about 20% of menopausal women get no hot flashes; about 20% are totally wiped out by them-and the rest of us are in the middle. we have no idea why this happens – hormone levels are the same in the severe sufferers and the folks who get none. certain conditions make them worse. smokers go through menopause about 1-2 years earlier than non smokers and suffer worse hot flashes than non smokers when they do. obese women have more severe hot flashes than slender women. hot flashes for many women are worse in the perimenopausal years; and hot flashes do tend to get better over time. however even after 10 years since the last period about 15% of women still have significant hot flashes. what can we do on our own to make things better? a regular exercise regime avoiding known triggers including red wine hot coffee and spicy foods – these bother many women. sleeping in as cool a room as you can usually helps at night; and keep another nightgown next to the bed if you wake up soaking. layered dressing is good for the daytime. there is some data to suggest that soy foods tend to be helpful. there is some controversy about soy products in women with breast cancer; you may need to clear that with your oncologist. there is very little data on other food products being helpful. there is some data on the herbal supplement black cohosh. cohosh is not a plant estrogen (that is the concern about soy: soy is rich in isoflavones which many folks refer to as weak plant estrogens. ) there is very little data on other herbal products.
what are some alternative therapies used to treat hot flashes?