Ways to Prevent and Reduce Hot Flashes

Hot flashes are one of the most common side effects of menopause. They are caused by fluctuations in the levels of estrogen in menopausal women. A number of different home remedies can be used to treat hot flashes or night sweats. You want to prevent hot flashes because they disrupt your sleep. Fortunately, there are many simple at home remedies for preventing and reducing hot flashes.

Tea

• Herbal teas can help prevent hot flashes as well as stop a current hot flash.

  Consider drinking herbal tea before bedtime. This may reduce your incidence of night sweats due to the hormonal imbalance and allow you to get much needed rest. There are many different varieties of recommended teas so choose one that pleases your palate and savor the herbal drink. Red clover, black cohosh or chasteberry herbal teas are rich in phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens mimic the estrogen activity in a women's body and have been proven to help to correct the imbalance that causes night sweats. Another option to stop hot flashes is to drink lemon balm tea, which is quite effective in stopping night sweats. Sage tea is also a natural coolant and will help eliminate hot flashes.

Get a Good Night's Sleep

• Getting a good night's sleep allows the body to heal and recharge for the next day.

  Keep your bedroom cool and ventilated when you go to sleep. Turn on a fan, open a window, or lower the temperature in the room. Keep a spritzer with cool water and aromatherapy oil such as chamomile, lavender, rose, geranium, jasmine, neroli, sandalwood or sage on your night stand to mist yourself when you feel a hot flash coming on. This will lower your body temperature and relax you. Wear an absorbent fabric to bed such as linen or cotton. This fabric helps with ventilation, keeping heat away from your body. Mothernature.com also recommends keeping a carafe of ice water beside your bed.

Change In Diet

• Soy beans can also be eaten plain as a healthy snack.

  Eat soy and soy products. Soybeans are rich sources of isoflavones, which are phytoestrogens. Soy can be obtained from soymilk, miso, tempeh and tofu. Other legumes such as chickpeas, kidney beans and lentils also contain isoflavones, but in a lower concentration. Adding flaxseed oil to your diet can also regulate estrogen levels and alleviate hot flashes. Flaxseed oil can be used to prepare culinary dishes, or in a vegetable salad as dressing. Avoid foods and drinks that are caffeinated and alcoholic drinks as well as hot, spicy dishes. These foods trigger hot flashes. Other triggers to avoid are smoking, drug use and diet pills.