DEAR DOCTORS: I am a 51-year-old woman, and I eat a very good diet and exercise six days a week. When I went into menopause, I got hot flashes. Drinking a cup or two of unsweetened soy milk each day helps a lot. Is that safe? I don’t have gout, but I’ve read that soy products can increase uric acid.
DEAR READER: When a full year has elapsed since a woman’s last menstrual cycle, she is considered to be in menopause. The hormonal changes that occur at this time of life can give rise to a wide range of symptoms. Perhaps the best known, which affects up to 80% of women, are hot flashes. These are sudden and sometimes extreme sensations of warmth in the upper torso, often concentrated in the face, neck and chest. Hot flashes range from brief and mild to prolonged and intense. They can occur at any time of day or night. A hot flash can cause the skin to become visibly…
