Summary
Menopause is a natural part of every women's life and should not be considered a "disease" that requires treatment with hormone replacement therapy.
There are many approaches available to help improve the quality of women's lives as they go through this transition.
Lifestyle changes such as improved nutrition, increased use of soy-based foods, engagement in regular exercise, and employment of relaxation and stress reduction techniques can have profound effects on the number and severity of hot flashes.
Herbs such as black cohosh and alternative therapies such as acupuncture and osteopathic manipulation have also been shown to reduce the symptoms of menopause.
For women who cannot achieve relief using the aforementioned strategies, hormone therapy may warrant consideration. This may take the form of conventional estrogen replacement or referral to a practitioner experienced in prescribing bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.