When women go into menopause, one of the most common symptoms they experience is commonly known as “hot flashes” or “hot flushes.” These are a vasomotor symptom that causes the blood vessels to constrict, and this constriction, in turn, causes the blood to flow less efficiently, with the result that the person may feel hot and perspire, and experience other symptoms, both mild and severe, such as chills, increased heartbeat, and disturbed sleep (estrogen levels drop at night). They can occur at any time; when they come at night, they are often called “night sweats.” Individual episodes of these “flashes” may last as long as a half hour. This article will tell how to treat hot flashes in post- menopause naturally.
Natural Hot Flashes Treatment Options
Apple cider vinegar is a popular remedy (even abbreviated to ACV); it may be used either alone or in combination with baking soda; cayenne; or ginger, stevia, and vitamins.
Blackstrap molasses— made by extracting as much sugar as possible from the cane— has been marketed as a health supplement for a long time.
Other substances that have been known to relief the symptoms associated with hot flushes include gaba (gamma- aminobutyric acid), which plays a role in regulating muscle tone; soy; pine bark; and so- called Bach flower remedies, a set of methods developed by the homeopath Edward Bach in the early 1930s that involve diluting flower materials in a mixture of water and brandy.
Negative treatments exist as well. In particular, eliminating sugar from the diet can be helpful, as can iodine (see below for one person’s experience with that). Caffeine should also be taken sparingly. And there is a case of a woman whose hot flashes got better for a while after she stopped taking vitamin B.
Other lifestyle treatments, such as exercise, may eliminate the symptoms— the flashes of a Palatka, FL woman disappeared the instant she began riding for up to three hours a day, and returned when she became too busy to ride. Another person reports that a friend’s mother got rid of her hot flashes by donating blood; this method may work because of the unaccustomed accumulation of iron and other minerals that occurs when the monthly periods cease. A cold bath might also work.
Not all of these treatments work equally well for everyone. Depending on an individual’s age, weight, physical condition, or other factors, the exact same formula may work very well, or it may not work at all, or it may improve one’s condition for a while. It may even have side effects. There is a place where people give reports of their experiences with them, and these reports are then placed under the categories of “yea,” “nay,” “better but not cured,” “worked temporarily,” “side effects,” and “question.” Some of those reports have been given above; here are several more:
• A 40-year-old from Ottawa stated that she got her period back after three months with ACV, after which her hot flushes returned. Another user replied that this person’s body may be reacting to the sugar overloaded with molasses.
• The hot flashes that had afflicted a Lincoln, CA resident “with a vengeance” disappeared with her first mugful of ACV and baking soda.
• “[Blackstrap molasses] is natural and cheaper than going to the doctor.” Another found her symptoms disappearing after only three days of the treatment.
• “I have a weird condition where any iodine-rich food or salt sends me into weeks or horrible, debilitating hot flashes.” This person found relief by eliminating much of the iodine from her diet.
For the reasons given above, it is important to consult your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider regarding these natural remedies. Still, it is good to know how to treat hot flashes naturally, as many of the treatments provided by professionals are often not so pleasant.
Learn about ways of instant halting for menopause hot flashes.
