A team of researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has found that moderate to severe hot flashes continue, on average, for nearly 5 years after , and more than a third of women experience moderate/severe hot flashes for 10 years or more after menopause. Hot flashes are episodes of intense radiating heat experienced by many women around the time of menopause. They can result in discomfort, embarrassment, and disruption of sleep. Changing hormone levels are believed to cause hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms such as insomnia, fatigue, memory and concentration problems, anxiety, irritability, and joint and muscle pain. The study evaluated 255 women in the Penn Ovarian Aging Study who reached natural menopause over a 16-year period (1996-2012). The results indicate that 80 percent (203) reported moderate/severe hot flashes, 17 percent (44) had only mild hot flashes, and three percent (8) reported no hot flashes.
I can attest to this through personal experience. I started peri-menopause at age 38 and went through menopause at age 44. I decided not to use HRT, bio-identicals, or anti-depressants or sleeping aids. I changed my diet to low glycemic, exercise regularly, drink plenty of water, use high quality supplements and did my research. Yes, it was hard. But in the end I feel my body is so much healthier for using natural medicines such as essential oils, herbs, paleo and low glycemic food plans, and learning how to quiet the chaos in a more natural way. It’s a choice for us women so make sure you do your research before you leap…it can be a life changer!