Hot flashes can last from a few seconds to a few minutes; and in some cases is known to last half an hour to one hour. Most women have hot flashes and night sweat lasting from two months to two years, and in some rare cases they continue to have them for a decade, after menopause.
The severity of hot flashes that a woman experiences depends on the lifestyle and psychological factors. Some women really sweat, while others may only perspire. Following hot flashes, some women have headaches, feel dizzy, weak, tired or lose sleep, experience palpitations and skipped or erratic heartbeats. It is always advisable to consult your doctor, whether if these are symptoms of menopause or a sign of normal illness or a medical disorder.
Hot Flashes and Night Sweats - The Causes and Remedies Many women cope with hot flashes, while and others have difficult times. Hot flashes and night sweat can cause interrupted sleep, insomnia, panic attacks, anxiety and depression, among others. Categorized as mild, moderate or severe; mild hot flashes produce a feeling of warmth for less than a minute, and with little or no perspiration. Moderate flashes produce more warmth and a little perspiration and last for two to three minutes. Severe hot flashes produce intense heat and sweat, and last longer.
Spicy food, alcoholic drinks, hot drinks, white sugar (can also cause palpitations), hot weather, stress, hot tubs and saunas, tobacco, marijuana and unexpressed anger could cause hot flashes. Hot flashes are known to deplete Vitamin B, Vitamin C, magnesium and potassium in our bodies, and there is a need to increase the intake of these nutrients, including calcium. For mild hot flashes, a daily dosage of 400 to 800 IU of Vitamin E is recommended.
Most women start a daily dose of 600 to 800 IU of Vitamin E with Vitamin C, and when the flashes subside, take 400 IU. Vitamin E has been effective on 50% to 60% of women, and it takes around two to six weeks for the effects to show. Vitamin E is contraindicated with certain medical conditions, such as, diabetes, high blood pressure, or with rheumatic heart conditions, history of hypertension, etc, and it is advisable to seek a doctor's opinion.
250 mg Bioflavonoid, five to six times everyday, would help relieve hot flashes.
Hot Flashes and Night Sweats - In Non-Western Cultures Less than 10% of women in non-western cultures, such as, in Japan, Mexico, and India, experience hot flashes and night sweat. It has been linked to high soybean consumption, which stimulates estrogen production. Herbs, such as, ginseng, vitex agnus castii, licorice root, black cohosh, dong quai, blue cohosh, false unicorn and sarsaparilla, can alleviate hot flashes.
Get Relief for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats related to Menopause
It seems like the late 30's or early 40's should be when women can have the time of her lives. The kids are probably gone, or at least a little grown up, and the career choices have been made.
Unfortunately, your hormones will soon begin changing and you may soon start gong into menopause. While menopause should be a reason to celebrate (no more monthly cycles), many women experience irritating side effects when there is less of the hormone estrogen in the system. The most common side effect is hot flashes (or hot flushes, as some call them when they cause flushing or redness of the skin).
Only 15% of women do not suffer from hot flashes, for the rest of us, the flashes can last from five to fifteen minutes at a time. Medical professionals have not determined how to tell how long (in months) they will continue. Because the body is trying to compensate to the lower estrogen levels, as soon as it figures out the proper adjustment, the hot flashes will stop.
One way medical science has decided to compensate is with Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), which calls for a prescription of Estrogen pills, or a skin patch, to help estrogen levels go back to where they once were. Unfortunately, once you stop taking the pills, your body has to try to compensate again, and the hot flashes will reoccur. However, it is sometimes possible to decrease the dose of estrogen gradually, allowing the body to adjust more slowly.
But there are there natural alternatives for chemical HRT. And it's sad that less than two percent of doctors even mention alternative therapies (maybe because the pharmaceuticals make more money on the Estrogen Replacement Therapy). Thousands of women have tested natural therapies and agree that they work! There are a few natural things you should consider if you're not ready to put another chemical into your body.
Natural Care for Hot Flashes or Night Sweats
When hot flashes occur at night, you will experience night sweats (or worse yet, cold sweats). In the worst cases, sweating can get excessive and soak bedding and nightgowns. Here are a few things that you can do stay as comfortable as possible.
During the day, dress in layers so you can remove items, and put them back on when the hot flash is finished.
At night, wear cotton underwear and gowns that will absorb perspiration. These keep you cooler than synthetic garments.
Most importantly, start keeping a record of your daily routine and try to determine when you are most likely to get a hot flash. Certain foods or drinks can cause an increase in the amount and severity of the hot flash. Watch out for alcohol (especially red wine), caffeine, sugar, fatty dairy products, salt, spicy foods, saturated oils and monosodium glutamate (added to prepared foods to enhance flavor).
Last but not least, there are some herbs that contain healthy compounds that have proven to be affective. One of the main herbs is Black Cohosh, which is a thoroughly researched herb containing phytoestrogens and is approved by the German 'Kommission E" - a body similar to the FDA. You can find Black Cohosh in the appropriate portions in MellowPause.
In the case of severe menopausal symptoms, it is recommend that MellowPause be taken together with Dong Quai, which has been used for many centuries in traditional Chinese medicine.
In time this too shall pass. Menopause usually ends by the age of 51; but hot flashes may, if you're lucky, end much sooner than that.
Both Cathy Taylor & Evelyn Grazini 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.
Cathy Taylor has sinced written about articles on various topics from Yoga Practice, Pregnancy Problems and Food And Drink. Cathy Taylor is a marketing consultant and freelance writer and can be reached at . Cathy Taylor's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.
Evelyn Grazini has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Colon Cleanse and E Books. Evelyn Grazini is a Health and Wellness Researcher, and the Editor at “911 Menopause,” the site for Free reports on Natural relief methods for menopause symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats.. Evelyn Grazini's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.