Depending on their hormonal composition in the body, different women get menopause at different ages. Impact of menopause on each woman is different but most women get hot flashes and night sweats within the first two years of menopause.
Menopause is a difficult time for women both in terms of physical and emotional context as the hormonal changes put the normal life to test. Bouts of hot flashes or night sweats all of a sudden are very common. At psychological level these difficulties can lead to depression.
Usual triggers for hot flashes are tight clothing, stress, alcohol, caffeine and consumption of spicy food. You can use one or more natural remedies for hot flashes and night sweats. Since most of these home remedies have no scientific backing, you should be more careful in finding out side effects if any. Usually only over consumption can lead to side effects.
1. Black Cohosh
The herb Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa, cimicifuga racemosa) has been on the radar of scientists for a long time as many women have found it relieving hot flashes. Though scientific research is still inconclusive in black cohosh effectiveness in treating hot flashes and night sweats.
If you have any sort of lever problems then avoid black cohosh as over consumption can promote liver damage.
There are many other herbs in use for hot flashes relief but most of them have severe side effects over a long term uses, so they are ignored in this article.
2. Soy
Many scientific studies have found that use of soy, soy products and soy supplements have shown positive results in reducing incidences of hot flashes during menopause.
You can consume 2 glasses of soy milk or 7 ounce of tofu daily in your meals for significantly reducing incidences of hot flashes.
Consumption of soy in some people may cause digestive troubles.
3. Flaxseed Oil
Contains omega3 type fatty acid which helps in stabilization of estrogen levels disturbed by the menopause. It is safe and has no side effects making it one of the best remedies to handle hot flashes and other menopause symptoms.
- grind 1 tablespoon of flax seeds into powder and sprinkle on salad
- make sure that the flax seeds are ground just before adding to food
If you grind and store flax seeds they lose potency of omega3, so make sure to always use freshly ground flax seeds.
4. Acupuncture
As stress is one of the main triggers for hot flashes and night sweats during menopause, any stress relieving activity should have a positive effect in reducing these symptoms.
A study conducted in Turkey in 2011 reveals that women who underwent acupuncture got less menopausal symptoms including hot flashes.
Make sure that you go to a professional acupuncturist to get reliable results.
5. Relaxation and Meditation
Meditation is one of the easiest remedies for hot flashes caused my menopause. You don't need any physical product to treat hot flashes. Just do meditation wherever you are.
Meditation and any other relaxation technique is a stress buster. A 20 minutes of meditation early in the morning and another one before going to bed can significantly reduce your hot flashes during the day and night sweats while sleeping
Get rid of all the other triggers of hot flashes during menopause. Avoid tight clothing by wearing loose clothing, stop smoking, don't consume alcohol or caffeine.
In addition to these remedies your healthy lifestyle can reduce the incidence and severity of hot flashes. Eat healthy food, exercise regularly and sleep well. These lifestyle disciplines will not only help you with hot flashes but also improve you heart and overall health.
If you get severe bouts of hot flashes or night sweats then you should visit your doctor for treatment.