How to Safely Use Natural Remedies to Stop Menstrual Flooding

Three years ago I was shopping with my husband in a small town several hours drive from home. I suddenly had to rush back to the car when I realized that I was experiencing a menstrual flood. This had never happened before. I was shocked and became frightened that the bleeding wouldn’t stop! I thought that there must be a natural method that could help me. After cleaning up in a nearby restroom, pale and weak, but not ready to give up, I asked my husband drive me to the town’s natural health store.

‘No’, the woman who worked there assured me with an amused smile, “there’s nothing that stops menstrual bleeding or slows it down.” The bleeding eventually did stop on its own, but that comment by a well-meaning, but ignorant employee, left me annoyed and inspired to search for herbs I knew must exist that could do what she said was impossible.

I found them.

Red raspberry leaf, ladies mantle, shepherd’s purse, and yarrow all slow or reduce menstrual bleeding. With a little digging and experimentation, I found many other solutions to prevent the problem.

Use one or a combination of herbs to make an infusion, which is also known as a herbal tea, or buy a herbal tincture at the natural food store. I chose to drink an infusion made from a blend of 1-2 tsp each: dried red raspberry leaves and ladies mantle leaves, I covered the pot and steeped the herbs for 10 minutes in just-boiled water. This treatment works best if you have one cup a day for about week before menstruation and 1-2 cups during your period. If you like it sweeter, add several pieces of licorice root or a few lemonbalm leaves to steep with the red raspberry and ladies mantle leaves, or ¼ tsp honey after the tea is ready.

An effective aromatherapy treatment is to rub your abdomen several times a day with 1 tsp olive oil or sweet almond oil blended with 2-3 drops sage or vitex essential oil.

I also came across an unusual suggestion for reducing profuse menstruation in an old herbal by Dian Dincin Buchman in my personal library. ‘Grate and dry carrots and eat one piece at a time several times a day, as a potent aid to regulate menstruation. Grate about a pound from the heaviest part of the carrot. Dry it on paper in the sun for a week or two until it shrivels up into small pieces.” She also suggests adding a few grains of cayenne pepper to the herbal tea of your choice, drinking diluted lemon juice during your period, eating lentils and drinking a half cup of strong thyme tea, morning and evening. She suggests making shepherd’s purse tea by infusing a handful of the herb in a pint of boiling water. Drink the tea warm if possible. Use 2 cups three times a day.

A long-term solution to address the underlying cause of hormonal imbalance, is the wonderful woman’s herb Vitex aka Chasteberry, which helps balance hormones. A 1930s scientific study using a tincture of dried vitex berries found that a month or two of using this herb normalized menstrual cycles and reduced flow.

Since excessive menstrual bleeding (or menorrhagia) can indicate several serious problems, be sure to consult your doctor for a diagnosis before beginning self-treatment.

An excess of estrogen and prolactin or an excess of a hormone-like substance called prostaglandin 2 are two possible causes for heavy menstrual periods. A sluggish thyroid also increases menstruation. So can endometriosis, uterine fibroids, an IUD birth control device, and blood thinning drugs.

Menstruation normally causes a decrease in physical energy, and if you bleed heavily you may find that your blood pressure becomes low, leading to a feeling of exhaustion and an irresistible desire to take a nap during the day! Excessive menstruation can lead to anemia and that can also lead to extreme fatigue. Some medical researchers believe that iron deficiency stimulates bleeding, which leads to an even greater iron deficiency.

To correct anemia, drink herbal teas made from herbs that have high levels of iron including stinging nettle, oatstraw herb, red clover, red raspberry, goji berries, and rooibos. Your natural food store will have pills or liquid Floridix which is highly absorbable, unlike iron pills dispensed through conventional drug stores.

If you experience cramping along with heavy bleeding, use the same herbs suggested for alleviating menstrual cramps-wild yam root, false unicorn root, cramp bark and American spikenard-to reduce the severity of both of the problems.

Herbs to Reduce Excessive Menstruation

Vitex (aka Chasteberry)- regulates and normalizes hormones connected to the reproductive system. It is especially beneficial and the herb of choice for many women to relieve menopausal changes. It has a profound action in lessening ‘hot flashes.’ Studies verify that vitex increases the production of lutenizing hormones, enhancing the progesterone cycle. At the same time it inhibits the release of the follicle-stimulating hormone, FSH, and normalizes the estrogen cycle. Vitex may be used for acute situations but it is most effective if taken over a prolonged period of time. No side effects have ever been reported from extensive and extended use of this plant.

Red raspberry: Due to the drying effect of the tannins it contains, Red raspberry is used to treat profuse and painful menstruation. It relaxes uterine and intestinal spasms and strengthens uterine walls. Red Raspberry leaves are nutritious too – containing vitamins A, B, C, and E – they’re also rich in calcium, phosphorus, niacin and iron. They are an excellent source of manganese, a trace mineral used by the body to produce healthy connective tissue, such as bone matrix and cartilage and an important factor in energy metabolism. Red Raspberry promotes healthy nails, bones, teeth and skin. Drinking 1-2 cups of red raspberry leaf every day is a nutritious tonic tea.

Lady’s mantle:Lady’s Mantle’s astringent and styptic properties help reduce period pains and lessen heavy menstrual bleeding. It helps a woman’s body adjust to changing hormone levels during menopause. It is an anti-estrogenic herb that helps regulate irregular cycles, relieves cramps.

Yarrow:A catalyst for the female reproductive system, it has a positive effect on ovarian problems, menstrual irregularity, menstrual cramps, and menopausal symptoms, insomnia, nervous tension, stress related conditions;. It is used to reduce excessive menstrual bleeding, to ease menstrual cramps and to stimulate delayed or absent menstrual cycles. Famous German herbalist Maria Treban writes: “Yarrow is a medicinal herb that would be difficult to be without; it is of great value for many illnesses but first and foremost, it is a herb for women. I cannot recommend Yarrow enough for women…A woman during menopause should take advantage of Yarrow tea and save herself a lot of inner restlessness and other problems.” Drink a cup of yarrow tea daily;

Shepherd’s purse:Shepherd’s purse is used to stop heavy bleeding and hemorrhaging, particularly from the uterus when taken internally. It has also been used to treat postpartum hemorrhage. It is considered most effective for the treatment of chronic uterine bleeding disorders, including uterine bleeding due to the presence of uterine fibroids. Shepherd’s purse has been used internally to treat cases of blood in the urine and bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, such as with bleeding ulcers. An astringent agent, shepherd’s purse constricts blood vessels and reduces blood flow. Shepherd’s purse is also thought to cause the uterine muscle to contract, which also helps reduce bleeding. It is a remedy for blood pressure problems, nosebleeds, irregular heartbeat, wounds and burns.

Cautions: Pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with kidney stones or kidney disease should avoid Shepherd’s purse. Consult with your doctor before taking Shepherd’s purse if you have blood pressure, thyroid gland, or heart problems.

Read More

How Do Yeast Infections Affect Your Periods - All About the Infection?

It is a fact that yeast infections affect your periods considerably. This is usually caused by organisms known as Candida albicans or Candidiasis. Yeast infections are a frustrating problem for many women. These are not sexually transmitted hence these are not really infectious.

Yeast love moisture and the wetness in the vaginal canal and this can thrive during your periods too. Vaginal infection occurs when certain new yeast are introduced into the vagina or when there is an increase in the quantity of existing yeast relative to the amount of bacteria that already exists. When protective and normal bacteria are destroyed by the intake of antibiotics or immunosuppressive drugs, the existing yeast multiplies and invades tissues and this causes irritation along the lining of the vagina.

Causes of Vaginal infections:

Vaginal infections also take place due to an injury inside of the vagina such as chemotherapy. A weak immune system resulting from administration of cortisone-related medications also help develop vaginal infections. Certain other medical conditions such as Diabetes Mellitus, taking of oral contraceptives and pregnancy also result in this infection. Sometimes, the use of douches and feminine hygiene sprays can also result in development of a vaginal infection.

How do yeast infections affect your periods?

Close to 70% of the women worldwide tend to develop at least one infection in their entire lifetime and around 40% of them have recurring infections. Those with diabetes have chances to develop infections on account of increase in level of sugar in the body, which creates a conducive environment for the yeast to thrive. A fungus of the yeast family namely Candida albicans are primarily responsible for these infections. Candida albicans are part of the normal environment of the mouth, skin and the intestinal tract.

You should avoid wearing wet clothes for longer periods of time. Tight fitting clothing would increase moisture and creates a favourable environment for the growth of yeast, hence it should be avoided. Since sugar can alter the pH balance, you should avoid diets that are rich in sugar. Diet is a major factor in causing chronic Candida infections; hence it is important to treat the digestive tract as it could lead to re-infection if left untreated.

Precautionary measures to take during your periods:

It is important that you take adequate precautionary measures when you are in your periods. Some of the measures are:

• Do not wear panty-liners or pads beyond the duration of your periods


• You ought to wipe from front to back after urination and bowel movements.


• Avoid using deodorant tampons.


• You need to avoid tight-fitting clothes and opt for cotton rather than synthetic underwear.


• Do not use douches and feminine deodorant sprays.


• Intake of antibiotics could lead to this infection because they tend to kill and decrease the normal vaginal flora.


• Change wet clothing after a workout or swimming.


• Do not take diets that are rich in sugar, because sugar could alter pH balance.


• Dry the vaginal area thoroughly after you bathe.


• Ensure that you get adequate amounts of rest to help fight infections.

Before you consult your doctor for proper treatment, you should understand how these infections affect your periods and menstrual cycle. Though not serious, these could pose challenges if left untreated.

Read More

Premenstrual Syndrome and Candida

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is condition that encompasses a wide array of symptoms that many women experience typically a week before their menstrual cycles but can occur up to two weeks before. The symptoms of PMS are so diverse and far reaching that it affects women both physically and emotionally. Symptoms of PMS include but are not limited to headaches, edema, back pain, abdominal cramps, abdominal bloating, abdominal gas, muscle spasms, breast tenderness, acne, food cravings, mood swings, anxiety, brain fog and depression. Although, I have heard many men and women alike joking about PMS it is no laughing matter to those women who are unfortunate enough to experience its debilitating symptoms month after month. Imagine experiencing symptoms for up to 14 days out of the month every single month. This is a miserable way to exist. There is however hope for those with PMS aside from just treating the monthly symptoms with over the counter pain medicines. This hope lies in the link between PMS and Candida.

Candidiasis is a condition in which yeast (Candida) overgrows in the intestinal system. Candida is usually a benign microorganism that contributes to a healthy microflora of the intestinal system. Candida ideally will work hand in hand with “friendly” bacteria within this system to remove waste and toxins from the body. However, due to numerous external factors Candida can become an opportunistic microorganism which releases toxins and causes the body to become unhealthy. Symptoms of candidiasis are as diverse as those of PMS and that is why it often goes unrecognized. It has been found that many women who experience PMS also experience candidiasis related symptoms. Chronic yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, abdominal gas, abdominal bloating, depression and anxiety are not uncommon. The good news is that this linkage provides hope for alleviating PMS symptoms through treatment of the underlying candidiasis.

The Candida Diet is the cornerstone of treatment for candidiasis. The goal of the diet is to cut off the food supply to the Candida, therefore killing them, an eliminating the toxins they produce from the body. The diet is very restrictive eliminating all forms of sugar, processed foods, quick acting carbohydrates and many other foods that have been shown to feed Candida. It is however an extremely effective method of treating this condition. It can be very difficult to adhere to the Candida Diet because of these restrictions and but these dietary changes have been proven to help many women with PMS overcome their monthly misery. The first weeks on the diet are hardest because there actually may be an increase in symptoms due to the die-off period where large amounts of Candida are literally being starved and killed in your body. The body may have a hard time dealing with the toxins that these dead microorganisms produce initially. This is the reason why it often gets worse before it gets better. If you suffer from PMS and are looking for naturally ways to relieve these symptoms look into the Candida Diet.

Read More

Love - The Nine Stages of the Love Cycle in Relationships

Isn’t love wonderful? Isn’t love terrible?

Isn’t it terrible how cyclical the Quest for wonderful love seems to be for you?

Let me see if I can quickly point to some compelling evidence that might, just maybe, sway your thinking and open your mind to an approach that might, just maybe, be better than all the ones you have been using all these years in your own Quest for Love.

Firstly, how many times, so far, have you been in love – or thought you were?

Think back to ALL your past relationships – not just your last, or current, one. Remember all of their names since the first one? OK, how about just the ones you’ve had sex with?

Based on my several million web site visitors, my own 10,000 Heroine applications and my tens of thousands of interviews with others about relationships, along with some other, VERY non-scientific personal experiences, I’ve concluded that there are NINE Stages in all of our quests for love – nine stages that we all go through – time after time.

You. Me. Them. All of us.

Some Stages really are magnificently wonderful. Some really are downright terrible.

What was the average length of time you enjoyed the fantastic, incredible Stage Of Love that made the Quest worthwhile after all? What was the average amount of time you were left on the stage, falling out of love? How much time was spent on looking for love once again?

One of the regrettable parts of the whole process is how often we all seem to cycle between all the different Stages of Love – along with the consequential waste of time, energy and emotion.

How much of all three have you wasted, so far, in your own seemingly never-ending quest?

I know this may sound like an efficiency expert’s approach to love, but my goal is to help you minimize future time, energy and emotional waste and accelerate your success at finding your own flavor of Happily Ever After while maximizing your own Happily Here & Now.

You got to admit that is a formidable goal…but, even if a new approach was only 30% successful, might it be worth learning and incorporating into your own approach to the Quest? What if it was even more successful for you?

As you will see, I don’t consider all parts of all these cycles we go through to be a waste of time, energy and emotion. Just the opposite, as a matter of fact. Each one IS hopefully a learning and growing experience. However, you don’t want to end up having the same bad experiences more often than absolutely required.

Ready?

Breathe deeply.

1. 
   Stage One – Love
   
   When the Quest can be wonderful…fantastic…incredible… consuming…


2. 
   Stage Two – Realization
   
   When the Quest can be…complacent…disappointing…distressing… fatalistic…


3. 
   Stage Three – Breakup
   
   When the Quest can be painful…hurtful…heartbreaking…devastating…


4. 
   Stage Four – Hiatus
   
   When the Quest can be numbing…depressing…draining…buried…


5. 
   Stage Five – Resignation
   
   When the Quest can be embittering…cynical…angry…lonely…


6. 
   Stage Six – Determination
   
   When the Quest can be fearful…tentative…suspicious…retreating…


7. 
   Stage Seven – Search
   
   When the Quest can be frustrating…exasperating…boring…pointless…


8. 
   Stage Eight – Flirtation
   
   When the Quest can be fun…active…distracting…seductive…


9. 
   Stage Nine – Infatuation
   
   When the Quest can be exciting…anticipating…hopeful…sizzling…

Right now, there are over 100 million single adults in the United States. Most of them, along with a LOT of married folks, are still looking for their own version of Happily Ever After – with varying degrees of luck. Virtually all of them are going through one of the Nine Stages Of Love Quest right now. My guess is that you are too.

Think you are different?

• Can you see which Stage you are in right this minute? Which Stage were you in six months ago?

• How many times have you cycled through each of these Stages? Can you remember all their names?

• How many times will you cycle through all these Nine Stages during the next five years?

Here’s a hint for you: the parts of the cycle that are really worthwhile are those that help you obtain and savor and appreciate all the Happily Here & Now you can grab on your way to Happily Ever After. After all, one of the most important things I have learned, and one of the major points I hope you grow to believe and appreciate is that your Happily Ever After is made up of a series of day-in-day-out Happily Here & Nows.

Read More

Endometriosis Part VII - Endometriosis and Irregular Menstruation

As we mentioned in previous articles, during the last stage of the menstrual cycle, normally a layer of endometriosis lining in the inside of the uterus is expelled, known as menstruation blood. Instead some of the endometriosis tissues grows somewhere in the body causing endometriosis. They also react to hormonal signals of the monthly menstrual cycle, building up tissue, breaking it, and eliminating it through the menstrual period. In this article, we will discuss the relationship of endometriosis and irregular menstruation

1. Variable amounts of bleeding either heavy or scanty

Variable amounts of bleeding either heavy or scanty is normal for menarche and perimenopause as the menstrual cycle is initiated and during a woman ‘s forties until menopause accordingly because of imbalance of estrogen and progesterone. In endometriosis, heavy and scanty bleeding are caused by over-production of certain hormones in the prostaglandin hormonal family that controls the aggregation or disaggregation of platelets.

2. Menstrual spotting

Menstrual spotting in the middle of the menstrual cycle may be caused by polyp growth in the uterus. Polyps within the uterus may prevent pregnancy or interfere with implantation of embryo as well as miscarriage. Polyps also cause heavy bleeding as a resulting of rupture of polyps in the uterus during menstruation. Luckily most polyps exit in uterus tend to be benign growth.

3. Prolong bleeding

Prolong bleeding may be caused by endometriosis cysts or fibroid located in the uterus wall as a result of imbalanced hormones of the prostaglandin family caused by excessive estrogen in the body if one type of prostaglandin hormone that helps to stop platelets from clumping together.

4. Long menstrual cycle

An irregular menstrual pattern of long menstrual cycles may be an indication of ovulation problems and can be a major factor in infertility caused by endometriosis ovulation problems resulting in ovulation delay or immature eggs in the follicular phase. Sometimes, the follicle develops but the egg is not expelled from the ovary, caused by low levels of progesterone.

5. Blood clots

Because of irregular menstruation causing imbalance hormone, blood clots usually happen during menstruation if one of the hormones of the prostaglandin family that helps to regulate blood clots is over-produced. In this case over-production of such hormones cause more platelets clumping together and fails to dilate blood vessels resulting in blood clots.

Read More

He Suddenly Stopped Talking to Me - Why This Happens and What to Do

“He suddenly stopped talking to me. What do I do now?” This is an all too common question women are searching for an answer to. Men are something of a mystery to many women. Just when we think we have a guy figured out he goes and does something that we don’t see coming. Such is the case when he suddenly drops out of sight and cuts of all contact. He doesn’t return your calls, your emails go unanswered and you’re left alone and bewildered. You play back the last few times you saw him in your head searching for clues as to why he did this. You may even let your imagination run wild and envision him in the hospital or hurt and unable to call. Instead of wasting more time trying to second guess what’s going on, you need to gain some insight into how the male mind works and why men do this so often.

If he suddenly stopped talking to you it is generally because you’ve done something that he found unappealing. Dating relationships just don’t have the same commitment as longer term partnerships do. Men can be a little indecisive and one small thing can turn them off and make them walk away. Most women don’t fully realize this. Even something as seemingly insignificant as commenting on what he orders at dinner or how he needs to shave can be enough to make him break off contact.

You may think that’s a bit cold and heartless but unfortunately it’s the reality of the dating world. Unless the two of you have forged a strong emotional connection, his interest is hanging by a delicate thread.

So what’s a woman to do if the guy she’s crazy about just stops talking to her? You can forget him and move on as well. This sounds much easier than it is, but if it’s a new relationship and you haven’t invested too much of yourself into it, that might be the right choice.

If you care for him and see some potential there, you need to make amends. If you haven’t pinpointed what you might have done, that’s okay. You can still take steps to remedy the situation. Call him up and let him know that you’d love to have coffee with him. If he doesn’t answer, leave a message. Don’t apply any pressure or talk at all about how his ignoring you made you feel. Instead, just act friendly, warm and fun. Let him see the best parts of you. Doing this will give him a new perspective and if you want to keep the relationship moving in the right direction, just take your cues from him. The more time he spends with you, the more likely he’ll look right past any flaws you may have and focus instead on the parts of you that are irresistible.

Read More

Does Late Ovulation Have Any Affect on Fertility?

The other day, I heard from a women who suspected that there might be an issue with her fertility. She had been trying to become pregnant for about eight months. Nothing had happened. So, she finally decided to use an ovulation predictor to see if she had ovulated. She tried urine, but she would run out of sticks and then assume that something was wrong.

Finally, she decided to give the saliva predictors a try. Low and behold, she found out that she was indeed ovulating, but it worried her that this was happening so late in her cycle. Most times, she was getting a positive reading after day number 23. She was expecting to see a positive around day 14 so she was thinking that she was more than 1 week “late” and she wondered if this meant that her reproductive system was struggling or was sluggish in some way. She wanted to know if late ovulation is indicative of a problem with fertility or becoming pregnant. I will tell you my opinion on this (and experience with it) in the following article.

Ovulation That Coincides With Intercourse Can Result In Pregnancy No Matter When This Occurs: People often assume that the ovulation that happens late is in some way inferior to one that happens when they believe it should. I disagree with this. There are many reasons why you may be ovulating late. This time period can vary from month to month, person to person, and season to season.

And for some women, this is just the time of the month that is normal for them. The timing of this does not necessarily have anything to do with struggling ovulation. Nor does it mean that you should handle this any differently than a positive result that you would get during any other time. Simply put, when you see that positive reading, have intercourse based on the schedule for which gender you are hoping to get. (If you want a girl, you’ll need to wait until the next month because you want to conceive before ovulation. If you want a boy, you’ll want to act now. In addition, you’ll want to follow the acidic or alkaline diets for both regimens.) If you don’t care which gender you get, then you can go ahead and attempt conception regularly for a few days.

Doing this is no different than how you would act if you got a positive midway through. Ovulating late might just be your regular schedule. It should have no affect on how you proceed. As long as this healthy egg is fertilized by healthy sperm, you should get pregnant no differently than you would during another time period. This might not be what is normal for someone else, but it can perfectly normal for you. This might be your time frame for this month only, or it might be what happens every month. As long as you ovulating though, there is no reason not to take advantage of it, no matter when it occurs.

My Own Experience With Late Ovulation And Fertility: For my first pregnancy, I did not even bother to check my ovulation. I assumed that I ovulated mid way through and acted accordingly. But, I was also pretty much a newlywed. So, I was having intercourse long after the midway point ended. And, I got pregnant pretty easily.

But when I was trying for my second child, it was not nearly as easy. A year went by and I still wasn’t pregnant. I started using ovulation predictors (urine) and just like my writer I would run out of tests in the box and give up, feeling defeated. When I starting using saliva, I kept going because these are reusable. And, I found that I ovulate after day 20. I might get a positive one month on day 20 and another on day 22, but it was happening late each month.

So, I concentrated my efforts on the end of the month and I was pregnant within 2 months. See, there was nothing wrong with my ovulation time frame, and I was fertile. It’s just that I wasn’t concentrating my intercourse efforts on the right time frame. I was trying very hard mid way through, but when I actually was ovulating, I thought that my window had closed when really it was only beginning.

I am living proof that late ovulation might mean a delay in your regimen or time frame, but it most certainly does not, in my opinion, affect fertility or your ability to get pregnant as long as you can determine when it is happening and act accordingly.

Read More