Menopause: Symptoms, Causes and Benefits Of Primrose Oil

In the simple words, Menopause can be defined as the point in time when female menses cease for almost 12 months due to natural depletion of the ovaries. Though there are some other medical reasons when a woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs but if the age of the woman is in between 45 to 50, it is considered menopause. Usually, it is self-diagnosable, but according to the Gynaecologist if a woman has missed her menses for 12 consecutive months then it marks the end of the fertility.

It is just a natural process and not a disease or disability. Though it is very normal and every woman goes through it at one point in time but it could be very painful. Every woman, who is going through menopause, has few common symptoms which we will discuss later. With the onset of menopause and completely shut down the menses may take almost 4 to 6 years. The average age of a woman for menopause is 51 years.

Causes of Menopause

In the late thirties or early forties, a female’s body starts producing lower reproductive hormones Estrogens and Progesterone - these two hormones are responsible for regulation of the monthly discharge.  Due to the shortage of these two hormones, our body starts shortening the periods/skip them or lowering down the flow. That is the onset of menopause and slowly it would eventually stop after few years.

The other unnatural causes could be hysterectomy, chemotherapy or Primary Ovary insufficiency.

The stages of Menopause

Menopause could be clearly divided into three stages.

1. Perimenopause 

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With the lower levels of the reproductive hormones, one starts feeling the symptoms. This stage is called Perimenopause and usually runs for 3-5 years. This is the time when one can start feeling the symptoms. This period could be frustrating as your body is going through major changes and you may want to consult a doctor. Though, the doctor cannot stop this condition but could give you some kind of relief.

2. Menopause

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After that, when the periods completely stop, that stage is called Menopause.

3. Post Menopause

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It is followed by Post Menopause. This is the time when the age kicks in fast in the absence of female hormones.

Symptoms of Menopause

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Some common symptoms of the condition are Irregular periods, Hot flushes, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbance, mood swings, hair loss and gain of weight. There are few other specific symptoms depending on the body’s nature. A few complain pain in the joints or more acidity etc.

The role of Primrose oil during Menopause

No matter what your symptoms are, it is good to consult a doctor. Most of us just keep going with the pain it brings assuming that it would end one day. Definitely, it is a natural condition and medicine cannot stop it but consulting a doctor may reduce the pain and could make the journey smoother.

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If you don’t want to consider allopathic help and consume medicines, there are alternative therapies available and Primrose oil is one of them. This is a flower native to North America and it has yellow flower petals that bloom in the evening. That’s why it is commonly known as Evening Primrose oil (EPO). It is high in specific essential fatty acids i.e. gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and linolenic acid which our body needs to function properly.

Research has proved that some women have had success in lowering down the symptoms and pain during menopause when they were on EPO.

Relieve in Pain

Perimenopausal women often experience unbearable pain due to a substance called prostaglandins which could subside by consuming EPO.

Relieve in Hot Flushes

Women going through menopause may experience it just once in a week or after every 30 minutes (which could be really bad).Studies have shown, the intensity of hot flushes won’t get change but it could lower down the frequency of getting hot flushes.

Vaginal Dryness

Fatty acids are good to lubricate the whole body in general, therefore, would help you.


It is always a good idea to consult your physician before starting anything in your daily routine. You would also get to know the right dosage you would require. As mentioned before, menopause cannot be stopped at any cost but the pain could be eased out with the intake of Evening Primrose oil.



Written by
Aradhana Goyal