Hot Flashes: Keep a diary of your hot flashes. Hot flashes follow certain patterns. There are certain things that can trigger them, including hot weather, caffeine, or stress. When you keep track of your hot flashes for a week or two, you may discover those things that trigger them. Avoid or eliminate those triggers. -Layer your clothing, putting one lightweight item over another. If you become hot, remove your jacket or sweater. -Drink a glass of cold water or juice at the onset of a flash. -Keep a thermos of ice water or an ice pack by your bed at night. -Wear clothing made of absorbent material, such as cotton. Don’t wear silk blouses or other clothes that show perspiration stains. -Aerate stuffy rooms in your house. Place small fan on your night table or desk. When a flash hits, direct the cool air right to you. -Take vitamin E supplements. This has been used for 50 years to treat hot flashes. Start with 400 IU of vitamin E a day, working up to 800 IU daily. Good sources of vitamin E include vegetable oils, nuts, whole grains, and wheat germ. -Take GLA (gamma linolenic acid), naturally found in borage, black currants and evening primrose oil. -Dong Quai is known as the 'female ginseng." This herb "smoothes out" the mood and brings on relaxation. -Other herbs such as Hawthorn berry, yam root, black cohosh and blue cohosh are also useful. -Keep cool. Wherever you spend a lot of time-at home or at your office-do what you can to keep cool. Set your thermostat to a comfortable temperature. Keep an electric or hand-held fan close by. Sit next to the air conditioner or away from heat ducts at meetings or social gatherings. To reduce night sweats, keep your bedroom cool, open windows, and use an air conditioner in the summer. -Avoid stressful situations. Stress can trigger hot flashes. For help in avoiding or handling stress, visit our stress management section. -Cool off with water. Run cold water over your wrists or splash water on your face to cool off. if possible, take a cool shower. -Perform deep-breathing exercises. If stress triggers hot flashes for you, deep-breathing exercises may help alleviate them. -Watch your diet. Reduce the number of empty calories you consume each day. Fatty foods and alcohol are common sources of such calories. These and other foods may trigger hot flashes. While keeping your hot flash diary, be sure to note all the foods you eat each day and watch for those that seem to trigger hot flashes.

Peppermint essential oil is cooling and refreshing. Use it sparingly, though...too much applied at once will sting.