How to Minimize Hot Flashes

Hot flashes are a symptom of impending menopause that many women must face as they grow older, but hot flashes do not have to be debilitating. More than 60 percent of American women experience hot flashes, and the number rises substantially for those whose menopause is triggered by a medical treatment or procedure. While hot flashes can be uncomfortable, they can also be controlled and minimized with a few simple strategies.

Instructions

• 1

  Keep a small, portable, electric fan available at your desk and in your favorite room of the house. Hot flashes can be triggered and exacerbated by the body's internal temperature, and being able to create a quick breeze can have a dramatic effect in counteracting a hot flash.

• 2

  Dress in layers, regardless of the season. This allows you to remove articles of clothing as necessary when you feel yourself growing too warm.

• 3

  Quit smoking. Tobacco use has been linked to hot flashes as well as to heart disease and many types of cancer.