Night Sweats as a Symptom of Menopause

Night sweats are extremely common, affecting many menopausal women. Although night sweats can be very unpleasant, they are not usually a sign of a major health problem. Also, night sweats are often easily managed by adopting lifestyle changes or taking prescribed medications.

Understanding Night Sweats

Night sweats are caused by changing hormone levels during menopause. When estrogen and progesterone levels become unbalanced, the body's heat regulator malfunctions and is no longer able to accurately control temperature. This triggers night sweats, raising stress levels and fatigue as a result of disrupted sleep patterns.

Treatments for Night Sweats during Menopause

There are many treatments available for menopausal night sweats. The most common approach, and one that is recommended by doctors, is a combination of healthy lifestyle changes and a medical treatment like hormone creams.

Eating a balanced diet

Women who are experiencing night sweats should eat a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, fiber, protein, and dairy. Menopausal women should limit their intake of red meat to only a couple of days per week, eat plenty of fish, chicken, and legumes and ensure they are consuming at least five portions of fruit and vegetables daily. The likelihood of experiencing night sweats may also be lessened by avoiding spicy foods and hot meals. A healthy diet produces a healthy body that is well-equipped to cope with night sweats and other menopausal symptoms.

Using hormone creams

New research has shown that hormone creams can help to relieve night sweats. These are solutions made from plant extracts that are biochemically related to estrogen and progesterone. In 2008, a study was conducted on 150 perimenopausal and menopausal women who experienced night sweats. Those who used prescribed hormone creams to treat their night sweats reported that their symptoms had lessened considerably. In addition, hormone creams used to combat night sweats also proved to help heart problems.

If night sweats are not relieved by natural lifestyle changes or hormone creams, there are other options you may want to try. Night sweats do not have to negatively impact the lives of menopausal women. If you are suffering from night sweats or other menopausal symptoms, don't be afraid to talk to your doctor about treatment options.

Explore the articles below for more information about night sweats as a symptom of menopause.