Do hot flashes ever stop?

-Denise

Answer:

Thanks Denise, but unfortunately there isn’t an easy answer to that question.

Hot flushes affect over 85 percent of women at least once during their life, especially during menopause. They sometimes continue past menopause for a number of years for up to 50 percent of women, but their intensity should decrease as time goes by.

Hot flushes, just like the other symptoms of menopause, are different for every woman. Some women experience hardly any menopausal symptoms, while others have symptoms lasting into old age. Hot flushes rarely last longer than 10 years after your last period, but it is still a possibility. Typically, hot flushes should subside within a year of your last period (when menopause has finished). Another 25 percent of women may experience hot flushes up to five years after menopause has finished.

If your hot flushes are only mild and manageable, then there are a number of home remedies that you could use to ease the discomfort. You could try some herbal remedies such as black cohosh, soy, dong quai, or red clover. Other techniques include:

·        Dress in layers

·        Stay in a cool environment

·        Avoid stress

·        Keep a diary of your hot flashes - to determine what triggers them

·        Watch your diet - avoid spicy foods, alcohol, and caffeine

If your hot flushes are particularly intolerable you could consider HRT (hormone replacement therapy). Since hot flushes, along with the other symptoms of menopause, are triggered by an imbalance of the estrogen hormone, HRT rebalances your hormone levels and is effective against the symptoms of menopause. But talk to your doctor first to see if HRT is right for you.

To learn more, visit BreastCancer.org - they have a highly in-depth and informative section on hot flushes that covers everything from causes to treatments.