| shows that fifty million women in the United | | | | and dress in layers that you can shed. |
| States are going through menopause, and a | | | | Keep as cool as you can in hot weather or in |
| staggering 80 percent of them suffer from hot | | | | warm rooms. Wear light, cotton clothing and dress |
| flashes. Though harmless, they can be extremely | | | | in loose layers. Keep your house cool and use |
| uncomfortable. | | | | lightweight blankets at night. Don't drink or eat a |
| Menopause has become a hot topic of | | | | lot of red wine, chocolate, or aged cheeses. |
| conversation among women of the baby-boomer | | | | These foods contain a chemical that can affect |
| generation. Menopause, with bothersome | | | | your body's thermostat and trigger a hot flash. |
| symptoms including hot flashes and night sweats, | | | | Avoid hot, spicy foods. Avoid smoking, alcohol, |
| is now material for humor with celebrities from | | | | and caffeine. Exercise regularly, according to your |
| Gloria Steinem to Oprah Winfrey. Actress Cybill | | | | health care provider's recommendation Use |
| Shepherd refers to her hot flashes as power | | | | relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises, |
| surges. | | | | to help relieve stress. A good alternative is deep, |
| But hot flashes are no joke when they leave you | | | | controlled breathing: inhale and exhale slowly, |
| soaked in sweat and feeling dazed. Technically, hot | | | | allowing your abdomen to expand and contract, at |
| flashes exaggerate how the body normally cools | | | | a rate of six or seven full breaths per minute. |
| down: blood vessels dilate, letting more blood | | | | You can often stop a hot flash with a few deep |
| reach the skin to release heat. They tend to | | | | breaths. |
| come on rapidly and last from one to five | | | | Also, you can stay cool by taking zalestra. It |
| minutes. They range in severity from a fleeting | | | | contains natural phyto-estrogens that aid in |
| sense of warmth to a feeling of being on fire. | | | | balancing crucial hormones that can be diminished |
| Some women have just a few during a week; | | | | during menopause . Lagging estrogen levels have |
| others get them day and night. | | | | been linked and are associated with increased |
| Since hot flashes are triggered by increases in | | | | weight gain, hot flashes, and a negative emotional |
| core body temperature, try to stay | | | | state. |
| cool—literally. Drink cold drinks, carry a fan | | | | |