Grandma's remedies for balancing your hormones?

Hormonal imbalance, particularly during menopause, can lead to symptoms such as hot flushes, sleep disorders, weight gain and vaginal dryness. These changes, often due to a drop in estrogen, have a significant impact on women's health and well-being. While conventional hormonal therapies are commonly proposed, many women prefer natural solutions to rebalance their hormones. Among these alternatives, grandmother's remedies, based on plants and traditional practices, offer interesting options.

SUMMARY

What is a hot flash?
Recognising menopause-related hot flashes
What causes these hot flashes?
How long do hot flashes last?
Natural solutions to relieve hot flashes
A breath of fresh air: Outdoor activities to soothe hot flashes
Links with women’s hormonal issues
Sources

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What is a hot flash?

Hot flashes, also known as sweats or night sweats when they occur during sleep, are sudden and temporary episodes of intense heat. Often accompanied by skin flushing, they mainly affect the upper part of the body.
They are usually felt in the face, neck and chest. Between 40 and 70% of women are affected.

Also called “vasomotor flushes” or “flushes”, they correspond to a feeling of intense, sudden heat usually concentrated on the face, neck and torso. This phenomenon can happen at any time, day or night.

These episodes of heat are often accompanied by symptoms such as sweating, chills, red skin on the chest, neck and face, as well as palpitations. It is not uncommon to also feel chills, shivering, a general feeling of discomfort and sometimes dizziness.

The duration of a hot flash can vary, from a few seconds to several minutes, and in some cases they can last for several hours. Their onset may be sudden or gradual, and frequency differs greatly from person to person, ranging from a few times a week to several times a day.

They can significantly affect quality of life, especially by disrupting night-time sleep. This can lead to fatigue, sleep disturbances and mood changes such as irritability and nervousness.

Recognising menopause-related hot flashes

These sensations of heat can occur at any time, day or night, and are usually followed by chills. Night sweats particularly disrupt sleep, leading to fatigue, sleep problems and mood swings such as irritability and nervousness.

The frequency and intensity of these hot flashes vary from one woman to another: some experience them several times a day, while others feel them less often.

They can start as early as perimenopause and last for more than 10 years after menopause, with an average duration of around 7.5 years.

Stress, intense emotions, temperature changes and certain foods or drinks, such as coffee, alcohol or spicy dishes, can all exacerbate hot flashes.

Recognising these symptoms is key to adopting effective management strategies, including natural remedies, lifestyle changes or medical treatments.

What causes these hot flashes?

Hot flashes are mainly linked to hormonal changes, although other factors can also play a role in their onset and intensity.

Hormones

In women, these episodes are often related to hormonal fluctuations, particularly the drop in oestrogen levels during menopause. This decrease interferes with the body’s internal temperature regulation system, triggering hot flashes. Women who have had a hysterectomy or oophorectomy, or those on anti-hormonal treatments for breast cancer, may also experience these symptoms due to similar hormonal changes.

Pregnancy, especially in the second and third trimesters, as well as premenstrual syndrome, can cause hot flashes because of hormonal variations. In men, they may appear during andropause, a period characterised by a gradual decline in testosterone levels associated with ageing. This hormonal decrease, mainly affecting men over 50, can manifest as hot flashes among other symptoms.

Other aggravating factors

Beyond hormonal causes, various factors can exacerbate or trigger hot flashes. Stress and chronic anxiety, by causing an overproduction of cortisol, the stress hormone, can stimulate the cardiovascular system and trigger these symptoms. Smoking, alcohol, caffeine and spicy foods can also be triggers due to their impact on the vasomotor system and body temperature regulation.

Certain medical conditions, such as hyperthyroidism, characterised by an overproduction of thyroid hormones, or hypoglycaemia, when blood sugar levels are too low, can also cause hot flashes. Food intolerances and lifestyle changes, such as an unbalanced diet or a sedentary lifestyle, can also contribute to their appearance. Finally, conditions such as rosacea, a skin disorder, or certain cancers and endocrine disorders can also be behind these symptoms.

How long do hot flashes last?

The duration of hot flashes can vary considerably from one woman to another, influenced by factors such as the stage of menopause and the natural treatments used.

Typically, menopause-related hot flashes occur over a period ranging from 2 to 10 years, with an average of about 7.4 years. These symptoms can start during perimenopause, the phase before menopause, and continue beyond the end of menstrual cycles.

Some women may experience hot flashes for a shorter period, while for others they may last more than a decade. It is important to note that symptoms beginning early in perimenopause can extend the duration of hot flashes and night sweats to an average of 11.8 years.

It should also be noted that some women continue to experience hot flashes long after menopause. In fact, nearly 10% of women over the age of 70 still report episodes of hot flashes and night sweats.

The wide variability in duration and frequency of hot flashes highlights the importance of consulting a healthcare professional to assess the most appropriate treatments and management strategies, in order to reduce their impact on quality of life.

Natural solutions to relieve hot flashes

Exploring natural solutions can provide effective ways to ease menopause-related hot flashes, generally without the downsides of pharmaceutical treatments. Below are some strategies recognised for their effectiveness.

Tried-and-true home remedies for hot flashes

Passed down from generation to generation, grandmother’s remedies for hot flashes offer natural and effective solutions to soothe menopause-related hot flashes. Let’s look at some of the best traditional remedies.

Herbs and spices

Herbs and spices, used for centuries for their therapeutic properties, can be particularly helpful:
Common sage is known for reducing hot flashes and regulating sweating. It is recommended to consume the leaves as an infusion several times a day.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is valued for its effect on hormonal balance and its soothing properties, making it especially useful for menopause symptoms.
Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla) is useful for hormonal imbalances and improves digestive comfort, which can indirectly help reduce hot flashes.
Black horehound (ballote noire), known for its calming properties, helps reduce anxiety often linked to menopause.

Soothing herbal infusions

Medicinal plant infusions are an excellent way to benefit from the properties of herbs:

Prepare a herbal tea by combining sage, yarrow, lady’s mantle, blackcurrant and lemon balm. Infuse these plants in simmering water and drink 2 cups a day to help relieve hot flashes.

Lemon balm leaves and flowers promote sleep and help combat nervousness and anxiety, which are often associated with night-time hot flashes.

What kind of diet should you prioritise?

A suitable diet is essential for managing hot flashes. Here are some tips:

Opt for a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and olive oil. This diet, rich in mono- and polyunsaturated fats, fibre and zinc, helps reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flashes.

Include phytoestrogens such as soy, red clover and flaxseeds in your diet. These foods contain isoflavones that mimic the action of oestrogens and can help ease menopause symptoms.

It is advisable to limit your intake of spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol, which can worsen hot flashes.

Relaxation techniques

It is possible to manage the stress and anxiety that often trigger hot flashes using relaxation techniques:

Acupuncture can promote better blood circulation and help rebalance body temperature, thereby reducing hot flashes.

Deep-breathing exercises, meditation and yoga are excellent techniques for fighting stress and anxiety, which in turn helps reduce hot flashes.

A refreshing bath with baking soda or apple cider vinegar can provide a lasting feeling of coolness and help regulate hormonal fluctuations.

MiYé natural products

Fortunately, there are natural ways to support hot flashes.

A balanced diet can help maintain more stable oestrogen levels. Adding herbs such as red clover or chasteberry, known for their hormone-regulating properties, can also help ease these symptoms.

Among the natural menopause products, MiYé develops dietary supplements for perimenopause and menopause.

Mists and creams

The SOS 4-in-1 Mist is formulated to hydrate, refresh and protect the skin from free radicals. It is designed for women who notice changes in their skin throughout the cycle and is ideal in cases of hot flashes and/or redness.

Dietary supplements

A dietary supplement adapted to the female cycle. It has been specially developed to support women through hormonal fluctuations (premenstrual syndrome, perimenopause, etc.) causing emotional and physical imbalances (fatigue, brain fog), help preserve hormonal balance and strengthen the metabolism against oxidative stress and inflammation.

MY Équilibre Féminin

Many women have reported significant improvements, whether in terms of more restful sleep, reduced fatigue and brain fog, or greater emotional stability.

100% of testers reported a positive effect on their sleep and comfort during their cycles.

A breath of fresh air: Outdoor activities to soothe hot flashes

To ease hot flashes linked to menopause, natural solutions can make a real difference.

Adopting an active lifestyle can contribute greatly. Regular physical activities such as yoga and swimming are known to help regulate body temperature and improve blood circulation, thereby reducing the intensity of hot flashes.

Similarly, spending time outdoors can help support more stable hormonal balance. Walking, hiking, or simply taking time to relax in nature can be very effective ways to ease these uncomfortable symptoms.

Combining these activities with a balanced diet and relaxation techniques such as meditation can form a powerful set of tools for managing hot flashes naturally and calmly.

Links with women’s hormonal issues

Hot flashes, often associated with the menopause transition, originate from hormonal imbalances. More specifically, fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone levels—key hormones in the menstrual cycle—play a decisive role.

When these hormones enter a transition phase, the body reacts by triggering these sudden episodes of intense heat. Although unpleasant, hot flashes are in fact signals that the body is adapting to these hormonal changes.

Understanding these links with women’s hormonal issues is therefore essential to approaching hot flashes naturally and effectively. They can have a significant impact on the quality of life of the women who experience them.

Beyond the immediate physical discomfort, these episodes of intense heat can disrupt sleep, which in turn affects recovery and day-to-day energy.

Postmenopausal women who experience hot flashes will all tell you that this is the biggest drawback of menopause. Hot flashes can influence many aspects of your life, from sleep quality to social relationships. But rest assured, several solutions can be put in place for natural relief.

By understanding the mechanisms behind hot flashes and their links with hormonal fluctuations, we can approach these episodes of intense heat in a natural and effective way. They don’t have to be an obstacle to a fulfilling life.

With solutions such as a balanced diet, targeted supplements and outdoor activities, we can ease these symptoms and regain everyday comfort.

Don’t let hot flashes dictate your pace of life.

Take back the reins and experience your menopause with peace of mind.