Menopause
Hot Flashes: Is it Hot in Here?
They’ve been
laughed at, discussed on TV, and part of many family conversations.
They’re menopause hot flashes—the first signs
of menopause you probably ever learned about, and one that no
one looks forward to. More than just feeling a little bit toasty,
menopause hot flashes are a sudden, intense feeling of heat in your
upper body which may be coupled with headache, nausea, and a rapid
heartbeat. Afterward, menopause hot flashes can leave you red-faced
and sweating.
As a matter of
fact, menopause hot flashes can make you so uncomfortable and ill
that people are still scrambling to find treatments that will relieve
the problem. From prescription medications to herbs to exercises,
menopause hot flashes get a lot of attention from our health-conscious
society.
About 40 percent
of women experience menopause hot flashes during peri
menopause. These hot flashes can start in a woman’s late
30s. Once menopause arrives, more than 80 percent of women say they
have menopause hot flashes. Hormonal changes are mostly to blame
for this practically universal menopause symptom.
So what can you
do about menopause hot flashes? There are some prescription remedies
like hormone replacement therapy and depression medications, but
these carry side effects and may even cause cancer in some women.
If you want to try a natural remedy for menopause
relief, the most popular suggestions include:
- Soy: tofu, soy milk, soybeans,
and soy powder
- Black cohosh: an herb that
is used to treat menopause hot flashes and other menopause symptoms
- Exercise: at least 30 minutes
per day, but not within 3 hours of bedtime as this may increase
night sweats
- Avoid dietary triggers: such
as alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods
- Dress appropriately for the
weather: wear cotton during hot weather and keep a fan nearby
- Yoga: women have reported
that yoga classes lead to fewer menopause hot flashes
In addition to
the above suggestions, other possible natural remedies for menopause
hot flashes include deep breathing exercises, acupuncture, and cool-down
tricks like cold drinks and icing your wrists. You may also want
to try writing down the times and triggers of your menopause hot
flashes so that you can avoid those triggers in the future. Gratefully,
menopause hot flashes tend to diminish and be less severe as time
goes on.
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