Hot flushes are the most common symptom among women suffering from menopause. It is an uncomfortable feeling to have a sudden increase in temperature. Mainly, hormone replacement therapy is used to relieve hot flushes. But some women can not take hormone therapy due to its potential side effects on their bodies or sometimes if HRT is not working.
As a result, they seek an alternative treatment to stop hot flushes without using HRT. In this article we explore your options if HRT is not working or you’re looking for none drug related therapies.
Table of Contents
What is menopause?
Every woman goes through a menstrual cycle each month, but the monthly process stops after a specific age limit. Women’s bodies have lower hormone levels between 45 and 55, causing their periods to stop. It is known as menopause.
Menopause has three phases.
- Perimenopause, also known as the “menopause transition,” usually begins eight to ten years before menopause, when the ovaries produce significantly less oestrogen. The typical onset is in the forties. When your ovaries cease producing eggs, that’s when menopause begins. The pace of oestrogen decline quickens in the final year or two of perimenopause. A large percentage of women may be experiencing menopause symptoms at this time. However, you are still able to conceive and experience menstruation.
- Menopause: When menstruation finally stops, it is known as menopause. At this point, your ovaries will no longer produce oestrogen or release eggs. Without a period of 12 months, a doctor will diagnose menopause.
- Post-menopause: When a woman has not had a period for 12 consecutive months, she has entered a period of transition known as post-menopause (or the rest of her life after menopause). Menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes, may improve at this point [1] See https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21841-menopause.
How does a woman feel during menopause?
The uncomfortable feelings of women during menopause are due to disturbed hormone levels inside the body. Several symptoms start appearing even before you enter the menopause phase. Symptoms vary from woman to woman, and any woman can start experiencing symptoms during transitional menopause.
- Irregular periods are the first sign of perimenopause. After irregular periods, it will eventually stop, eventually leading to menopause.
- Due to hormonal alterations in the body, there are many mental health symptoms, such as low mood, mood swings, anxiety, reduced self-esteem, memory problems, and poor concentration.
- The most visible symptoms are physical symptoms.
These include:-
- Hot flushes, also called vasomotor signs, occur when a person feels abrupt changes in body temperature, either hot or cold.
- Poor sleeping patterns
- Palpitations
- Headaches
- Pain in muscles and joints
- Change in skin and body weight
- Low sex drives
- Dry vagina
- Frequent UTIs (urinary tract infections)
Menopause symptoms last for an extended period. It may last for ten years, but in some women, the symptoms resolve within five years [2] See https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/symptoms/.
Hot flushes
Many women want to know how to stop hot flushes without HRT as it can severely threaten their lives or if HRT is not working for some reason. Hot flushes during nighttime are known as night sweats. The duration, frequency, and severity differ from person to person, and severity reduces as menopause progresses.
The symptoms of hot flushes are
- Intense heat
- Red face
- Sweating
- Chills after heat disappear
- Increased heart rate
- Irritability
- Fatigue [3]
Usually, hot flushes last from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. Some women have intense symptoms of hot flushes that disturb their daily activities. The variations of hot flushes experienced in different age is as follows:
- In the 40s, women suffering from perimenopause experienced the beginning of hot flushes and night sweats.
- In the age limit of 46 to 53 years, women suffering from menopause experience frequent episodes of hot flushes in the initial two years.
- In the late 50s, women will experience reduced frequency and severity of hot flushes.
What causes hot flushes?
Hot flushes are caused by hormonal changes that disturb the brain’s thermoregulatory region, which governs heat generation and dissipation. Progesterone and oestrogen levels fluctuate wildly during perimenopause. These ups and downs don’t settle until approximately ten years following menopause.
How can I help myself through menopause?
There are many ways to deal with the symptoms of menopause. It is needed to treat the symptoms, not the hormone levels because they change constantly.
One effective way to stop hot flushes without hormone replacement therapy is to change your lifestyle. Lifestyle modifications, including the prevention of triggers and acupuncture. Further, you must wear light and cotton clothing that can be removed easily when you experience a hot flush [4].
What is the safest treatment for menopause?
Menopause treatment is all about relieving the distressing symptoms that women experience at this time. Menopause symptoms can be treated in a variety of ways.
Hormone therapy is one of the main ways to treat menopause. When you’re going through menopause, it’s important to talk to your doctor about how to treat you in a way that works for you. Each person is unique and has different needs [1].
What is hormone therapy for menopause like?
During menopause, your body undergoes significant hormonal changes, including a significant decline in hormone production. The hormones oestrogen and progesterone are both made in the ovaries.
Hormone therapy is helpful when the ovaries are unable to produce enough oestrogen and progesterone on their own. Symptoms, including hot flushes and vaginal dryness, can be alleviated with hormone therapy. It also helps to avoid osteoporosis.
Hormone therapy can be divided into two categories:
- Oestrogen replacement treatment (ERT): You only take oestrogen in this method of treatment. Either orally or vaginally, oestrogen can be administered avoid in the form of a patch, pill, cream, ring, gel, spray, or spray. If you still have your uterus after menopause, oestrogen therapy is not an option.
- The Use of Oestrogen, Progesterone, and Progestin (EPT) Hormones: This treatment is known as combo therapy because it combines oestrogen and progesterone in therapeutic amounts. You can get progesterone in its natural state or as a synthetic hormone called progestin (a synthetic form of progesterone). Hormone replacement therapy is only appropriate for women who still possess a uterus.
Why HRT is not working for hot flushes during menopause?
There are some medical conditions when medicine or hormone replacement therapy does not work for hot flushes. Some women are at risk of developing side effects, including diseases such as:
- Endometrial cancer is one of the many potential side effects of hormone replacement treatment (only increased if you use oestrogen therapy and still have your uterus).
- Gallbladder problems and gallstone formation.
- The coagulation of blood.
- Thrombosis of the deep veins.
- Ischemia of the pulmonary arteries.
- Stroke.
If hormone replacement therapy is started within ten years of menopause, the risks are reduced. The danger of developing cardiovascular disease increases after that stage.
Severe hot flushes and night sweats are linked to an increased chance of developing cardiovascular disease [1].
How to stop hot flushes without HRT during menopause
Due to the mentioned risks of hormone replacement therapy in some women, hormone replacement therapy cannot work for hot flushes. In many cases, it is required to treat hot flushes without hormone replacement therapy. Non-hormonal treatment usually includes alterations in diet and lifestyle, exercise, and therapies.
Hypnotherapy for menopause is one of the most effective ways to stop hot flushes without hormone replacement therapy. According to a study published by Science Daily, hypnotherapy showed positive results with reduced hot flushes.
The postmenopausal women were treated with hypnotherapy along with the control group. The results were highly satisfactory, showing reductions in hot flushes. After 12 weeks of treatment, women showed a 75% reduction in hot flushes in the experimental group and a 13% reduction in the control group.
By using hypnotherapy for menopause the flush scores were reduced by 80% in frequency and severity, while women without hypnotherapy reduced them by only 15%. Moreover, the women also have better sleep quality after hypnotherapy [5].
Is it better to go through menopause without medication or HRT?
Many women refuse to accept drugs, or if HRT is not working for hot flushes and other symptoms. That’s why hypnosis has become an increasingly popular option due to its effectiveness and lack of adverse side effects.
Is hypnotherapy is a better option?
Hypnotherapy is an excellent option as hypnosis massages the brain. It’s a calming activity that helps discover buried emotions and beliefs to solve health issues. Some women lessen hot flushes and night sweats with hypnosis by visualising cool showers and snowy days. Through hypnosis, women can alter how their brain processes information and emotions, helping them address their health issues more effectively [6] See Hypnosis for Menopause.
Summary:
Hot flushes are the most common symptom among women suffering from menopause. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is used to relieve hot flushes. Some women tried to stop hot flushes without HRT due to potential side effects on their bodies or if HRT is not working. Symptoms of menopause vary from woman to woman and can last a decade or more. The duration, frequency, and severity of hot flushes also differ from person to person.
Menopause treatment is all about relieving the distressing symptoms. Lifestyle modifications, including the prevention of triggers and acupuncture, can help. Hormone therapy is helpful when the ovaries are unable to produce enough oestrogen and progesterone on their own. Symptoms, including hot flushes and vaginal dryness, can be alleviated with hormone therapy. Some women are at risk of developing side effects, including diseases such as cancer.
By using hypnotherapy the research shows that it reduced flush scores by 80% in frequency and severity. Hormone replacement therapy does not work for hot flushes and other symptoms. Hypnotherapy has become a popular option due to its effectiveness and lack of adverse side effects.
Michelle Seymour specialises in working with hypnotherapy for menopause. She works from our Wallington, Surrey branch or over zoom for clients further away. if you would like to chat with Michelle drop us a line on our Contact Us form
Find out more http://www.sich.co.uk/hypnotherapy-for-menopause/
References:
- C. (n.d.). Menopause: What It Is, Age, Stages, Signs & Side Effects. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21841-menopause
- Menopause – Symptoms. (n.d.). nhs.uk. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/symptoms/
- Hot flushes: What Can I Do? (2021, September 30). National Institute on Aging. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/hot-flashes-what-can-i-do
- Did I just have a hot flash? I’m 44! (2021, November 10). Did I Just Have a Hot Flash? I’m 44! | Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/did-i-just-have-a-hot-flash-im-44
- Baylor University. (2012, October 31). Clinical hypnosis can reduce hot flushes after menopause. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 20, 2022 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121024111526.htm
- Hypnosis for Menopause: Is It Effective | Menopause Symptoms? Natural Menopause Treatment. (2019, July 17). Menopause Lifestyle Support. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://menopause.net/featured/hypnosis-for-menopause-is-it-effective/
- Hypnosis Halts Hot Flashes for Some Women – Medically Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD on October 26, 2012 from https://www.webmd.com/menopause/news/20121025/hypnosis_halts_hot_flashes#1