Introduction
But there are some drawbacks to aging too. Menopause is a period in a woman’s life where her reproductive system begins to change. As you enter menopause, your periods will stop. Other side effects come along with this change. You may begin to experience things like mood swings or hot flashes.
For World Menopause Month, we’ll be discussing hot flashes and what they are. Women may go through difficult situations during the transition into menopause. Some occurrences may even dampen the quality of life.
Here, we’ll go over some of the hot flashes causes, as well as some options that you may have for managing and treating them. Hormone therapy is one treatment that women may choose. But there are downsides to this management plan.
Another option you might want to look into is a non-hormonal therapy, which can help provide relief for hot flashes and offer a great alternative to hormonal therapy. These are methods that you can also do at home.
As you learn more about menopausal hot flashes, make sure you consider what this non-hormonal treatment could do for you in terms of living healthily and comfortably again.
What Is Non-Hormonal Therapy?
If you are looking for a way to deal with menopausal hot flashes, your doctor may recommend hormone replacement therapy to deal with your symptoms. Hormone replacement therapy involves taking a look at your hormonal levels, identifying an imbalance, and replacing those hormones with bioidentical hormones, or hormones that have the same structure as your natural ones.
Lowering levels of estrogen as you get older is one of the hot flashes causes. Hot flashes can be extremely uncomfortable and make it difficult to do the things you usually enjoy.
For those patients, non-hormonal therapy could provide the perfect solution. When you receive this treatment, you’ll get an intervention that is not hormonal but still helps you feel better.
There are many different options available for you for non-hormonal therapy. Prescription therapy, which includes fluoxetine or paroxetine, is one of the most effective methods.
Prescription therapy has been proven to be an effective way to treat hot flashes causes without having to be injected with hormones. A medication called Fezolinetant is particularly effective at managing hot flashes.
If you’re concerned about the way hot flashes are affecting your life, making an appointment with your doctor to discuss non-hormonal therapy might be the perfect solution.
What Are Hot Flashes? What Are the Causes?
You may have heard the term “hot flashes” being thrown around before, but what exactly are they, and what are the hot flashes causes?
Menopausal hot flashes are a very common side effect of menopause and, unfortunately, one of the most uncomfortable. Up to 80% of women in this stage experience hot flashes. When hot flashes occur, they can last for up to 10 minutes.
Hot flashes are caused by a change in your hormonal levels, as you get older. While it’s still not entirely clear how hormonal changes act as hot flashes causes, it most likely has to do with your levels of estrogen.
Estrogen is an important hormone in your reproductive system. When you’re younger, you have higher levels of it. But age brings those levels down, which affects other systems in your body. Your body’s way of regulating its internal temperature becomes dysregulated, which results in hot flashes.
Both hormonal therapy and non-hormonal therapy provide great ways to get some relief from your hot flashes, backed by several studies.
Non-hormonal therapy is especially good for candidates who have had poor experiences with hormonal therapy in the past, or who are just looking for a treatment or management option that doesn’t involve hormones.
Non-Hormonal Treatment for Hot Flashes
World Menopause Month is a great opportunity to take a look at some of the treatment options you have for hot flashes.
Even though the common hot flashes causes involve changing levels of hormones, you don’t necessarily need to get hormonal treatment to live happily and comfortably again. There are alternatives to hormone replacement.
Non-hormonal therapy is a great alternative to hormonal therapy. It offers you an effective way to manage your hot flashes without any of the risks that hormonal replacement therapy may entail.
If you decide to get non-hormonal therapy, your doctor may prescribe pharmacologic treatments, like clonidine or fluoxetine. These formulations have been shown to help reduce hot flashes in women.
If prescription therapy does not work for you, your doctor may suggest you get herbal or over-the-counter remedies to help. Evening primrose oil is one helpful way to manage menopausal hot flashes, as is consuming more vitamin E.
Just bear in mind that choosing to go with over the counter or herbal supplements may require some additional research on your part. Supplements are not as highly regulated as medications, and not all manufacturers will be honest about the effectiveness of their products.
You may also want to consider therapies like acupuncture. While some professionals say that alternatives like this non-hormonal therapy are not proven, many women who have tried acupuncture have seen improvements in their menopausal symptoms.
Conclusion
If you experience hot flashes, you’re not alone. Hot flashes are one of the most commonly reported side effects of menopause. Unfortunately, they can also be one of the most uncomfortable and be very frustrating to deal with.
Besides, remember to speak to your doctor about which treatment might be suitable for you.
