Every woman experiences the menopause in different ways, so you need to know what to expect in order to help yourself. This book explains the various stages of the menopause, including the perimenopause, and helps you understand how it can affect your body and your emotions. It evaluates all the options available--including HRT and explains what treatment and lifestyle changes will help you stay healthy and happy. With in-depth coverage of HRT, covering new developments and weighing up the risks and benefits, advice on adopting an holistic approach to managing the symptoms and side effects including conventional medicine, and alternatives, diet and lifestyle changes, Menopause For Dummies will help you make the right decisions and stay in control.

Introduction 1Part I: The Main Facts about Menopause 7Chapter 1: Reversing Puberty 9Chapter 2: Talking Biology and Psychology: Your Mind and Body During Menopause 19Chapter 3: Getting in Sync with the Symptoms 31Part II: The Effects of Menopause on Your Body and Mind 43Chapter 4: Boning Up on Your Bones 45Chapter 5: Taking Heart 69Chapter 6: Making Sense of Vaginal and Urinary Changes 85Chapter 7: Surveying Surfaces and Sinuses: Your Skin, Hair, and Nasal Cavities 97Chapter 8: Spicing Up Your Sex Life 103Chapter 9: Thinking through Mental and Emotional Issues 117Part III: Treating the Effects 127Chapter 10: Homing in on Hormone Replacement Therapy 129Chapter 11: Focusing on HRT and Your Heart 149Chapter 12: Balancing HRT and Breast Cancer 161Chapter 13: Talking About HRT and Other Cancer Risks 175Chapter 14: Revealing the Links between HRT and Other Health Conditions 187Chapter 15: Making the Decision about HRT 199Chapter 16: Taking an Alternative Route: Non-Hormone Therapies 221Chapter 17: Treating Common Menopause-Related Conditions without Hormone Therapy 233Part IV: Lifestyle Issues for Menopause and Beyond 241Chapter 18: Eating for The Change 243Chapter 19: Focusing on Fitness 261Part V: The Part of Tens 287Chapter 20: Exposing (More than) Ten Menopausal Myths 289Chapter 21: Meeting More Than Ten Medical Tests for Menopausal Women 297Chapter 22: Running Through Ten Terrific Fitness Programmes for Menopausal Women 303Part VI: Appendixes 309Appendix A: Glossary 311Appendix B: Resources 319Index 325