Menopausal hot flashes and night sweats: 5 natural solutions!

If you've entered menopause, you've likely experienced hot flashes and night sweats. These two alone can really throw you for a loop! Although menopause is a natural stage of life for women, these two symptoms can be enough to drive you crazy!

The causes of hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms are fairly complex, but may be summarized as an array of hormonal imbalances, all occurring within a short period of time, following the cessation of your menstrual cycle. Hot flashes are the most common complaint among women entering menopause few women escape this most troublesome development. Hot flashes involve a sudden sensation of heat all over the body, but the heat and flushing of the face are most usual. The heat and flushing are caused by changes in the glands, which can produce other symptoms of an emotional nature, such as overreacting to minor annoyances, along with excitability, irritability and angry outbursts. You may also experience backaches, headaches, cold in your extremities, constipation and develop a slow metabolism, contributing to weight gain.

In severe cases, hot flashes are accompanied by excessive sweating, particularly at night. So, hot flashes and night sweats are two of the most obvious symptoms and go hand-in-hand. Night sweats are exacerbated if you're worn out and exhausted. At the same time, this becomes a vicious circle it's next to impossible to get a good night's rest when you're drenched in sweat.

Given all of these symptoms, it's no wonder that hot flashes and night sweats are the 'icing' on this cake of 'the change of life'. Now, we get to the good news! Here, we've got five natural ways to get rid of many of the troublesome symptoms of menopause. Each of these five herbs have been used for centuries and are absolutely safe. With the dangers associated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), these herbs offer a superior advantage as a method of dealing with not only hot flashes and night sweats, but many of the other menopausal symptoms described above.

1.Agnus Castus, also known by its common name, Chaste tree, is a well-known remedy dating back to Egyptian and Arabian times. This herb is readily available at any herb shop, most conveniently in the form of tablets. In addition to alleviating hot flashes, this remedy is also valuable in the treatment of PMS and other menstrual problems. While modern researchers haven't been able to pinpoint why this herb is so effective, most concur that the alkaloids, along with other component properties contained in the plant corrects and regulates hormone imbalances through activity on the pituitary gland, encouraging the production of hormones as needed.

2.Balm, also known as lemon balm and Melissa, is a member of the mint family which calms jangled nerves and effectively deals with the emotional issues attendant to menopause. Here's your recipe for a cold tea, which may be sipped throughout the day in 2-3 ounce doses. Steep about 1 ounces of balm leaves in about 3 cups of water, for about 12 hours.

3.If you don't already have sage growing in your garden, get some going. This common culinary herb is a champion in relieving hot flashes and night sweats! It also brings relief for nervousness and depression. Add 1 teaspoon of sage to each cup of boiling water, allow to steep for 10 minutes and strain. Refrigerate. Drink 1 cup of the cold tea at bedtime. Alternatively, you may use it a teaspoon at a time, throughout the day.

4.Dong Quai is an herb of renown, used extensively in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for menopausal symptoms, as well as PMS and menstrual irregularities. This is usually taken in the form of capsules, two capsules, twice daily. It's important to use the best quality available. Countless patients report a complete cessation of hot flashes and night sweats within a few weeks of beginning use!

5.Our last herb of note, Passion flower, is used primarily as a sedative, but has been found to be especially effective in relieving hot flashes and night sweats. It also serves to calm your nerves during the menopausal hormonal adjustments. It's most easily used in the form of a tincture (available at herb shops), as follows: add 15-30 drops to a small amount of water and drink, repeating as needed.

Try each of these five natural remedies for your hot flashes and night sweats. You'll be a new person!