Alternative Treatments for Hot Flashes of Menopause

Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• Introduction to menopause and hot flashes
• What are hot flashes?
• How are hot flashed usually treated?
• Which alternative prescription medications are effective in treating hot flash symptoms of menopause?
• Why are some doctors reluctant to recommend nonprescription therapies for menopause symptoms?
• What alternative treatments for menopause have been scientifically studied?
• Alternatives for Treating Hot Flashes At A Glance

Menopause Symptoms Medical Author: Melissa Stoppler, M.D. Medical Editor: Dennis Lee, MD Some of the symptoms of menopause can actually begin years before menstrual periods stop occurring. Doctors generally use the term "perimenopause" to refer to the time period beginning prior to the menopause (when some of the signs and symptoms of menopause begin to occur) up through the first year following menopause. Menopause itself is defined as having had 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period. Menopause symptoms begin gradually while the ovaries are still functioning and a woman is still having menstrual periods. These symptoms can begin as early as the 4th decade of life (when a woman is in her 30s) and may persist for years until menopause has occurred. The symptoms occur early because the levels of hormones produced by the ovaries (estrogen and progesterone) decline slowly over time, explaining why pregnancy is still possible, but less likely to occur, as a woman reaches her forties. The severity and duration of symptoms vary widely among individuals - some women may experience only minimal symptoms for a year or two, while others may experience at least some of the symptoms for several years. Read more about menopause symptoms » Top Searched Hot Flash Terms: hot flash, treatment for hot flashes, symptoms of hot flashes, natural remedies for hot flashes, treat hot flashes without hormones, menopause, perimenopause, night sweats

Introduction to menopause and hot flashes

Women frequently ask what symptoms they can anticipate during menopause. In reality, each woman experiences menopause differently. While one woman is certain that insomnia is a symptom of menopause for her, another is certain that joint aches are her primary symptom of menopause. Doctors are not even able to tell women what to expect because research into the symptoms of menopause has not yet established just how menopause causes many of the symptoms. For example, medical science cannot explain how the declining hormone levels of menopause could cause joint aches.

Menopause is not a disease but a natural transition, yet many of the symptoms of menopause also may be caused by diseases. We are not always certain which symptoms are due to menopause, and women differ in their symptoms. How, then, do we decide when women undergoing menopause need treatment in the first place? The same pattern of hot flashes in two different women can have a very different psychological impact. For one woman, they can disturb her daily functioning greatly, but for another, they may hardly be bothersome. For more, please read the Menopause article.

What are hot flashes?

Hot flashes are experienced by many women, but not all women undergoing menopause experience hot flashes. A hot flash is a feeling of warmth that spreads over the body, but is often most strongly felt in the head and neck regions. Hot flashes may be accompanied by perspiration or flushing. Hot flashes usually last from 30 seconds to several minutes. Although the exact cause of hot flashes is not fully understood, hot flashes are thought to be due to a combination of hormonal and biochemical fluctuations brought on by declining estrogen levels.

Hot flashes occur in up to 40% of regularly menstruating women in their forties, so they often begin before the menstrual irregularities characteristic of menopause even begin. About 80% of women will be finished having hot flashes after five years. Sometimes (in about 10% of women), hot flashes can last as long as 10 years.

Sometimes hot flashes are accompanied by night sweats (episodes of drenching sweats at nighttime). This may lead to awakening and difficulty falling asleep again, resulting in unrefreshing sleep and daytime tiredness.

From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com

Hormone Therapy - Hormone Therapy (HT), can ease the symptoms of menopause and protect against osteoporosis. Source:MedicineNet Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) - Source:MedicineNet Night Sweats - Night sweats have many different causes. A doctors must take a complete medical history and order tests to find the cause of the underlying medical condition that is responsible for night sweats. Source:MedicineNet Read 111 more Alternative Treatments for Hot Flashes related articles ... Yoga Eases Menopause Symptoms in Breast Cancer Survivors Menopause: Exercise May Ease Menopause Symptoms The Best Way to Quit Hormone Therapy? Estrogen May Lower Younger Women's Heart Risk