Hot flashes treatments
Hot flashes treatments

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Hot flashes treatments

How to treat hot flashes

hot flashes flushHot flashes are one of the most common and irksome symptoms of menopause. For those who have experienced hot flashes, the symptoms outlined below will probably be all too familiar. For those who havenīt experienced them, an unexpected episode can be quite distressing and it is worth familiarizing yourself with some of the causes of hot flashes before seeking treatments. Read on to get more information about hot flashes and their treatments.

What are hot flashes?

Treating hot flashes:
Increasing your level of activity can reduce hot flashes and have a beneficial impact on just about every symptom attributed to menopause!

Hot flashes are characterized by a sudden, intense feeling of heat on the face and upper part of the body. They can be accompanied by feelings of weakness, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, along with sweating and an accelerated heartbeat. The hot flash is often followed by a flush, leaving the sufferer with reddened skin and covered in perspiration. Whilst the length and intensity of hot flashes can be different between women, a common description of hot flashes is of feeling "flushed". It is conventionally agreed that the quicker a woman transitions from regular to no menstrual periods, the more powerful the hot flashes.

What causes hot flashes?

Quick Fact:
Researchers for the Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation have found that Vitamin E may help reduce the frequency and harshness of hot flashes during menopause.

Research tells us that hot flashes have a range of different causes. The most prevalent opinion to date on their source suggests that they are a result of a lowered production of the hormone estrogen due to menopause. Hot flashes have also been linked to lifestyle factors and medication. Put simply, decreased levels of estrogen have a strange impact on the brainīs internal regulator, the hypothalamus, and confuse it into believing the body is too hot. To rectify this too hot status, the brain sends signals to the heart, blood vessels and nervous system to cool down, which it then does. The heart pumps faster, the blood vessels dilate and your sweat glands release sweat to cool you off. This accounts for the sensation of hot flashes.

What are some treatments for hot flashes?

Mercifully, there are several treatments available for women dealing with hot flashes. The most common, and arguably the most sensible advice concerns natural treatments and keeping the body fit and healthy. It is widely known that stress is a key elicitor in provoking hot flashes and therefore there are some practical stress reduction techniques that can be tried before seeking medical treatment.

Unfortunately, dealing with stress is all too common these days, but at least it means there are a range of methods that help in dealing with it. You may find that one of the following techniques helps minimize stress and the symptoms of hot flashes harneshhot flashes.

• Relaxation exercises
• Breathing exercises
• Meditation
• Visualization
• Massage
• Hypnosis
• Yoga
• Bio-feedback techniques.

In addition to relaxation techniques, changes in diet are also a proven treatment for hot flashes and hormonal imbalance. Over an extended period of time, a low-fat diet has been proven to help some women with hot flashes. Herbal solutions and foods containing soy may also work because of their plant estrogens. And though easier said than done, losing excess weight helps too.

Whilst healthy lifestyle solutions are obviously beneficial, some alternative medicines have proven to be a more specific response to the core problem of hormone imbalance. Often a combination of both is the most effective method of dealing with hot flashes. Click the following link in order to find the best treatments for hot flashes currently available.

Other Related Articles:
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What do hot flashes feel like?

Sources:
  • Sikon, Andrea and Holly Thacker M.D. "Treatment for Menopausal Hot Flashes". Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. July 2004: 71 (7).
  • "Hot flashes ... in January". Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2004: 170 (1).
  • Miller, Heather and Rose Maria Li, M.D. "Measuring Hot Flashes: Summary of a National Institutes of Health Workshop." Conference report. Mayo Clinic. June 2004: 79.