Menopause is frequently accompanied by symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats that can take a toll on a woman’s quality of life. How can they ease hot flashes?
HRT Can Ease Hot Flashes but Carries Risks:
Until 2002, the treatment most recommended by physicians was hormone replacement therapy or HRT. Results from the Women’s Health Initiative changed that because of a clear association between HRT and cardiovascular complications such as heart attacks and strokes. Breast cancer was also elevated among women taking hormone replacement therapy.
Such revelations left millions of women in the lurch, since hot flashes and night sweats can be extremely disruptive.
Acupuncture to Ease Hot Flashes:
A new study has found that acupuncture may offer another option to ease hot flashes and night sweats. The study included 209 women 45 to 60 years old with hot flashes or night sweats at least four times a day. They were randomly assigned to get acupuncture treatments during the first or second half of the study year. The participants were allowed up to 20 acupuncture sessions in six months from experienced, licensed acupuncturists practicing in the community and approved by the investigators. All the women kept daily diaries of their symptoms.
Hot Flashes Dropped by One Third:
The women who were in the first group to get acupuncture treatments reported relief: the frequency of their hot flashes dropped by 36.7 percent, on average. At the same time, those who were waiting for acupuncture treatments were suffering even more. They had 6 percent more hot flashes during those first six months.
During the second half-year, the women actively getting acupuncture finally got relief: they had 31 percent fewer night sweats and hot flashes. Those in the first group maintained their benefits even though they were no longer receiving acupuncture treatments. They reported a 29.4 percent drop in frequency of symptoms from what they had experienced before the experiment began.
Acupuncture as an Alternative Therapy:
None of the women reported side effects from their acupuncture treatments, which is an advantage over most of the drugs used to ease hot flashes. The researchers conclude that acupuncture from a licensed acupuncturist may offer an attractive non-hormonal treatment for many women dealing with horrible hot flashes.
4/25/19 redirected to:https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/acupuncture-relieves-symptoms-of-menopausal-women/
