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Top five gadgets to kick menopause symptoms into touch
If you want a helping hand to dial down your menopause symptoms, check out our round-up of the latest – and greatest – gadgets now available
Written by Laura Potter on December 29, 2018 Reviewed by Dr Heather Currie on January 8, 2019
If you’re going through the menopause, you’re probably well aware of herbal supplements like black cohosh or are best friends with a hand-held fan already. But there are plenty of apps, gadgets and ground-breaking tech to help you get a handle on your menopause symptoms.
Tackle hot flushes with cool tech
Tackle hot flushes with cool tech
It’s not yet available, but the Grace wristband is already making waves in menopause circles. The device tracks your body temperature to detect and fend off hot flushes and night sweats, using localised cooling on your wrist. Grace learns how your body temperature changes using different sensors, so it can respond and cool you down before you’re even aware – let alone uncomfortable. Although the device is still in the final stages of development, it’s already won the AXA Health Tech + You Award in 2018, and was runner up for the James Dyson Award in 2017.
- Sign up for more information: gracecooling.com
Intelligent clothing to keep you cool
Instead of taking clothes off, try putting some on! Become™ menopause clothing uses fabric technology to help fight hot flushes and night sweats. According to their experts, the lightweight materials channel heat away from your skin and wick sweat away to keep you cool. The clothes – including vests, tops, knickers and leggings – also absorb and store heat during a hot flush, then release it during the following chills to help maintain a stable body temperature. Everything is tested in research centres, as well as on real women at different stages of the menopause.
- Become™ clothing, webecome.co.uk
A n-ice bit of kit
A n-ice bit of kit
If you can’t face another fight over the temperature at work , or your desk fan is no longer cutting it, you need some personal air-conditioning. The Menopod, which looks a bit like a computer mouse, could relieve a hot flush in seconds – by placing it on the back of the neck, it’s said to cool you down exactly where the nervous system senses and regulates your body temperature. Designed by husband and wife team Patricia and Steve Copeland, it won an international Red Dot Design Award for Best of the Best Medical Devices in 2014, while a 2015 clinical trial showed that more than 70% of women experienced cooling relief after using Menopod.1
- Menopod, menopod.com
An app that empowers
Feeling informed and in control is a powerful tool when it comes to managing your menopause. The Menopause View app, developed in conjunction with gynaecologist and hormone expert Dr Richard Buyalos, allows you to track menopause symptoms, set reminders to take any medication or supplements, and fill in a daily diary. This can help you spot any patterns or changes, which may be useful for your doctor or other health professionals. The app also gives you access to a community of other women going through the menopause, so you can share ideas and vent your frustrations.
- Menopause View app: free for iOS devices & itunes.com
Better bedding = deeper sleep
It may seem counterintuitive to sleep under wool when you’re battling night sweats, but it’s much more effective at regulating your body temperature than normal bedding. Researchers from Leeds University found that wool duvets were more efficient than feather, down or polyester at keeping people at the right temperature while they slept.2 Wool helps maintain a ‘micro-climate’ around each person, so there are no more duvet wars with your other half! Wool is also said to absorb 33% of moisture, as opposed to 10% for cotton or 5% for down,3 and allows 67% more moisture to escape during sleep,4 so you don’t wake up shivering hours later in damp bedding.
- Wool duvets; thewoolroom.com
Advice is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP before trying any remedies
1. Reid RL, et al. Randomized clinical trial of a handheld cooling device (Menopod®) for relief of menopausal vasomotor symptoms. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26029989
2. Jonathan Wells. The Telegraph. Why a wool-filled duvet could be the key to a good night's sleep. Available from: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/why-a-wool-filled-duvet-could-be-the-key-to-a-good-nights-sleep/
3. The Wool Room. Menopause and night sweats. Available from: https://www.thewoolroom.com/sleep-health-and-advice/menopause-and-night-sweats/
4. As Source 2
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