While menopause is natural and not a disease to be treated, women often need to treat some symptoms associated with it. Foremost among the symptoms requiring remedies are hot flashes. About 85 percent of American women experience hot flashes during perimenopause (the time leading up to the final menstrual cycle) and/or in the year or two following, reports BreastCancer.org. The website also cites that up to half of women experience them for at least several years after menopause. Regardless of how long they continue, many women find hot flashes uncomfortable or disruptive enough to treat.
Avoid Triggers
Perhaps the best treatment for hot flashes is taking preventative measures. Often, certain activities or emotions precipitate hot flashes. Common triggers mentioned by BreastCancer.org include stress, alcohol, caffeine, spicy food, smoking, saunas, diet pills and hot showers.
Hormone Therapy
According to the Mayo Clinic, hormone therapy is the most effective hot flash treatment. This treatment typically includes regimens of both estrogen and progesterone. However, women who have had a hysterectomy are usually given only estrogen, while those who cannot take estrogen can be given progesterone alone. Progesterone-like medications may also be used, including megesterol acetate, which was demonstrated to reduce hot flashes by 85 percent in a study published by C.L. Loprinzi et al in the "New England Journal of Medicine."
Mild Sedatives
Mild sedatives, such as Bellergal-S, can slow chemical activity in the brain and reduce hot flashes. However, BreastCancer.org cautions that this sedative carries some risk of dependency.
Antidepressants
Doctors may prescribe low-dose antidepressants to treat hot flashes. Those most often used are either selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Venlafaxine, citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine and desvenlafaxine are all prescribed for this purpose.
Other Medications
Gabapentin, approved for use to treat seizures and certain types of pain, is also used off-label to treat hot flashes, explains the Mayo Clinic. Clonidine, aldomet and other blood pressure medications can also reduce hot flashes by altering the body's responses to the brain's instructions to produce bursts of heat.
Yoga
Practicing yoga may reduce the frequency of hot flashes in perimenopausal women, suggests the Mayo Clinic. Even deep, controlled breathing can help. The Mayo Clinic recommends spending 15 minutes twice a day on deep breathing exercises. This can also help when performed at the onset of a hot flash.
Keep Cool
Keeping cool can help prevent and stop hot flashes. Avoid hot rooms, going out in hot weather, taking hot showers and drinking hot beverages. At the onset of a hot flash, have a cold drink, lower the temperature, turn on a fan or use a cold compress. Dressing in layers allows you to remove some clothing when warming up.
