subject: Relief From Hot Flashes [print this page] Hot flashes are normally some of the first symptoms of perimenopause & menopause. If these flashes are severe, you need to consult your doctor, who can prescribe some estrogen tablets, which normally are quite effective in getting relief. However, most women prefer to get relief from it, by using home remedies.
Research has shown that the consumption of soy is an effective remedy for it. Try increasing your intake of foods that contain or are derived from soy, such as soybean, soy milk, soy powder, tofu, soy nuts, miso, and tempeh, as consuming these foods is better than taking soy supplements. Make sure that you get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. You could choose from a variety of activities like walking, running, jogging, cycling, swimming, playing sports, etc.
However, in order to prevent night-sweats, do not exercise for at least 3 hours, before you go to bed. Stay away from certain foods that are known to trigger bouts of hot flashes. These foods include cayenne, spicy food, caffeine and alcohol. Stick to foods that keep your body cool, like fresh salads, yogurt and fruits. Keep sipping plenty of iced water throughout the day. Maintaining a diary and keeping a track of the date, time and intensity can help you to identify the foods that should be avoided, in order to keep your body cool.
The hot weather generally intensifies hot flashes and therefore, dressing in the right way can help reduce the number of flashes that you go through in a day. Wear clothes that keep you cool and allow your skin to breathe, like cotton clothes. Vitamin E is believed to be an effective remedy, as this nutrient can relieve the frequency and severity.
However, before taking a vitamin E supplement, it is imperative that you consult your doctor, as this vitamin could have a blood-thinning affect. However, consuming foods that contain vitamin E, like almonds, walnuts, peanuts, wheat germ, safflower oil, wheat germ oil as well as wholegrain cereals and breads is much safer. Try various practices like yoga, meditation and deep breathing techniques, which are known to cure hot flashes, by lowering the levels of norepinephrine in women. Finally, do not try too many weight loss methods at this time, since estrogen is manufactured in body fat, from the other hormones. Thin women probably have lower levels of estrogen and suffer from hot flashes that are a lot more intense.
