Self-hypnosis might help some women in menopause find relief from hot flashes.
Hot flash frequency and intensity decreased by more than 50% among women who listened to a daily audio hypnosis session, researchers reported Nov. 11 in JAMA Network Open.
"All sessions were self-administered hypnosis, which demonstrated that women could learn how to use hypnosis for hot flashes on their own with support and guidance," said lead researcher Gary Elkins, director of Baylor University's Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory in Waco, Texas.
"It can be practiced at home without needing to travel for doctor visits, and it is relatively inexpensive compared to in-person sessions," Elkins added in a news release. "Once a person learns how to use self-hypnosis to reduce hot flashes and improve sleep, it can be used for other purposes such as managing anxiety, coping with pain and for stress management."
More than 25 million women in the U.S. have hot flashes, with as many as 80% of women in menopause reporting these symptoms, researchers said in background notes. In addition, 96% of women with breast cancer have hot flashes after beginning treatment.
