Many women may be troubled by severe menopause symptoms that lead them to seek hot flash remedies. The menopause may be in due course or it could be early; or it could be surgical menopause (due to the surgical removal of the ovaries and/or uterus) of which hot flashes are the most common symptom.
Sometimes hot flash remedies may also be sought by women who have a disorder of the pituitary gland. Often it could be night sweats (when hot flashes occur at night) that women may seek remedies for, because there could be sleep disturbances and discomfort they want to deal with.
Treatment for hot flashes and other menopause symptoms can include hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and other medications such as SERMs and SSRIs, however because of the known risks of HRT (increased risk of breast cancer, dementia and stroke) and possible side effects of other drugs, experts advice that women should try natural hot flash remedies or home remedies before looking at drug related options.
Hot flash home remedies
The severity and discomfort of hot flashes can be reduced by making lifestyle changes and making small changes such as wearing lighter, looser clothing, lowering the room temperature, sipping a cold drink when there is the feeling of a hot flash coming on. Giving up smoking is also known to help.
Lowering stress and learning relaxation techniques can also be effective hot flash remedies. Yoga, meditation and other techniques can help control hot flashes either directly or indirectly by helping a woman cope better at a generally stressful time of time, improving sleep and so on.
Avoiding certain foods that contain high amounts of spices, caffeinated foods and beverages, and so on can also help. Women can try and identify what foods and circumstances trigger a hot flash and then avoid them as much as possible.
Medical hot flash remedies
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
Sometimes home remedies may not work and the severity of the symptoms may be so disruptive to normal functioning that the benefits of the therapy may be deemed to outweigh the possible risks.
Depending upon whether a woman is perimenopausal, has undergone a hysterectomy or is postmenopausal, different dosages and combinations of hormones may be prescribed. For some women it may be possible to control hot flashes using only progesterone. HRT can be administered in the form of tablets, creams, gels, skin patches, vaginal rinds, IUDs and in some cases injections.
Anti depressants or SSRIs and other medications
Some antidepressants may help with hot flashes but they may be less effective than HRT and could also cause side effects such as dizziness, sexual problems and weight gain. Some anti seizure medications and certain hypertension medications can also help to an extent though side effects could occur.
Other hot flash remedies
Certain herbal remedies like black cohosh, and isoflavones such as red clover and soy also claim to help reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes. However the results of these remedies could vary greatly and their efficacy is not as reliable as medical interventions.
