Hot flashes are uncomfortable and might disrupt your everyday life. Unfortunately, the menopausal transition symptom may take longer to resolve. The earlier you start experiencing hot flashes, the longer you are likely to stay with the disrupting symptoms. While some women experience mild hot flashes, others experience bothersome hot flashes that need professional help to minimize their severity. To effectively manage your symptoms, know your possible triggers and how they are likely to affect you. Menopause can be a challenging transition. The good news is, Chicago Center for Women’s Health offers women a wide range of remedies for managing various symptoms of menopause in Oak Lawn.
What are your natural options to manage your hot flashes?
Hormone therapy is usually an effective therapy to control hot flashes. However, you have other available options if you have hot flashes symptoms but are thinking of an alternative to hormone therapy. Additionally, the treatment might not be your best option if you undergo treatment for a chronic ailment or were treated recently for a severe illness like cancer.
So, how can you relieve your symptoms?
Identify your triggers
Learn to observe the possible triggers to avoid worsening your symptoms. Things like smoking, hot weather, spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, and stressful situations are common hot flashes triggers. When experiencing hot flashes, you might consider maintaining a cool room and dressing in layers to regulate your temperature by either wearing more clothes or minimizing the number of clothes you are wearing.
Diet
Avoid consuming certain foods like spicy foods, caffeine, and alcohol to lessen your hot flashes’ severity and the number of flashes you are likely to have. Your doctor might recommend incorporating plant estrogens like lentils, chickpeas, and soybeans into your diet. The healthcare expert may also advise you to opt for natural foods more and not supplements.
Relieve Insomnia
To minimize your number of sleepless nights, you might try to:
· Cease using sleeping pills
· Keep your bedroom cool
· Exercise daily
· Have a warm shower or bath before you retire to bed
· Avoid alcohol and caffeine intake at night
Know how to cope with your mood swings
Your doctor might recommend devising ways to help control your mood swings and minimize your chances of falling into depression. For instance, you may want to:
· Engage in calming skills like meditation or yoga
· Have a close connection with your loved ones
· Take part in creative activities
Find ways to relieve you from painful sexual intercourse
Menopause does not necessarily mean you should stop enjoying a fulfilling sexual life. Your healthcare provider may advise you to use vaginal lubricants or water-based moisturizing lotions during intercourse to resolve your painful symptoms.
Maintain a healthy weight
Weight gain is a common occurrence during menopause. You are likely to notice that you have suddenly started gaining weight, especially in your mid-section. Menopausal changes might make your cholesterol levels hard to control. As a result, your healthcare provider may recommend eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low-fat, organic proteins.
Before considering hormone replacement and prescription medications to control your hot flashes, you might try non-hormonal options and rate their efficiency. Do not let menopausal symptoms affect your life quality when you can contact your doctor for help.