How Do Essential Oils Affect Menopausal Symptoms?
According to research, women who stay for up to 12 whole months without seeing their periods have fully entered menopause. This could happen to any woman within the age range of 45 and above, although some women experience theirs earlier than this. Menopause has usually been tagged as the end of menstruation and automatically the beginning of fertility decline.
However, before getting to the point of not seeing your period for up to 12 straight months, your body will undergo changes, and these changes come with some symptoms that could either be mild or severe depending on various factors. These symptoms are referred to as menopausal symptoms. Menopausal symptoms include;
- Hot flashes
- Vaginal dryness
- Sleep deprivation
- Anxiety and other emotional issues reduced libido
- Forgetfulness
- Fatigue
- Osteoporosis, among others.
They mostly occur as a result of hormonal changes. Almost all women in their peri-menopausal ages complain about the weight the symptoms have on their general health, as well as on their emotions and sex lives. Due to these complaints, several medications have been discovered to help relieve their symptoms.
Are Side Effects to these Medications?
These medications are chemical-based and can come with side effects later in the future. This is why more research was carried out to unravel natural means of relieving menopausal symptoms. These natural means include foods, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and essential oils. All of which have been tested and proven to be effective in managing menopausal symptoms.
Although these symptoms cannot be cured, they cannot be avoided either. So the best thing you want to do for yourself now is to look for ways to reduce the effects of the symptoms on you, and whichever means you are adopting should be natural to stamp out any possibility of side effects.
In other words, menopausal symptoms are not indications that you are ill. They are natural symptoms. All you just need to do is to manage them.
This article is packed with essential oils that have been proven to be effective at improving menopausal symptoms like;
- Balancing raging hormones
- Improving sex experience
- Boosting mood and eliminating anxiety
- Combating stress
- Easing fatigue
These oils can either be inhaled through diffusers or applied to different parts of the body. However, when applying essential oils to the skin, it is best to dilute them in carrier oils like coconut oil to avoid skin irritation. Having diluted the oils, you can apply them to places like your lower abdomen, your neck, all over your feet, and your back.
Coupled with essential oils, lifestyle changes can also help improve symptoms. Some of the lifestyle changes you must adopt as someone nearing their menopausal stage include;
- Cultivating the habit of drinking enough water
- Quitting alcohol completely, as alcohol has been discovered to worsen mood swings
- Avoiding conventional meat
- Eating less sugar, as too much sugar can trigger weight loss.
Essential Oils That Can Improve Menopausal Symptoms
The following are natural essential oils that can improve your menopausal experience.
Clary Sage
Hot flashes are one of the most common symptoms of menopause, and one of the most effective essential oils that can help reduce the effects of hot flashes is clary sage essential oil. This essential oil is an amazing source of properties that help relieve hot flashes and can also act as anti-depressants.
In other words, it gives your body a soothing effect by reducing your hot flashes and also eliminates the mood swings and depression that may that accompany menopause. Whenever you feel these symptoms, just dilute the oil with carrier oils and apply the oil all over your feet. Repeat this 3 times daily and watch your symptoms fade away.
Pine Oil
Osteoporosis is another symptom of menopause. It is a bone health condition that is characterized by low density and higher risks of fracture. Studies have proven that most women in their menopausal ages may experience osteoporosis which might worsen if left unattended. Osteoporosis occurs as a result of lower estrogen levels.
Thus, since menopause is associated with lower estrogen levels, it automatically means that there will be a higher chance for women in their menopausal ages to experience osteoporosis. Studies carried out by some experts showed that applying pine oil to the skin and massaging it deeply into the skin after diluting it with carrier oils can help improve bone density and lower the risks of bone fractures.
Lavender Oil
Difficulty sleeping is one of the most common symptoms of menopause. This is a point when you stay awake almost all night, no matter how much you try to force yourself to sleep. Lavender oil is an effective sleep-stimulating essential oil.
First, it helps you relax better and makes you drift into sleep in no time. Applying lavender oil to your skin to improve your sleep is a slower means of achieving results. Rather than applying the oil to your skin, you can apply a few drops of the oil to a wet towel and inhale it for a few minutes.
You can also add a few drops of the essential oil to your humidifier and allow its fragrance to take over the atmosphere of your room. That way, you can inhale the oil better. Studies have shown that lavender oil can improve your sleep pattern and habit by a whopping 89%.
Sandalwood Essential Oil
Just like clary sage oil, sandalwood essential oil works effectively for hot flashes. Women who use this oil have reported that whenever they feel the heat coming, and they use the oil, they notice an immediate soothing effect.
Coupled with this, sandalwood essential oil is also effective at improving vaginal dryness. All you need to do is, dilute the oil with carrier oils like coconut oil, rub it in-between your palms and apply it over your sternum. Having done this, ensure that you are in a cool environment to further quieten the effects of the hot flashes.
Peppermint Oil
Peppermint is a dual-purpose oil for menopause. It is effective for both cramps and hot flashes. According to research, most women experience cramps in their perimenopause stage and thus resort to over-the-counter medications.
However, women who used peppermint essential oil for their cramps reported an immediate improvement in their cramps. For cramps, dilute the oil with a carrier oil and massage it directly into your skin, especially in the affected area of your body. Also, for the hot flashes, apply a few drops of the oil to a tissue and inhale deeply.
Vitex
The sole cause or factor that triggers these symptoms the most is hormonal imbalance. These symptoms stem from changes in the production and the level of the hormones in the body. Vitex is an effective remedy for balancing hormones.
Apart from this, it is also an amazing remedy for preventing and managing hot flashes. Using vitex for menopausal symptoms is quite easy. All you need to do is dilute the oil and apply it to your pulse point. Repeat this process 3 times daily during your perimenopause. According to research, mixing vitex essential oil with black cohosh will yield better results and improve your symptoms the more.
Thyme Oil
Thyme oil is a 3-in-one oil in terms of improving menopausal symptoms. It is effective at balancing raging hormones, improving your sleep, and boosting your mood. In other words, using thyme oil for your symptoms can give you almost all the solutions you seek.
Studies have shown that hormonal imbalance can be a causal factor for insomnia or poor sleep. However, with thyme oil, hormones begin to get balanced, and your sleep begins to get better. To use this oil for your symptoms, put a few drops of the oil on a towel and inhale the oil from the towel. You can also dilute the oil with olive oil and apply it on your neck, skin, forehead, and all over your hands.
Conclusion
Essential oils are part of nature’s way of healing different conditions and improving different symptoms. Apart from chemical-based medications and supplements, natural oils, fruits, and vegetables also play important roles in improving menopausal symptoms.
This article has a list of essential oils that perform unique roles in improving severe symptoms associated with menopause. These oils can either be inhaled through humidifiers or towels, and they can be applied to the skin after they must have been diluted with carrier oils.
