Natural remedies for hot flashes

Are you starting to experience hot flashes?  Here are some home / natural remedies for hot flashes that you may want to try before anything else.

What are hot flashes?

If you’ve never experienced a hot flash, consider yourself very lucky.  But, if you’re one of the 80% of women who are going into menopause (according to ccn.com about hot flashes), you know it when you get it.  They aren’t fun and can actually cause a panic.  But, what are hot flashes?  What do hot flashes feel like?

Hot flashes are just that – flashes of hotness – and no, not ‘hotness’ in the sense that some is super hot / attractive.

When having a hot flash, you feel a rush of heat in your body.  It comes on suddenly and with an intensity that can be alarming.  In fact, when I started to get them, I almost went into a panic each time.  I would suddenly feel really, really, (and I mean really) hot – especially on my neck and face.  I would start sweating and I just want to take my clothes off.  Of course, I started to wonder if there were natural remedies for hot flashes but not before I felt other symptoms.

Other symptoms I felt

These hot flashes also occurred at night.  When I went to bed, I would suddenly get a hot flash and again, go into a panic.  I almost felt claustrophobic under the covers – so much so that I needed to uncover myself until it subsided.  In addition, I would also get the night sweats where I would start sweating profusely in the middle of the night.  It was terrible.

Why do I get hot flashes?

So, at this point, you might be wondering why you might even get them at all.  For me, I already knew that I was getting to the age of perimenopause.  And, that’s exactly why you get hot flashes.  If you’re in your forties (and possibly even in your thirties), you could be in perimenopause.  If you’ve noticed your periods are different (either nonexistent or more frequent), you’re more fatigued, or are dealing with adult acne, you could be in perimenopause.  Oh, the joy of getting older.

Natural remedies for hot flashes

If you haven’t gone to your doctor yet or if you have gone but aren’t too keen on taking chemical Hormone replacement therapies, there are some natural remedies for hot flashes that don’t include standing in front of your open refrigerator.

There are actually several home remedies for hot flashes you can try.  Here are just a few, including which ones I’ve tried and if they actually helped me.

Home remedies for hot flashes to try

1. Avoid triggers – this is a big one.  Paying attention to your body and what may actually trigger a hot flash is important.  This may seem trivial but pay attention to what you were doing right before the hot flash came on.  For me, wine was a trigger (not only for hot flashes but also for migraines).  For other people, it could be caffeine or spice foods too – according to verywellhealth.com.
2. Black cohosh – this is a supplement that you can try but it’s one of those things that you have to take continuously.  I tried this for a couple months and I found no improvement in that time.
3. Red clover – this is another supplement.  I did not try this but if my hot flashes get worse, it may be something I will try – especially since the black cohosh didn’t seem to work for me.
4. Acupuncture – if you’ve never tried it, acupuncture is something to consider.  It may seem scary at first – to have needles stuck into your body, but it can be quite relaxing.  I did try acupuncture and it, amazingly, did help the hot flashes – although after a while, they did start coming back but not to such an alarming degree.
5. Mindfulness – being in the moment, strangely enough, can help.  I tend to always stay busy and because of that, I have a long ‘to do list’.  When it gets overwhelming, I find myself thinking about the thousands of things I need to get done rather than being in the moment and actually enjoying it.  If you start living mindfully, it can calm you down – which can help your hot flashes.

I wish you good luck in your journey.  Please feel free to contact me with your experiences and you could be featured in one of our articles (don’t worry, you can remain anonymous).