What Homeopathic Remedy Works for Hot Flashes?

During menopause, women often experience hot flashes. You may feel as though the temperature in the room has become sweltering. The rise in heat is typically accompanied by perspiration, hence the term "night sweats" for hot flashes that occur at night. Usually, as quickly as these flashes come, they are gone. While the exact cause is unknown, several treatment options are available to increase your comfort level.

Herbal Options

• Several herbal remedies can help reduce hot flashes. Make sarsaparilla tea by steeping sarsaparilla in boiling water for a few minutes. Or take 3 to 5 drops of black cohosh extract per day with your meals. Or take 15 to 30 drops of motherwort extract a day for about three months.

  Licorice root may be of use to combat hot flashes, as it is thought to decrease estrogen, which doctors suspect exacerbates hot flashes. Take a maximum of 100 g of licorice root; do not take it for more than six weeks at a time, as it can raise your blood pressure. Dong quai is used as a treatment for hot flashes, as it stabilizes blood vessels. Lachesis is appropriate if hot flashes are more prominent at night. Belladonna can be used for hot flashes that are felt more on your face than elsewhere. Sepia and valeriana are also sometimes used to treat your hot flashes.

Lifestyle Changes

• In conjunction with herbal remedies, making some changes to your lifestyle will help ease hot flashes. Exercise more to lessen the frequency of hot flashes. Meditating can also help, as it is believed that lessening anxiety can reduce hot flashes. Wear lighter, airier clothing made of cotton. Vitamin E supplements are also recommended for daily use.

  Keeping track of your hot flashes can help you to understand what may be triggering them. Stay away from overly fatty foods, spicy foods, caffeine and alcoholic drinks. These are all thought to trigger hot flashes in some women. Other foods to avoid are processed foods, refined sugar and acidic foods.