Hot flashes in menopause are often treated with estrogen, but some hot flashes have more to do with your cortisol levels and are best treated with other methods. Hot flashes that are caused by low estrogen tend to begin at your feet and burn all the way up, leaving you in a soaking sweat. I’ve been treating these types of hot flashes with bioidentical estrogen therapy for years.
The other type of hot flash tends to start at your neck. Your face may get red, and you sweat, but it’s not a soaking sweat. When you experience this type of hot flash, it’s more likely to be caused by high cortisol levels. High cortisol levels can cause severe hot flashes in spite of your estrogen levels, but recent research has uncovered tips to reduce these type of hot flash.
- Relaxation therapy: Relaxation therapy can significantly lower cortisol levels – which can in turn decrease the number and the intensity of cortisol-related hot flashes.
- Acupuncture: Getting acupuncture is not like getting a shot or having your blood drawn – the needles are tiny and many people don’t even feel them going in! Many people find acupuncture to be very relaxing, and more and more studies are showing the benefits of this ancient medical practice – among them, reducing hot flashes and night sweats.
- Supplements and Herbs: There are several herbs, like ashwagandha and phosphatidylserine, that can help manage cortisol levels. My Energy Quiz provides supplement and lifestyle recommendations tailored to your adrenal health and cortisol levels. Click here to take the quiz.
To read the full article, which I originally wrote for Fox News, click here.