Help for Hot Flashes

Women may be able to turn their mind into a powerful force against a common and aggravating symptom.

About 40 percent of women say that hot flashes and night sweats disrupt their lives after menopause. Researchers looked into whether an approach called mindfulness can help women find relief from overheating.

Mindfulness-based stress relief teaches people to observe their thoughts and feelings rather than react to them. After the class was finished, the women who went through mindfulness training reported that they were less bothered by hot flashes than the rest of the group. Their quality of life was also improved, they were sleeping better, and their anxiety and stress were reduced, even three months after the class. The researchers point out that the women went to a general mindfulness program, like the kind that is widely available around the country..