Greetings, I’m Karen Giblin, founder of Red Hot Mamas. Red Hot Mamas is the largest menopause education program in North America. Over the last 20 years, our programs have been offered in over 200 hospitals and physician group practices in the United States and Canada.

Millions of women have attended our free monthly menopause education programs and have logged onto our website for reliable, comprehensive, up-to-date information about menopause.

Our mission is to provide support and guidance to women on all aspects of menopause to help them better manage the transition into menopause and through their postmenopausal years.

I encourage you to take charge of your menopause, before it takes charge of you! Just exactly how do you do this?

Personally, I learned the hard way about how very important it is to gather information about menopause. In 1991, I had a hysterectomy with the removal of my ovaries (called an oophorectomy). Menopause symptoms came on abruptly and took a tremendous toll on my life. I experienced hot flashes, night sweats, perspiration, sleep disturbances, fatigue, memory lapses, and anxiety all due to these symptoms. At that time, I knew little about how to handle these symptoms and to evaluate all of my options – including hormone therapy, lifestyle choices – and natural alternatives to hormone therapy. I wandered blindly into menopause without knowing what to expect and this was certainly uncharted territory for me!

I developed Red Hot Mamas to not only help myself, but to also help other women. I knew we had to have a full understanding of the main facts about menopause, including the effects menopause has on our body and mind; how we could treat the symptoms of menopause and develop healthy lifestyle strategies to enjoy life during and after menopause.

Granted, menopause is a normal transition that every woman will go through and it’s not a medical condition. But it does bring with it a lot of challenges which can impact our health in significant ways. Whether you are going through menopause, have already been there, or are about to start off down the road, Red Hot Mamas menopause education programs and website will guide you through the process of menopause - giving you accurate details on the most current information about menopause and ways to minimize health problems. We also stress the importance of getting regular checkups with your family doctor and openly discussing all of your menopausal concerns and treatment options. The more you know about your bodies, and how to take care of them, the better your quality of life.

Join Red Hot Mamas now - it's free! We want to be your menopause resource. Here’s what you can do:

• Attend a Red Hot Mamas Menopause Education Program in your area
• Receive our monthly menopause e-newsletter, The Menopause Minute
• This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Share your ideas in our Menopause Forums
• Follow us on Twitter
• Find us on Facebook

Just remember, the more knowledge and information you have about the menopause transition, the easier it will be to make important health decisions that can lessen the changes which sometimes occur due to menopause symptoms. From perimenopause to postmenopause, whether natural or surgically induced, menopause is a normal part of life for every woman but everyone's experience is different.

You could experience one or many of the common menopause symptoms including changes in the menstrual cycle, hot flashes, night sweats, heart palpitations, sleep changes, vaginal dryness/atrophy, irritability, mood swings, headaches, lowered sex drive, memory loss and poor concentration, weight changes, skin and hair changes.

There are also long- term physical effects of menopause due to decreased estrogen production, which many women do not know about, that can be very serious. These include coronary heart disease; osteoporosis and bladder problems (especially stress urinary incontinence).

Taking charge of menopause symptoms and maintaining health at menopause is an ongoing process that often combines personal strategies and sometimes prescription interventions. Knowing your options will help you make informed medical decisions at menopause so you can be an active participant in your healthcare.

Red Hot Mamas places importance on wellness at menopause; a combination of physical, social and mental well-being. Educating yourself about menopause is a must.