To cope with hot flushes try to keep the room temperature fairly low and wear loose rather than tight clothing (cottons are good). At night it may be useful to have blankets that you can peel off easily if you get very hot. And keep spare night clothing by the bedside in case you might have a night sweat. Avoid strong coffee, alcohol and salt. A glass of water may help.

If you feel yourself getting hot and red then you may also be able to help yourself by “thinking cold”. Imagine that you are standing in several inches of snow, or wandering around at a ski resort or taking part in an Arctic expedition. Your skin temperature will fall in response to your imagination and the amount of flushing that takes place will be kept to a minimum. But even though you feel bright red during a flush do remember that the flush will probably be hardly noticeable to people around you.To cope with a dry vagina and make intercourse more comfortable try using an oil or jelly. You can buy special products from your local pharmacy or you can use an unscented body oil or baby oil. (Avoid anything too thick or greasy or lubricants containing alcohol). Remember that saliva makes a useful and effective lubricant.