There’s new guidance on menopause symptoms like hot flashes. What women need to know

In a first in a dozen years, a major OB-GYN organization has revised its advice on handling hot flashes, night sweats, sleep alterations and other bothersome symptoms common during menopause. The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) now emphasizes hormone treatments as the first line of defense against these disruptive menopause effects.

Hot flashes, affecting more than half of menopausal women, and sleep disruptions impacting up to two-thirds of them, are the most prevalent issues. Around a third of these women also grapple with depression. Previously, many women silently endured these symptoms.

Doctors are now advocating for hormone therapies, like estrogen and progestin, to be considered after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lifted severe safety warnings. FDA officials confirmed there's sufficient supply of these hormone therapies.

In addition to hormone treatments, ACOG outlines non-hormonal options, such as low-dose vaginal estrogen therapy for those mainly troubled by vaginal dryness, and fezolinetant for patients who cannot tolerate hormonal medications.

ACOG's new guidelines mirror those of other health bodies, urging treatment of bothersome menopausal symptoms. Dr. JoAnn Manson, a Harvard Medical School professor, emphasizes that treatment should be a patient's right, not a taboo issue.