Tag Archives: hot flashes

Walking and Menopause

Researchers from Temple University took a look at stress and physical activity in women before, during, and after menopause. You probably won’t be surprised to find out that an active, healthy lifestyle can lower your stress levels. You might be surprised to know that an active, healthy lifestyle can also help ease the transition into menopause! A team from Temple University studied nearly four hundred women for a period of eight years. The study began when the women were premenopausal; the average age of participants was forty-two. Participants were asked to report physical and emotional symptoms of menopause, including hot … Continue reading →

Ease Hot Flashes with Flaxseed

You can never have enough remedies for those hot flashes! Researchers at the Mayo Clinic took a good look at flaxseed in a recent study. A quick look at the study participants: Twenty-one post-menopausal women None using hormone therapy All of them experiencing fourteen or more hot flashes per week The study participants were asked to take four tablespoons of crushed flaxseed daily. They could eat it pretty much any way they wanted to. Some sprinkled it on yogurt or cereal. Some mixed it into juice or water. I’ve never tasted flaxseed myself, so I’m not sure what kind of … Continue reading →

Does Dong Quai Help With Hot Flashes?

Seems like I’ve heard a lot of talk about dong quai lately. This traditional Chinese herb is popular for treating menstrual and menopause problems… but does it work? Doctors suspect that hot flashes are related to changes in circulation. Blood vessels near the skin’s surface dilate in an attempt to cool the body — that can create a flushed look in the face. Your body may turn on the sweat to help you cool down. Hot flashes may be triggered by caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol, and spicy foods. Stress can also be a trigger for hot flashes. A recent study in … Continue reading →

Do Men Get Hot Flashes Too?

Believe it or not, some men can be just as troubled by hot flashes as some women. For women, hot flashes usually come in association with menopause. Menopause is when estrogen levels drop in a woman’s body, causing all sorts of changes. For men, hot flashes are associated with androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. Prostate cell growth is stimulated by testosterone. If you reduce hormone levels or block hormone action in the body, it can help make radiation therapy for prostate cancer more effective. As much as eighty percent of men who receive androgen deprivation therapy end up experiencing … Continue reading →

Quality of Life not Improved by Hormone Therapy

A study done in Estonia seems to show hormone therapy does not significantly improve the quality of life of postmenopausal women. The interesting thing is that this study was performed on women who have, and don’t have, hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. Women who experienced hot flashes and night-sweats reported an improved general quality of life. I am not sure what part of this should be a surprise, but the study looked at more than just that. The study investigated the effect of hormone therapy on the use of health care services, illnesses and well-being. The reason why this … Continue reading →

What Is Perimenopause?

Okay… I’d never heard of perimenopause until my mother started going through it a few years ago. Perimenopause is the transitional stage in a woman’s reproductive life. It starts when the ovaries start to produce less estrogen, signaling the approach of menopause. For most women, perimenopause starts in the forties. Some women experience it in their thirties, too. The average length of the transitional period is four years, but the actual length may vary greatly from woman to woman. Some women are in perimenopause for only a few months; some are in perimenopause for as long as ten years. Perimenopause … Continue reading →

Dealing With Hot Flashes

The most frequent — and most annoying — symptom of menopause and perimenopause is the dreaded hot flashes. More than two thirds of all women going through perimenopause suffer from hot flashes. Nearly all women with premature menopause or induced menopause suffer from hot flashes. What is a hot flash? Doctors don’t know what causes a hot flash, but some suspect they are related to circulatory changes. Blood vessels near the skin’s surface dilate in an attempt to cool, producing a red, flushed look in the face. You may also perspire as your body attempts to cool down. You may … Continue reading →

Natural Remedies Against Hot Flashes

Studies show that treating menopausal women with a pill containing Rhubarb extract reduces the frequency and severity of hot flashes. Especially in perimenopausal women the extract had a positive effect. This is a period just before menopause really sets in, when women start experiencing irregular menstrual cycles. Traditionally, hot flashes were treated with hormone replacement therapy, but the relationship between these hormones and heart disease and breast cancer has led to the search of alternatives. Hormone replacements should only be used in the short term, and are not a good long term treatment plan. A less risky substance could be … Continue reading →