For some women, it can feel like being immersed in a volcano. It might start with a feeling of being a little warm, followed quickly by feeling severely overheated. Sweat can pour down your face and run down your back. Your face might become a glowy red, your heart might be racing, trying to cool you down. Your first hot flash might start in perimenopause and continue after menopause. It’s a common symptom of menopause: 75% of menopausal women experience them. And it might be the thing that gets you to make an appointment with your healthcare provider to talk about finding relief.
If you experience a hot flash during the night, then you are having a night sweat. It is the same thing, but way more disruptive to your night’s rest.
Hot flashes and night sweats are categorized as vasomotor symptoms
What are the other vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause?
- Hot flushes: similar to hot flashes but usually limited to the upper part of the body feeling hot and the skin reddening, often followed by
- Chills: after all that heat your body might overcorrect and in the attempt to cool you down (sweating) you get too cool and get chills, shaking, goosebumps
- Palpitations: will sometimes accompany hot flashes and hot flushes, feels like your heart is pounding, irregularly, and might make you feel anxious
- Sweating: either as a result of physical exertion or without any physical exertion, sweating might lead you to run into your closet for some dry clothes; both inconvenient and uncomfortable
The exact cause of hot flashes is not fully understood, but they are believed to result from changes in the brain’s hypothalamus, the area that regulates body temperature. Declining estrogen levels during menopause affect the hypothalamus’s ability to maintain stable body temperature, causing the body to overreact to slight increases in temperature and trigger a hot flash.
Sometimes different factors such as stress, spicy foods, caffeine, and alcohol can exaggerate vasomotor symptoms.
Okay, so what can you do?
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): HRT is a common and effective treatment for managing vasomotor symptoms. It involves supplementing the body with estrogen (and usually progesterone) to compensate for the hormones no longer produced after menopause. If you are within 10 years of your last period, post menopause, you may be a candidate for HRT. [The therapy is also used starting in perimenopause for relief from perimenopause symptoms…]
The recommended way of using HRT involves wearing an estradiol skin patch that you change twice a week and taking a progesterone pill each night (if you have a uterus), supplemented with estradiol cream that you can insert, vaginally.
- Benefits: HRT can significantly reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes and night sweats, improve sleep quality, and enhance overall quality of life, longevity, and even decrease the risk of cancer and heart disease.
- Risks: There are potential risks associated with HRT. These risks vary depending on individual health factors and the type of HRT used. Therefore, it is crucial to discuss with a healthcare provider to determine if HRT is suitable.
Lifestyle Changes: You can also try some lifestyle changes to manage hot flashes.
For instance, a diet rich in phytoestrogens (soy products, flaxseeds, lentils, chickpeas and whole grains) can help balance your estrogen levels. Experiment with avoiding foods that may trigger hot flashes (such as spicy food, caffeine and alcohol).
Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water to help regulate your body temperature.
Wear clothing that is light and breathable, dressing in layers to throw on and off as your hot flashes come and go. Try cooling sheets, pajamas and pillows for relief from night sweats.
Stay consistent in an exercise schedule including walking in nature, yoga or swimming as that can help regulate the severity and frequency of hot flashes
You have been told to reduce your stress (likely 100 times?) but here is another place where doing so can really help reduce the effects of menopause. Can you lessen how much you rush around? Can you start a mindfullness practice such as meditation, journaling and deep breathing? Can you avoid what stresses you out the most? Ugh, its not easy because life is complicated but you can honor your body by trying to answer for reducing stress.
There are some herbal remedies used for managing hot flash symptoms that work for some women. Consult with healthcare provider about using black cohash, red clover or evening primrose oil to see if it provides relief for you. Other holistic healthcare options include using acupuncture for relief from hot flashes, though more study is needed.
Have you had a hot flash? A hot flush? Palpitations?
Me, too.
I thought I had something wrong with my heart when I experienced palpitation in perimenopause. I went in for stress tests and wore a monitor to track when I was experiencing palpitations. There was little to no education available to me when I was starting perimenopause in the 1990s, so I had no way of knowing how common palpitations could be for women my age. I read a quote that palpitations are a top concern causing women to see their healthcare provider. If you have palpitations you are in good company.
It’s great to see there is more awareness around menopause. Now we just need more doctors and healthcare providers trained and ready to recognize and treat menopause symptoms. Now that you know, you can share with the women in your life. Share this with someone you know who is struggling with hot flashes and needs some ideas for feeling better.
Here are a few further resources to click if you’d like to read more:
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