How to feel better during menopause

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

It's true: you actually can feel better during menopause

It’s true: you actually can feel better during menopause

Is it hot in here or is it just you? You may be wondering that a few times a day if you’re going through that change in life most women of a certain age experience. Along with the annoying hot flashes, you may also feel moody and depressed, and even struggle with memory loss. Believe it or not, you can manage your symptoms and feel better during menopause.

Wear the Proper Attire

This sudden and often long increase in your body temperature is unbearable almost any time of day, but particularly at night when you are trying to sleep. Pointing a fan at where you’re lying may help, as can wearing moisture-wicking pajamas that draw your sweat away from your body.

Trying to sleep in clothing that is drenched simply adds insult to injury for women who are experiencing these dreaded heat waves. Wearing dry clothing allows you to feel more comfortable when you’re trying to sleep, and makes the flashes more bearable.

Steer clear of fabrics that are heavy and unbreathable. Wearing these clothes will only make you hotter and more uncomfortable. Additionally, your skin won’t be able to breathe, which can trap the moisture. If you’re like many women and feel chills after your flashes, wet clothing will make them worse.

Choose Your Food and Drink Wisely

Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to the rise in temperature. However, some food and beverages can trigger the unwanted heat. Hot beverages, alcohol, spicy food and caffeine are possible causes and staying away from them may prevent the flashes.

Increasing the amount of soy in your diet may help to keep the flashes down to a minimum. Drinking soy milk, adding soy into your food and taking supplements could help. However, always consult with your doctor before doing anything.

Take Supplements

Some women claim taking supplements and herbal remedies effectively treat their symptoms. Certain herbs such as black cohosh may make you feel more comfortable, along with products that contain plant estrogens, also called phytoestrogens.

Additionally, supplements designed to help manage menopausal symptoms could also provide some relief. Again, ask your doctor before starting any type of treatment.

Change Your Sheets

Sleepless nights are excruciating, but even more so when they’re due to you being so hot you just can’t get comfortable. Temperature regulating sheets may provide a solution. This bedding material stays cool, which may help you keep your body temperature in a sleep-friendly state.

Cooling pillows and mattress covers may also help you relax and catch some much needed Z’s.

Exercise

Getting physical may be the farthest thing from your mind right now, but doing so could be just what you need. If you’re experiencing mood swings and depression, exercise may quell those feelings and help you feel uplifted. Doing so may also help you relieve feelings of anxiousness, and may even allow you to get a good night’s sleep.

Practicing breathing exercises is also a possible way to get back to feeling like yourself. These techniques may help to ward off depression, anxiety and anger, and may help you to relax enough to fall asleep more effectively.

Yoga combines breathing exercises with movement, which may be ideal for some women suffering through unpleasant symptoms.

Medication

If your symptoms prove to be too difficult to get through, seek medical help. Your doctor may prescribe medication that can help with many different ailments, including memory loss, poor concentration, headaches and depression.

This season of a woman’s life is often met with dread and trepidation. However, your life doesn’t have to stop. Once you take steps to feel better during menopause, you may find that it is just as great as ever, if not better.

References:

Harvard Health Publications: Dealing With the Symptoms of Menopause