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How to fight off hot flashes in the summer heat

Posted at 11:25 AM, Aug 17, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-17 11:24:33-04

It may be August, but the hot and muggy summer weather isn't over just yet. For women going through menopause, it can be hard just getting through the heat.

Dr. Diana Bitner, a women's health and menopause specialist from Spectrum Health, says that the most dramatic symptoms of early menopause are hot flashes and night sweats, and the warm days and nights of summer can be a powerful trigger for these changes.

The more effective treatment for hot flashes and night sweats of menopause is estrogen patches or pills. Once women start the medication, the hot flashes and night sweats usually are less severe withing 10 days.

However, if estrogen isn't an option, women should focus on living a healthy lifestyle. Some examples are to drink a glass of cold water when you feel hot, and keeping off extra body weight because it acts like a sweater and keeps in the heat.

Acupuncture can also be an option to help with hot flashes and night sweats.

If none of these treatments sound like the right fit for you, talk with your doctor to discuss other treatment options to fight off night sweats and hot flashes.

Dr. Bitner's office is located at 3800 Lake Michigan Drive Northwest, Suite A. To schedule an appointment with her call (616) 267-8225.

All above information was provided by Dr. Bitner's blog. Read more.