to women above 40 years of age although it has the propensity of missing quite a few cancers.