Studies show that over 50% of women going through menopause experience hot flashes-that means you are more likely to get them than you are to be hot-flash-free. These uncomfortable moments cause sweating, a rapidly beating heart, and flushing and make you physically uncomfortable, possibly even embarrassing you when you are in public situations. They also can occur at all times of day (and night). Fortunately, because so many women suffer from hot flashes, there are many remedies for the situation.
When you first talk to your doctor about the hot flashes you are experiencing, he or she will probably recommend a number of lifestyle changes that you can make to reduce this symptom of menopause, which can last up to a half hour. Living in a healthy way alone can cause the hot flashes to disappear-eat a healthy diet, stay cool, exercise often, relax, and quit smoking. There are also a number of herbal supplements you can take that have been shown to effectively reduce hot flashes in menopausal women. Some include black cohosh and red clover. Other popular dietary changes include eating wild yams, chasteberry, and licorice.
The above-listed options are the best choices for women experiencing mild or infrequent hot flashes. Even without treatment, these hot flashes usually subside within a year's time. However, if you are experiencing 8 or more hot flashes every day, or you find them to be unbearable, your best choice may be hormonal treatment.
The most effective way to stop hot flashes is estrogen therapy, but this form of treatment has risks as well. It is normally taken in conjunction with the hormone progesterone. Some of the main risks of estrogen include heart disease, stroke, blood clots, and breast cancer. Therefore, if you are already at risk for these conditions, you may want to reconsider your use of estrogen. Even if you were not previously at risk, it is important to use the lowest dose of estrogen possible, and to discontinue use as soon as the effects of menopause, including hot flashes, become bearable without treatment.
If estrogen and progesterone therapies are not medically sound options for you, there are other medications you may wish to pursue as well, although studies are still being done to find if they are safe and useful. One such option is taking antidepressants. In low doses, many menopausal women have used them to reduce hot flashes. However, they may have unwanted side effects as well. Gabapentin and clonidine, medications used to treat seizures and high blood pressure, respectively, are also being studied for their effectiveness in treating menopausal hot flashes.
Your doctor can give you more information on all the treatment options available if you find that you have begun suffering from hot flashes. This condition is common among women, and you do not need to continue suffering from the hot waves that flood your body during the day and the night sweats that disturb your sleep. Remember that this is one of the many changes you will see in your body during the menopause, and most will subside within a year.
Post Menopausal Hot Flashes
These are typically described as a feeling of hot flushing throughout the body and can make a woman out on a moderately hot day feel as though she's swathed in tropical heat. Even if everyone around her feels cold, she may feel like flinging wide all the windows and switching on the air conditioning. However, a mere moment later she may be, by contrast, shivering and cold, similar to the symptoms of a fever.
Nor do these hot flashes affect only the woman with menopause suffering them; they affect those close to them also, in particular male partners. It is common for these men to claim that their women are so warm beside them in bed that they require far fewer blankets as a result.
Sometimes the least of suffering hot flashes is the overpowering sensation of heat. Many women also experience dizziness, while others get heart palpitations alongside the hot flashes. Some also report feeling that their skin is crawling, while others even feel faint during the course of a hot flash. Fortunately this does not apply across the board though, as some women merely feel hot for a brief spell before the symptoms vanish totally, leaving them feeling OK.
Others, however, consider hot flashes a cause of exterme inconvenience and embarrassment, as some can last for ten minutes or even longer.
The cause of hot flashes is bodily motor instability. Research points to bodily temperature being under the control of the hypothalamus, which is found in the brain. This feature of the brain suffers serious hormonal fluctuations as a result of menopause, making the body unable to react with its usual responses.
Although these fluctuations are the prime cause of hot flashes, they can be made worse by factors like stress and bad eating habits. In addition, in areas which suffer higher pollution, in particular xeno-estrogens or synthetic estrogens, women have a higher rate of hot flashes. There is research to suggest that women in industrialized countries suffer a threefold higher rate of hot flashes than their Third World counterparts.
Other causes of hot flashes include common foods and drinks: in particular alcohol and caffeine, even spicy food. All three can be factors for most women, while others may find hard exercise can bring on an unwanted hot flash. Those unluckier still, will find theirs occurs totally without provocation or warning.
The usual timespan for hot flashes is about 5 years. It has been known for some women to suffer them for as long as one to two decades, though in compensation their severity tends to decrease with time.
Only 3% of women are unfortunate enough to suffer hot flashes for more than 15 years. Heredity is a factor in predicting how badly women will suffer with hot flashes. For example, they seem worse in those who don't sweat, have very limited body fat, or who don't undergo natural menopause.
If you suffer hot flashes that are too intense or frequent, be sure to consult with your physician over methods of controlling the problem. It is important not to suffer this debilitating and inhibiting condition in silence.
Both Kathryn Whittaker & Jay George are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
