Dear Diana:

Your question is a good one. Unfortunately, there is no one-answer-fits-all. Approximately 85% of women will experience some degree of hot flashes, often starting during perimenopause. But every woman is different with a unique hormone profile and unique response to hormone changes in her body, so the intensity and duration varies from woman to woman. Most women experience hot flashes for one to five years, about a quarter for five to ten years and ten percent for more than ten years.

Triggers are different for each woman. Stress and anxiety, spicy foods, caffeine, hot drinks, alcoholic beverages and hot room temperature may all play a part. If you are having hot flashes, recording when they occur and if any of these factors are associated, may help you pinpoint and avoid some of the causes for you.

Dressing in light layers, sleeping in a cool room with light, natural fiber bedding and sipping cool beverages may help. Of course, we also recommend our ProCycle^® Gold, formulated to help with hot flashes and other menopause symptoms. Black cohosh is another popular herbal supplement, and of course, estrogen replacement is an option to consider.

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