Hot Flashes Concerning Menopause

For many women, recurring hot flashes are an early sign that they are nearing the end of their reproductive years. Hot flashes (or hot flushes) can be inconvenient and uncomfortable, but women have the power to fully understand their origin and possible treatments.

About Hot Flashes & Menopause

Menopausal hot flashes are bursts of intense, quickly retreating heat that women approaching menopause frequently experience. As many as 75-85% of American women experience hot flashes during the years preceding and even the years immediately following menopause.

Typically, hot flashes can be characterized by the following symptoms:

• Flushed or warm skin.
• Sudden, profuse perspiration.
• Sudden feeling of intense heat.
• Headache.
• Nausea.
• Rapid heartbeat or pulse.
• Chills.

Many women also experience night sweats, which are hot flashes that occur while a woman is sleeping. Night sweats can be characterized by the same symptoms as hot flashes, although many women don't realize that they've experienced one until they've awoken in damp sheets.

Causes of Hot Flashes during Menopause

As with most bodily changes surrounding menopause, the root cause of hot flashes is changing hormone levels and frequent hormone imbalances. During menopause, the levels of the hormone estrogen rise and fall inexplicably, leading to the myriad of changes that accompany menopause.

Low estrogen levels have a huge impact on the hypothalamus -the region of the brain responsible for regulating body temperature. So, when estrogen dips quite low, the hypothalamus reacts by regulating a woman's body temperature in an erratic and extreme way.

There are other potential causes of hot flashes unrelated to menopause. Women who think they may be at risk for any of the following should check with their doctors:

• Certain medications (eg. Tamoxifen, Raloxifene).
• Diabetes.
• Infection.
• Cancer.
• Thyroid disease.
• Obesity.
• Hyperhidrosis.
• Panic disorders.

Managing Hot Flashes during Menopause

Although they can be troublesome, hot flashes during menopause are relatively easy to manage. Incorporating a few key changes can bring women much-needed relief by reducing the frequency and intensity of hot flashes.

Temperature regulation
Often, all women need to do to help alleviate their hot flashes is to open some windows, turn on a fan or the air conditioning, and drink cool beverages.

Dressing cool
Yes, being on trend is always a plus, but dressing cool really means keeping fabrics light and breathable and, during the winter months, layering warmer items over cooler.

Not rushing around
Women who move in a more leisurely manner -no brisk walking, running, or jogging to work -are less likely to experience intense hot flashes.

More Information about Hot Flashes & Menopause

Women who want to take more control over their hot flashes -and any other menopause-induced changes- have many options for possible treatment. Categorized into three levels of intensity, these are:

• Lifestyle changes.
• Alternative medicines.
• Prescription drugs.

Women should explore these options to discover the right hot flashes treatment path for them.

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