• Hot weather or warm environments
• Being overheated, especially during exercise or when wearing heavy clothing
• Drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages
• Eating spicy foods
• Feeling stressed
• Drinking hot beverages like coffee, tea or hot chocolate
• Taking hot showers or baths
• Smoking cigarettes.

Avoiding things that trigger your hot flashes can be a great way to help manage how often you get hot flashes”.³

• “Don’t smoke. Smoking is linked to more hot flashes. By not smoking, you might ease hot flashes. You also may lower your risk of serious health conditions, such as heart disease, stroke and cancer”.⁷

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been shown to be effective in managing hot flushes and night sweats. While CBT doesn’t usually reduce the frequency of hot flushes, it can reduce their impact on you”.⁸

• “Practice mind-body therapies. Some people get relief from mild hot flashes through meditation; slow, deep breathing; stress management techniques and guided imagery. Even if these approaches don’t help your hot flashes, they might do some good, such as helping you sleep better”.⁹

• “Mind and body practices such as hypnosis, mindfulness meditation, and tai chi may help improve some menopausal symptoms. Researchers looked at mind and body therapies for menopausal symptoms and found that tai chi and meditation-based programs may be helpful in reducing common menopausal symptoms including the frequency and intensity of hot flashes, sleep and mood disturbances, stress, and muscle and joint pain. There is also some evidence that hypnotherapy may help women manage hot flashes”.¹⁰

• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic interventions
• Cooling techniques, such as adjusting clothing or environmental temperature
• Dietary modifications
• Dietary supplements such as ammonium succinate, black cohosh, cannabinoids such as marijuana, chasteberry, dong quai, evening primrose, ginseng, Lactobacillus acidophilus, maca, milk thistle, omega-3 fatty acid, pollen extract, rhubarb, vitamin E, and wild yam (dioscorea)
• Exercise and yoga
• Mindfulness-based interventions
• Paced breathing
• Relaxation techniques
• Soy foods, soy extracts, and soy metabolite equol (S-equol)
• Trigger avoidance, such as alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods, or hot foods

That’s not to say that none of these measures have value. In particular, lifestyle measures such as a healthy diet, regular exercise, and stress management through relaxation techniques may play a vital role in chronic disease prevention and a woman’s overall health”.¹¹

• “Plant estrogens. Some plants have substances that are like the hormone estrogen. Examples are soy, red clover and flaxseed. But studies most often have found that plant estrogens help menopause symptoms little or not at all. Research is ongoing”.¹³

• “HCPs should inform women that VMS, such as hot flushes and night sweats, are hallmark features of the menopause transition and menopause, and can markedly impair quality of life. ⨁⨁⨁⨁ A
• MHT is the most effective treatment for VMS. Where available, it should therefore be offered to women with bothersome VMS who do not have significant contraindications or are not MHT averse. ⨁⨁⨁⨁ A
• When used for the treatment of VMS, MHT is typically recommended to women younger than 60 years old or within 10 years of menopause after a full evaluation of benefits and risks. ⨁⨁⨁⨁ A
• HCPs should be aware that both transdermal and oral estrogen routes are effective in treating VMS, with low to moderate doses of MHT alleviating symptoms in more than 80% of postmenopausal women. ⨁⨁⨁⨁ A”.¹⁴