Hot flashes during menopause
 Hot flashes during menopause are a feeling of sudden, intense heat in the upper body. They often make a woman look flushed and can quicken her heartbeat. Hot flashes during menopause are often followed by a bout of heavy sweating or chills and shivering. There´s no rule about how many hot flashes a woman will experience in one day as every woman´s experience of hot flashes during menopause is different. What is certain is that hot flashes during menopause can be mild or severe and in the worst cases, women are forced to seek appropriate treatment. Thankfully, there are many ways to effectively deal with hot flashes during menopause. Find out more about this by reading below.
What causes hot flashes during menopause?
The precise cause of hot flashes during menopause is still unknown but it´s thought that the hypothalamus (the part of the brain that regulates body temperature) goes into overdrive due to falling estrogen levels that occur during the menopausal transition. Detecting an increased body temperature, the hypothalamus does not function as normal and consequently chemicals are released that cause the skin blood vessels to dilate. Heat is released in this way and hot flashes during menopause result.
Typically, hot flashes during menopause begin one or two years before a woman's last period and they can last anywhere from six months to fifteen years after menopause. It´s possible that women have to deal with hot flashes well into old age.
There are numerous triggers of hot flashes during menopause, so avoiding these is a good way for women to restrict their hot flashes during menopause.
Common Triggers
 • Warm environments (i.e. hot weather, rooms, beds, saunas, and showers).
• Appliances (e.g. fireplaces, hair dryers, heaters).
• Stress and anxiety.
• Hot and spicy foods and hot drinks.
• Smoking.
• Too much caffeine, alcohol, and sugar.
• Diet pills.
Read on to find out how to manage hot flashes during menopause.
How to deal with hot flashes during menopause
As well as steering clear of the triggers listed above, women can combat hot flashes in three main ways:
• Lifestyle changes.
• Alternative medicine.
• Drugs and surgery.
It´s recommended that women being with the least risky option of making certain lifestyle changes in trying to relieve hot flashes during menopause. Drugs and surgery is an extreme solution and is not usually suggested.
Lifestyle changes basically involve eating more healthily, getting more exercise and reducing stress levels. Such changes will help to keep women healthy and this in itself can alleviate hot flashes during menopause.
If a woman combines a healthier lifestyle with a herbal remedy then she is more likely to be successful in relieving her hot flashes during menopause. Non-estrogenic herbs are best as they work naturally in the body encouraging its own production of hormones, thus helping to restore hormonal balance. Macafem is a good example of such a herb. Natural treatments for hot flashes during menopause have a much lower risk of side effects, compared to medical hormonal treatments.
The following tips can also help women to find relief from hot flashes during menopause:
 • Wear suitable clothing.
• Avoid food and drinks that may prompt excessive sweating.
• Keep your bedroom cool.
• Stop smoking.
• Lose weight.
• Stay positive.
Treatment for Hot Flashes
Three levels of approaches can be considered for treating hot flashes after age 60: (1)lifestyle changes, (2)alternative approaches and (3)drugs and surgery. The safest way is to start with the least risky approach and go on to the next level only if it is necessary. Click on the following link to read and learn more specifics about the different options for the treatment of Hot Flashes.
To learn more about Hot Flashes  SOURCES:
• JAMA - Internal Medicine, 295: 2057 - 2071.
|
