Are hot flashes treatable or do I just endure them?
Treatable. Hormone therapy remains the most effective option and, for most healthy women within ten years of menopause, benefits outweigh risks; the blanket fear from two decades ago has been heavily revised.
Non-hormonal prescription options exist for those who cannot or prefer not to take hormones, and they work meaningfully better than placebo.
Layer the practical: dress in sheddable layers, cool the bedroom, limit alcohol and spicy triggers, and manage weight. Endurance alone is not a treatment plan, and flashes disturbing sleep or work deserve the conversation.
Source: NHS, menopause
See a doctor promptly if
- Bleeding after sex, bleeding between periods, or any bleeding twelve months or more after your last period
- Periods becoming much heavier, with flooding, clots or signs of anemia such as breathlessness and exhaustion
- Periods stopping before the age of forty-five, and especially before forty. This needs assessment, not acceptance
Try the cycle tracker30 seconds, free, nothing to installCycle day, the next one and the fertile window, kept on your own device.
Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
For muscle aches and period pain
Heat works for cramps and sore muscles, without side effects. An electric pad beats a hot water bottle for steady, safe temperature.
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