How to treat menopausal hot flashes?

Quality of life during menopause is essential to a woman's overall well-being, so it's important to find the solution (or solutions) that will enable each woman to live through this period with serenity.

80% of women will experience flushing (hot flashes and/or night sweats) at menopause. These symptoms can even begin in the years preceding menopause. For some women, they can be very disabling, affecting their quality of life in as many as 25% of cases. While these symptoms last 5 to 7 years on average, some women will never experience them, while others will be bothered by them for several decades.
The most effective treatment is undoubtedly menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). Starting an estrogen-based treatment almost always makes these symptoms disappear. However, it may be contraindicated, or not desired by women.
Alternatives to HRT can then be proposed, with varying results from one woman to another. Each solution may be suitable for one or the other, without it being possible to determine this in advance. That's why it's important to propose and try out various alternatives.
Pharmacological alternatives involve the use of a drug or active ingredient. There are also non-pharmacological alternatives. Major international studies have made it possible to distinguish between those that bring a significant positive effect compared to a placebo, those with no effect, or those whose effectiveness remains debated to this day in the scientific community.
Effective alternatives: some drugs used in other diseases, such as depression or hypertension, are effective in managing flushing. Their use will be proposed to patients suffering from these pathologies, in the hope of also resolving their menopausal symptoms. A discussion between doctor and patient is essential before considering this type of molecule. Among non-pharmacological alternatives, hypnosis and yoga have also proved effective.
Alternatives of questionable efficacy: acupuncture and isoflavone extracts, known as phytoestrogens. These plant-derived products have an estrogen-like effect. They could help in cases of flushing, but their use is contraindicated in cases of estrogen-dependent pathologies, such as breast cancer.
Non-effective alternatives:these have no proven significant effect compared with a placebo: homeopathy, red clover, ginseng, black cohosh, Chinese herbs, relaxation, reflexology and aromatherapy. However, these alternatives can be tried with favorable results for some women. We should also be wary of "miracle" solutions, sometimes found on the Internet, which propose plants with toxicity levels, particularly in the liver.

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