Going through the menopause is one of the hardest and dramatic changes any woman will ever have to go through with regards to the shift that is made by the reproductive system. The sometimes-unpleasant symptoms that are present when you are in the clutches of the menopausal phase are similar to those of puberty, except they tend to be less pleasant. This transitional period is responsible for hot flashes, a change in mood or temperament, the inability to sleep as well as pain. Fortunately, you don’t have to endure all of these frustrating moments alone because, as it happens, CBD oil could just be the trusty companion that you need in order to comfortably see you through to the next phase of your life.
Women today have a life expectancy of around 80 years or above and at least 30 of these years on earth will be spent in a postmenopausal state. Furthermore, the majority of women are plagued by its frustrating symptoms for a significant amount of time after passing through the immediate process. However, there is now some excellent news for women across the world with regards to going through the menopause—CBD can offer you many of the benefits you need to get through menopause unscathed.
The symptoms of the menopause are commonly treated via pharmaceutical options including hormone replacement therapy (HRT) that tends to carry considerable long-term health risks and, after a period of time, it can become ineffective. This is just one of the reasons that women are now turning to alternative medicine such as CBD to ensure that their transition into postmenopausal life is as comfortable and easy as possible.
How Can CBD Alleviate Symptoms of the Menopause?
CBD can help manage your symptoms by interacting with cannabinoid receptors that are found present in your natural endocannabinoid system. This cleverly designed internal system is made up of several cell receptors that can be found in almost every part of your body and they are just waiting to receive signals from chemical messengers like CBD.
Scientists believe that the endocannabinoid system plays a key role in many of the essential bodily functions that we perform each day and also it is responsible for certain aspects of our overall health, including:
- Regulating mood
- Pain management
- Sleep function
- Memory function
- Fertility
- Regulating the body’s temperature
These scientists have a strong theory that, should your endocannabinoid system not be functioning properly, you could be at greater risk of developing a health condition. Therefore, if you use CBD as a way of balancing or manipulating the chemicals in your system, such conditions could improve or eliminate themselves entirely. This is exactly how CBD works to balance and reverse the negative consequences of menopause.
Here are a few issues that CBD can help with during menopause:
Hot Flashes
Hot flashes are one of the worst side effects that women deal with when transitioning through menopause. They can come on at any time and they usually induce feelings of nausea and anxiety. Anandamide is a natural cannabinoid that is responsible for regulating our body temperature. It has a similar chemical composition to THC and studies have suggested that if you consume CBD oil containing a higher dose of THC, your hot flashes could be a thing of the past. Finding the right dosage for your specific needs is important, as smaller doses could cause your temperature to rise—although this has yet to be evidenced properly.
Insomnia
The dreaded sleepless nights seem to be a common occurrence during menopause and Insomnia is often the result of the other symptoms that will be manifesting in your body. A lack of sleep can leave you vulnerable to feelings of irritability and sadness, as well as anxiety. CBD has proven itself to be an excellent natural remedy for sleep disorders, thanks to its anxiolytic effects. A restful night’s sleep on a regular basis can dramatically help you navigate the wild west of menopause more comfortably!
Excess Weight
Weight gain and menopause often seem to go hand in hand. Lifestyle changes, the aging process, and hormones all play a role in putting on excess pounds once you reach a certain age and CBD can be used as a valuable tool to help you control your appetite and boost your metabolism when combined with healthy eating and a regular exercise routine.
Decreased Libido
Aside from the obvious symptoms of the menopause, low libido can also be a common issue. This is especially true for women who have a higher sex drive, as it can often cause problems in their personal relationships as well as generating feelings of frustration. All is not lost, however, as some women have reported that consuming cannabis has provided them with some relief from a lack of libido and their sex lives have improved. It is thought that choosing the correct strain is important in the efficacy of CBD on the libido.
Pain Relief
When we consider just how much a woman’s body changes during menopause, it will come as no surprise that these hormonal imbalances can often result in pain like headaches, muscle aches, and joint pain. Fortunately, CBD is very effective when used for pain relief and it has been scientifically proved to relieve chronic pain associated with arthritis and other bone diseases.
The Loss of Bone Density
Low bone density greatly increases your risk of brittle bone disease. It is a symptom that should not be left untreated as it puts you at greater risk to fractures and bruising, as well as inhibiting your body’s ability to repair itself. Recent research has revealed that CBD actively reduces the rate of bone density loss that commonly occurs in women passing through the stages of menopause.
Anxiety and Mood Swings
During the menopause, women are subjected to fluctuating levels of both estrogen and progesterone, which are usually the cause of frequent mood swings. These mood swings are often accompanied by anxiety and add further stress into the mix. CBD is renowned for its ability to control and manage stress and anxiety and it also helps to improve your mood on a day-to-day basis. Researchers have already undertaken extensive research both on human subjects and on mice, which has allowed them to study the anxiolytic effects of CBD closely and with great success! This has resulted in CBD becoming a common treatment for anxiety issues in people of all ages.
Final Thoughts
There are already thousands of theories and testimonials with regards to the use of CBD in the medical field. Further research that is set to take place over the course of the next two years will allow scientists to come up with concrete evidence that CBD can greatly reduce the unpleasant symptoms of menopause and we could even see it replace HRT as a common form of treatment. It is still early days, but it seems that medical marijuana is here to stay and now that people have had a taste of what it can really do for them, we can expect to see more women turning away from traditional pharmaceutical treatments to guide them through menopause.
This article by Madeleine Taylor is originally published at SundayScaries.
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