by Kate Johns

Created on: January 12, 2009

One million women go through menopause every year. Nearly all of those women will experience hot flashes when they go through the change of life. Hot flashes are a symptom of menopause in a long line of symptoms that are caused by the decreasing estrogen in a woman's body. That means you will somewhere along the line, go through menopause and experience those times when your body suddenly heats up and you will feel like ripping off your clothing.

But because you can't just rip off your clothes in a public place, you need to cope with those nasty hot flashes.

LESS CAFFEINE

When you are going through menopause and you are experiencing the symptoms of menopause such as insomnia, and weight gain around your mid-section you will want to drink a lot of caffeinated products every day to help combat the fatigue and weight gain. By cutting down on your daily caffeine intake you will be cutting back on other menopausal symptoms.

The caffeine will aggravate your hot flashes and the insomnia. Cut back on your caffeine usage and your hot flashes will lighten up. Caffeine will cause your body to wake up and cause your heart rate to hurry up. By cutting back onmt he caffeine you will be keeping those hot flashes at bay.

DRINK WATER

Drinking water every day is a great way to naturally keep constipation at bay, (another side effect of menopause), and water helps when you experience hot flashes. Cool water will feel like a lifesaver thrown into the sea as you feel like you are literally drowning in a pool of sweat when a hot flash suddenly bursts forth. Carry a water bottle of ice water with you at all times. You never know when a hot flash will strike. When it does you will be ready!

Take an icy mixture of water with you to bed also to drink when a hot flash strikes. Keep a washcloth next to the bed so that you can pour the ice water on the cloth and use it all over your chest, and face. Besides having a bucket of ice water on command all day long, you will want to drink at least eight to ten glasses of water every day. The water will keep things moving and will help keep those hot flashes from being so incredibly overwhelming.

DRESS IN LAYERS

Going through menopause does have its perks though. By experiencing hot flashes in the wintertime you can turn the heat down and save money on fuel costs. Always dress in layers when you notice those first hot flashes coming on. This way when a hot flash suddenly erupts when you are in a business meeting at work, you can take a blazer off, and

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