How to Stop Hot Flushes

As women transition out of their child-bearing years, they enter menopause. And with menopause, comes a host of side effects including fatigue, memory loss, mood swings and night sweats. One of the most common side effects of menopause is hot flashes, also called hot flushes, where the woman's whole body suddenly becomes flushed and overheated. Because of medical research linking hormone replacement therapy to some forms of breast cancer, many women are looking for more natural treatment of their hot flashes.

Things You'll Need

• Soy (optional) Vitamin E (optional) Black Cohosh (optional) Dong Quai (optional) Ginseng (optional)

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Instructions

• 1

  Keep your house cool by turning down the thermostat and/or opening the windows.

• 2

  Wear layered clothing so you can remove layers when the hot flash hits.

• 3

  Avoid chocolate, alcohol and caffeine.

• 4

  Exercise at least 30 minutes three times a week.

• 5

  Use a breathing/relaxation technique called "paced respiration" twice a day to reduce the intensity and frequency of hot flashes. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly, counting to 10. Repeat this pattern for 15 minutes.

• 6

  Try acupuncture. While certainly not guaranteed, MayoClinic.com reports that some medical studies suggest it is effective.

• 7

  Eat soy. While some studies suggest soy can help alleviate hot flashes, other studies have linked soy to breast cancer in patients with a high-risk family history, so limit your intake to two to four servings of soy a week.

• 8

  Try taking 800 IU a day of vitamin E. Though MayoClinic.com states that this not a medically proven therapy, the site also reports that many women have claimed it is very helpful.

• 9

  Try herbal treatments such as black cohosh, dong quai or ginseng. According to MayoClinic.com, the effect of these treatments is not well studied, but again, many women have claimed that it alleviates their symptoms.