Kelly’s Korner – Dealing With Hot Flashes

It's my birthday!  Being 48 years young, I'm somewhere at the lovely age when the world is my oyster, but hot flashes are my reality.  That could mean menopause?  or...it could be peri menopause.  It doesn't really matter what you call it...what is truly is?  Aggravating! Here are the best tips I could find to help myself, and anyone else who is going through this.  Since it can last the rest of our lives, we need to learn how to cope.

SIMPLE FIXES FOR FLASHES THAT ARE BEARABLE

• Dress in layers.  This way you can remove or add clothing as necessary.
• Sip on ice water at the start of a hot flash.
• Wear cotton night clothes to bed, and have cotton linens.
• Keep a thermos of ice water and an ice pack at your bedside.

NATURAL REMEDIES

Herbs and oils are sometimes used to relief hot flashes.

• Red Clover
• Evening Primrose Oil -
• Black Cohosh - Note- Those with liver disorders should not take this.
• Soy

Remember to always check with your doctor before adding any natural remedies, as they can interact with medications.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES

Meditation is a great way to relief stress, and it also seems to help with hot flashes.

Acupuncture????  YES!  It's true!  A study that was published in March of 2011 found that women who had acupuncture twice a week for 10 weeks, had fewer hot flashes than women who did not.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES CAN HELP

• Eat a well balanced diet
• Exercise
• Don't smoke

HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY (HRT)

For some women, menopause symptoms are actually debilitating.  For these people, Hormone Replacement Therapy could provide relief.

NON HORMONAL THERAPIES

For those that cannot manage their symptoms, they can try other drugs that were not created specifically for menopause, but DO help. Those drugs include some given for nerve pain, and seizures: Gabapentin, and Pregabalin. There are several anit-depressants that may help as well, including: Venlaflaxine, Fluoxetine, and Paroxetine.