![]() Stop smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke. Take note of the following ways you can improve your health: Eat a balanced and portion-controlled diet. Living a healthy lifestyle can reduce the incidence and severity of hot flashes and help reduce your risk of heart disease and osteoporosis. Lifestyle changes Lifestyle choices can affect your body as much as any medication or supplement you take. Participating in stress management training in your community can have many other benefits to your health and quality of life. Stress is a common cause of hot flashes for many women. Meditation can also be very successful in helping to control stress levels. The acupuncture participants had less frequency and intensity of hot flashes. Breast cancer treatments often cause hot flashes. Another study worked with a large number of women with breast cancer. It's one way to test whether acupuncture is working. Pseudo-acupuncture is shallow needle acupuncture that does not stimulate an actual acupuncture point. A study published in 2011 found that women with acupuncture had significantly fewer menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, than those who received sham treatment. Alternative Treatments Acupuncture can be helpful without the side effects of medication. The antidepressants venlafaxine (Effexor), fluoxetine (Prozac), and paroxetine (Paxil) have also been shown to be effective in treating hot flashes. Gabapentin and pregabalin, commonly used to relieve nerve pain or convulsions, provide pain relief for some women. Work with your doctor to choose if these medications may be right for you and your condition. Although they were not developed directly for this purpose, some women find them effective. Non-hormonal treatments Other drugs have been found to help women who have difficulty controlling hot flashes and night sweats. Many women will not be able to take hormones or bioidentical hormones and your doctor will take a full medical history.ħ.3. Your doctor can help you decide if you are a candidate for HRT. It can be taken as a pill, through a vaginal cream or gel, or a patch. Estrogen is often taken with a progestin to reduce the risk of developing endometrial cancer. Estrogen supplements help balance the amount of estrogen in your body, reducing the incidence and severity of hot flashes and night sweats. Synthetic hormone therapy may be an option for some women whose hot flashes are debilitating and greatly affect their quality of life. ![]() Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) The popularity of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has dwindled and waned over the years. Herbal products are not monitored by the FDA for quality and purity. Herbs can interfere with medications and worsen disorders, beyond what is listed here. Check with your doctor before taking any of these products. Women with a family history of estrogen-related cancers may not want to consume soy. This supplement may cause mild stomach upset, constipation, and diarrhea. This essential oil may interfere with blood thinners and some psychiatric medications. Evening primrose oil (Oenothera biennis). This herb interacts with the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin). This herb may increase the risk of bleeding. Do not take this medicine if you have a liver disorder. Includes: Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa, Cimicifuga racemosa). 7.1 Herbs and Essential Oils Although medical studies have not proven their effectiveness in reducing hot flashes, some women find certain herbal products helpful. Some products may affect over-the-counter and prescription drugs. If you take natural products or supplements, it is important that you bring this up with your doctor and pharmacist whenever you discuss your health and medications. Many women are turning to natural products to help control hot flashes and night sweats.
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