Question:
I suffer from severe hot flushes and night sweats but, due to medical problem, I can't take hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Can you please advise me of any natural alternatives that would alleviate this problem?
Answer:
When levels of the hormone oestrogen fall during the change of life, or menopause, the body becomes parched and everything is sluggish. The heart rate falls, the tissues do not get enough oxygen, the microcirculation is generally poor, so is the digestion, and mental stamina is low. As a result, women tend to, suffer chronic fatigue, head aches and depression as well as memory loss, anxiety, mood swings, poor concentration and insomnia.
Hot flushes and night sweats compound lack of sleep. The explanation for these is that the ovaries are still functioning to some extent and, from time to time, particularly at night, they release small quantities of oestrogen. Because the oestrogen is released so suddenly, the body, which has been used to the low levels, feels enraged, particularly in the upper and facial regions. The heart rate goes up, blood vessels dilate, the face is flushed. You may experience palpitations and sweat a big as well as feeling rather anxious.
This is, in fact, a defence mechanism for your body, so it is not bad in itself. If you can live with it, without taking pharmaceutical medicines, that is preferable. There are, however, a raft of natural measures that can help. If women can prepare for this change in advance-say, around the age of 48 - it will help greatly. You have to understand that while the hormone oestrogen is produced by the ovaries, the message to do so comes from the pituitary gland -the master gland which controls all hormones. This is situated in the lower front part of your brain. If you look after the pituitary gland, you should have virtually no problem with any hormones. One of the most important things to start doing is yoga, which will stretch your neck and spine and so improve your circulation and the health of your pituitary. Recommended poses are cobra turtle, swing, semi-bridge and neck twist These are detailed in my Lifestyle video, or you could learn them with a qualified yoga teacher. Breathing exercises are also important to keep you calm and centred.
In your situation I recommend the following:
*Do the yoga exercises listed previously before bed for five or ten minutes.
* Have a therapeutic massage three or four times a month, focusing on the neck and spine. Invariably, with problems such as yours, your neck will be very stiff. Two of the biggest contributory factors are sitting at a computer and driving; have frequent breaks.
* Sleep on one thin, down pillow; this will help your neck.
* Controlling weight is essential: hot flushes are more intolerable when you are heavy..
* Diet wise, stay away from salt coffee, alcohol and anything that may cause bloating, such as yeast-containing foods, fizzy drinks, chickpeas and beans.
* Drink 1.5 litres of still pure water daily, in between meals.
* Drink Ayurvedic Relaxation Tea.
* At night take one tablet of the Ayurvedic remedy Brento with warm milk or water to help you relax and improve your quality of sleep.
* Take one capsule of aloe vera twice daily.
* Do not have a hot bath at night: have a warm shower during the day followed by a cool one. This will tone your body and put it into an alert state so that any rise in oestrogen levels is not a shock.
* Try to keep calm before bed.
*Get plenty of fresh air.
*During the day, take the following combination of natural remedies, which are oestrogen mimics. Mix 1 tsp shatavari powder with ¼ tsp kolonji oil and 1 tsp runny honey in a small glass of warm milk and drink daily for three to four months. If the hot flushes are severe, take 1 tablet of dong quai daily and 15 drops of agnus castus tincture twice daily, before meal for three to four months. If you have a history of troublesome periods, take 1 capsule of Mexican yam daily.
* Acupuncture and homoeopathy are often very helpful for menopausal problems.
A BURNING ISSUE
Another reader who is taking HRT asks why she experiences a sensation of burning in her legs. If you look at the small print on the leaflets accompanying the pill or HRT, you will see that it says you should not take either of these if you have liver damage. In other words, these drugs may damage the liver. In traditional Indian medicine, burning legs are seen as an indication of a malfunctioning (not necessarily a damaged) liver. I believe that if the liver - the main barrier between the gut and the blood stream - is malfunctioning, toxins from the gut may enter the bloodstream. This irritation may lead to extra sensitivity in the nerves of the feet and legs, a condition called hyperthasia which results in a feeling of burning.
Mild liver damage also tends to make blood vessels dilate, causing the formation of thread veins and small clots and haemorrhages. You can see the result in pill users, who often have patchy, blotchy skin. When the blood vessels dilate, it sends more heat into the affected area; it seems that taking the pill or HRT may affect the liver, cause the blood vessels to dilate. and thus cause the sensation of burning legs.
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