HOT! HOT! HOT!
Hot flushes can be daunting at any time of year, but when you are either living in a hot climate, or experiencing an unusually hot summer, then the environment and your body can seem to be conspiring to turn you into a heated puddle!
Hot flushes can start as a slight feeling of warmth but within minutes you are in your own personal tropical zone and we all know how uncomfortable, and sometimes embarrassing, that hot red face and sweaty body can be.
What causes hot flushes?
You need never feel alone with this as it is estimated that they occur in more than two-thirds of women during perimenopause/menopause. Also experienced by almost all women with a surgically induced menopause from a hysterectomy, or those who have gone into premature menopause for medical reasons.
The truth is that although we can put a man on the moon we don’t actually really know for certain what causes a woman to have a hot flush, but it may be related to changes in circulation.
They happen when the blood vessels near the skin’s surface dilate to cool and this is what is responsible for that red, flushed look in the face. In addition to the face, the body can start sweating to cool you down and sometimes women also experience a rapid heart rate or chills.
If you were hoping they were confined to menopause this sadly is not true – many pregnant women for instance also experience them – as one cause is clearly the fluctuation of hormones in the body.
Unfortunately although some lucky women only experience them for a very short time but others have them — at least to some degree — for life. The ‘slightly’ good news is that generally they are less severe as time passes, but because of the prevalence of oestrogen dominance women post menopause are also reporting that they are still suffering.
What can make flushes worse?
Every woman will have their own personal triggers, but there are some that are common to most of us.
1 Stress is the major culprit, and ironically just worrying about having a flush can bring one on. If certain situations always stress you, interviews, arguments, trying to do too much for instance, then they can all play havoc with your hormones.
Action is needed to identify the problem and take preventive action where you can but bioidentical natural progesterone has a calming effect so you might want to dab a little on the inside of your wrist when you start to feel pressured.
2 What you eat and drink can also make a huge difference to whether you are going to experience a hot flush. Some are obvious, like avoiding spicy, hot food – however much you love Indian or Thai cuisine – but others are not always so clear.
Even a slight allergic response or intolerance to a certain food such as gluten or artificial sweeteners can bring on a flush so keeping a food diary may help here.
Alcohol certainly affects many women and brings on a flush, as does caffeine. Avoiding coffee is not difficult, but there are many other sources such as chocolate and colas, many of which are very high in caffeine – avoiding those with ‘max’ in the title is usually a good idea.
If you are a smoker too you are more likely to experience hot flushes and there has also been a link suggested between diet pills and hot flushes as menopausal women try to shift the extra weight that can come at this time.
3 The environment also makes a difference as being in a too warm room, particularly the bedroom, can trigger a flush as can wearing clothing that is too tight so that heat is trapped against the body.
Also don’t forget about environmental triggers such as chemical ingredients in household and bathroom cleansers as well as pesticides and growth promotors used in agriculture so look for organic and natural products where you can.
Possible treatment
There are certainly no shortage of medications that are being used for hot flushes, but many women find them unacceptable because of their side effects.
You may be offered HRT, blood pressure medication, birth control pills, antidepressants, ibuprofen, synthetic hormones or (in the USA at least) an anti-seizure drug.
For most women the most effective method is to get oestrogen dominance under control and then to rebalance their hormones with bioidentical progesterone or a combination cream of progesterone and oestrogen if flushes are severe.
Herbal and homoeopathic supplements and vitamins can also help so include B complex and vitamin E and a specially designed menopause herbal supplement like Wellsprings menopause capsules which can be used alone or to enhance the effect of bioidentical creams.
There are simple methods such as carrying a fan, always wearing loose clothing and going for natural rather than synthetic fibres will all help keep you cooler.
In Australia they have neckerchiefs with a gel inside that you soak in water and put round your neck. The gel expands in the water to help you stay cool and you can find similar things online in the UK.
If bedtime is a problem – and when isn’t it with hot flushes – and so cooling gel pillow inserts, cool pads, or even a whole mattress topper if you are really suffering or pads are found helpful by many women and readily available online.
Helpful information:
http://www.bio-hormone-health.com/2017/01/20/why-women-get-hot-flushes-at-menopause/
http://www.bio-hormone-health.com/2016/01/25/night-sweats-and-what-to-do-about-them/
http://www.bio-hormone-health.com/2017/03/24/9-ways-stress-affects-your-health/
http://creativecatalyst.co.uk/product/hot-tips-for-hot-flushes/
http://creativecatalyst.co.uk/product/how-to-handle-stress-your-proven-action-plan/
AnnA Rushton, Editor of Bio-Hormone-Health, has written the following two ebooks to help with menopausal symptoms.
http://creativecatalyst.co.uk/product/hot-tips-for-hot-flushes/
http://creativecatalyst.co.uk/product/how-to-handle-stress-your-proven-action-plan/