Can you stop Hot Flushes without HRT?

Julie Jarvis
Mar 21
4 min read

Updated: Apr 30

Can you Stop Hot Flushes Without using HRT?

Hot flushes are the number one symptom that the vast majority of women experience during menopause and are often the initial signal that your menopause transition has begun.

During the day, hot flushes often start at the chest. Women typically feel a rising surge of heat, moving up the neck to the face, turning us bright red and making us desperate for some cooling relief.

At night, overheating can find us waking up drenched in sweat, with wet sheets to match, causing disturbed sleep and daily exhaustion.

No doubt about it, hot flushes and night sweats are embarrassing, uncomfortable, inconvenient, and downright unpleasant. And they can last for years.

But can Hot Flushes be managed without using HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy)? The simple answer is yes!

Many women don’t take HRT either because they have opted to manage menopause naturally, or HRT doesn’t agree with them, or there is a medical reason why they can’t take it. It really is a personal choice.

The great news is there are a number of things you can do to manage hot flushes without HRT. Understanding what’s happening to your body, what can trigger hot flushes, and what lifestyle changes you can make to reduce them are key.

What’s causing hot flushes?

So what’s happening in our bodies that causes hot flushes?

Our bodies’ thermostat sits within our Hypothalamus, inside our brains. But the Hypothalamus doesn’t work particularly well when it is deprived of oestrogen, impacting its ability to regulate the body’s temperature, and resulting in heat surges from time to time.

Our bodies don’t like to be hot, and use our largest organ, the skin, to allow heat to escape, typically via sweat. Normally, the blood vessels in the skin dilate to expel the heat, but during menopause, these ageing blood vessels can’t expand and contract quite so easily and so are less efficient in expelling heat.

All in all, menopause creates a tricky environment for our bodies to try and regulate heat and hot flushes and night sweats are the result.

What can we do to stop Hot Flushes without using HRT?

The trick to managing hot flushes is to try and maintain a steady body temperature throughout the day to avoid heat surges. Our bodies tend to heat up as the day progresses, due to movement and digestion which both produce heat, so having some strategies that cool the body down will help.

There are also certain triggers that are known to cause hot sweats that you can avoid.

Your 12-point Action Plan

to Reduce Hot Flushes Without Using HRT

This 12-point plan gives you lifestyle solutions that you can start to put in place today. It may take some trial and error to work out what solutions work best for you, but managing hot flushes and night sweats without HRT can make a huge difference to how your feel and experience menopause, so it’s worth persevering:-

Wear layers so that you can take away clothes to manually adjust your body temperature when you’re moving from a cold environment to a warmer one. I’ve had countless hot sweats getting back into my car, going into a shop, boarding a train etc. In the office, you could try wearing a wrap or jacket which you can subtly remove without anyone noticing if you feel a heat surge coming.

High intensity exercise, particularly in the evening, will raise your body temperature. If your schedule allows, try some gentle aerobic exercise, such as walking, swimming, cycling, dancing earlier in the day, and relaxing exercise in the evening, such as yoga or Pilates.

Stress & anxiety can cause your cortisol and adrenaline levels to surge, creating heat in the body as glucose and insulin are produced to deal with the perceived ‘fight or flight’ danger. Try some stress management techniques to keep stress under control, such as breathing exercises, meditation, reading, a relaxing bath, watching a comedy show etc.
Stay hydrated. Our bodies are around 55% water, so ensuring you’re adequately hydrated is a valuable tool in managing heat in the body. Aim for 2 litres per day.

Try to maintain your blood sugar levels throughout the day to avoid sugar spikes. Avoid sugary snacks and high Glycaemic Index carbohydrates, such as white bread, white rice, potatoes or white pasta. Swap them for brown rice, sweet potatoes and dark green leafy veg.

Reduce the amount of animal protein you eat for your evening meal. It takes a little more effort to digest, creating more heat. Instead try salmon, chicken, tofu, beans or lentils.

Some studies have indicated that folic acid can be helpful in reducing hot flushes. Foods containing folic acid include chickpeas, black beans, lentils.

Avoid alcohol and caffeine which both create heat in the body. Many women
find eliminating these really helps with hot flushes and night sweats. You could try switching to decaf coffee, and drinking herbal teas.

Ask your GP to check your Vitamin D, Iron and B-Vitamin levels as well as your thyroid function as they all play an important role in regulating body temperature and sweating.

Temperature control and blood pressure both run on a 24 hour body clock. To ensure your body clock is in check, take an early morning walk, allowing sunlight to enter your eyes (no sunglasses or sunscreen). This will also help with any sleep issues you might be experiencing due to night sweats.
Try grounding – that is walking in bare feet on the ground. This is particularly effective if you can walk on grass or sand so that the receptors in your feet can absorb the earth’s natural electrolytes, which helps to regulate the body's internal thermostat.
Our natural body temperature increases in the evening. If night sweats are a problem, try a cooling shower, or washing your hands in cold water before bed. It might also help to leave one foot out of the quilt, and run a fan to help keep the room cool.