Menopause and Hot Flashes: Natural Treatment

Menopause is an inevitable part of aging, menopause generally hits women sometime between the age of 45 and 55. The precipitous drop in hormones that is the hallmark of menopause can also trigger a series of uncomfortable symptoms, including hot flashes, vaginal dryness, insomnia, and mood swings. A couple of natural remedies that can help people get through menopause are: Various tea preparations such as St. John’s wort tea: stabilizes mood, Valerian tea: has a calming and balancing effect, Sage tea: reduces sweating attacks, and Lemon balm tea: can help with sleep disturbances. Contrast footbaths may help fend off those pesky hot flashes. Fill two foot basins with hay flowers or hops flowers and water, one hot and the other cold. Alternate placing your feet in the warm water for 5 minutes and the cold for 10 seconds. Nutrition plays a role in hot flashes, eat plenty of fresh food and abstain from coffee, alcohol and nicotine, which can lower your estrogen level Red beets contain substances that work like female sex hormones and can reduce menopausal discomfort. Soy and red clover contain phytoestrogens, plant based compounds that bear a chemical resemblance to estrogen. The roots of Black cohosh contain triterpane glycosides, a popular treatment for premenstrual discomfort, menstrual irregularities, and painful menstruation, as well as hot flashes during menopause. Black cohosh outperformed conventional therapies such as hormone pills and antidepressants in combating menopause symptoms. From: Natural Remedies for Healthy Living, The Readers Digest Association,2011