Natural Remedies for Hot Flashes (Without Hormones)
Hot flashes often are caused by a change in estrogen levels in your body. While taking estrogen is considered the most effective way to treat hot flashes, it’s not an option for everyone. You might not want to or be able to take hormones, especially if you have a history of breast cancer or are at a high risk of developing the disease.
Depending on how severe your hot flashes are, your doctor might recommend prescription medicines as an alternative. If you’re interested in going the natural route, certain lifestyle changes, supplements, and herbal remedies may be helpful. Always talk to your doctor before using natural remedies — some can have serious side effects or may be dangerous if you have certain medical conditions.
(Keep in mind that other things can make your temperature control go out of whack. If you have severe symptoms, let your care team know so they can rule out a more serious cause.)
Avoid hot flash triggers
Identifying what triggers your hot flashes can help you and your doctor determine how to ease the symptoms. Keep a record of when you get hot flashes: Write down what you were eating or doing, or how you were feeling at the time.
If you’re having hot flashes at your job, try to give yourself extra time to get to work so you don’t have to walk briskly and feel even more overheated. If your job will allow it, give yourself a moment to relax and cool off between tasks or meetings. Pace yourself as much as possible when running errands, caring for kids or parents, doing housework, and prepping meals.
Other common hot flash triggers include:
stress
alcohol and caffeine
hot foods (temperature, spiciness, or both)
hot weather
warm rooms
hot tubs, hot showers, and saunas
smoking
Acupuncture
A few small studies have shown that acupuncture can reduce the number and ease the severity of hot flashes.
Relaxation and stress reduction
For some people, managing stress and learning how to relax can help lower the frequency and intensity of hot flashes. Breathing exercises, hypnosis, meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy, and mindfulness are just a few of the many ways to help you reduce stress.
Some people with hot flashes find that paced respiration, known as breathwork, helps them manage symptoms. During a hot flash, breathe in while slowly counting to five, and then breathe out while slowly counting to five. Remember to count slowly and breathe deeply. Practice the technique every day for 10 to 15 minutes.
Hypnosis — offered by a certified hypnotist or hypnotherapist — can help to put you in a state of deep relaxation and concentration. A 2024 review of studies on hypnosis and hot flashes found that people who were hypnotized had less frequent and less severe hot flashes compared with people who weren’t hypnotized. They also reported improvements in their sleep and mood.
CBT is another method that can help you relax. While research suggests that people who receive CBT experience hot flashes at a similar frequency as those who don’t have CBT, people who receive this talk therapy report less stress about hot flashes.
Mindfulness may also be able to help improve your quality of life if you're bothered by hot flashes and night sweats. It won’t necessarily reduce how often or intense your hot flashes are, but it can make them less bothersome. Ask your care team to recommend mindfulness techniques that you can do on your own. A few resources:
The University of Massachusetts Medical School Memorial Health Center for Mindfulness offers free weekly online sessions that teach mindfulness skills.
The Myrna Brind Center for Mindfulness (formerly the Mindfulness Institute) offers various online and in-person mindfulness programs, including mindfulness-based stress reduction.
The Penn Program for Mindfulness offers online and in-person mindfulness courses.
Nutrition and exercise
Some people find that eating a balanced diet and exercising can help lower the intensity and frequency of their hot flashes.
To ease your hot flashes, you may want to make some changes to your diet. For instance, a 2022 study found that people who ate a low-fat, vegan diet with soybeans daily for 12 weeks reported fewer and less severe hot flashes than people who didn’t eat this diet. Changing to a low-fat, fully vegan diet may not be doable for you, but it may be worth experimenting with smaller dietary changes to see if they help. You may also want to avoid sauces and spices that have a bite to them, and try eating foods that are served cold, at room temperature, or warm — but not hot.
It has traditionally been thought that adding soy proteins to your diet could help manage hot flashes since soy is a form of plant estrogen. However, research has not confirmed this.
Increasing your activity level — everything from taking the stairs instead of the elevator to starting a regular exercise routine — can help lower the intensity and frequency of hot flashes. It can also have a positive effect on just about every other symptom of menopause, such as insomnia, fatigue, mood swings, heart disease, bone loss, and loss of libido.
Before you start a new exercise routine, ask your doctor to recommend a physical therapist or trainer who has experience working with people who’ve received breast cancer treatment. Straining or injuring the arm or upper body can increase the risk of lymphedema, a condition where the tissues swell up with fluid.
Prepare for hot flashes
Whether you’re already having a hot flash or know you’re going to have one eventually, there are steps you can take to prepare to deal with them. Some people find the following tips helpful:
Dress in layers so you can peel off some of your clothing as you get warmer.
Avoid wool, synthetics, and silk. Try to wear cotton, linen, and rayon instead.
Avoid turtlenecks and instead stick to open-neck shirts.
Keep ice water nearby so you can sip it to cool down.
Lower the thermostat when you can. If you can’t be in an air-conditioned room, get a small fan — a handheld, battery-operated fan or even a paper fan can provide relief.
Wear cotton pajamas or a nightgown to help wick away sweat. Your nightclothes are easier to change than the sheets.
Use cotton sheets only, not synthetics.
Take a cool shower before bed.
Open the freezer door and let the cold air cool your face when a hot flash hits.
During summer and when the humidity is high, use a dehumidifier.
Pace yourself as much as possible with tasks.
Herbal and holistic remedies
Go into any pharmacy, and you'll see all sorts of supplements that claim to help ease hot flashes: plant estrogens such as soy, black cohosh, ginseng, dong quai, and vitamin E.
But research has not shown strong evidence of these supplements easing hot flashes, and they do come with risks. For instance, while it’s possible that taking vitamin E may help to ease mild hot flashes, high doses of vitamin E may increase your risk of bleeding problems. In rare circumstances, black cohosh may cause serious liver damage.
Talk with your healthcare team before you take any dietary supplements. Just because they are natural doesn’t mean they can’t have serious side effects. Supplements can also negatively interact with certain medicines.
— Last updated on April 29, 2025 at 9:27 PM