Hot Flashes got you down?

Hot flashes are the most frequent symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. Hot flashes occur in more than two-thirds of North American women during perimenopause and almost all women with induced menopause or premature menopause.

Hot flashes are sudden feelings of warmth, which are usually most intense over the face, neck and chest. Your skin may redden, just as if you were blushing. When Hot flashes Got You Down they can also cause profuse sweating and may leave you chilled.

Although other hormonal conditions can cause them, hot flashes most commonly are due to menopause — the time of life when a woman’s menstrual periods stop.

Some menopausal women may experience both standard hot flashes and a second type sometimes referred to as “slow hot flashes” or “ember flashes”. The standard hot flash comes on rapidly, sometimes reaching maximum intensity in as little as a minute. It lasts at full intensity for only a few minutes before gradually fading.

Slow “ember” flashes appear almost as quickly but are less intense and last for around half an hour. Women who experience them may undergo them year-round, rather than primarily in the summer, and ember flashes may linger for years after the more intense hot flashes have passed.

Lifestyle changes
Researchers find that women with hot flashes have more sensitive thermostats in their brain, so are
comfortable only in a small range of temperatures. Staying cool and reducing stress are the principal
lifestyle changes to treat your hot flashes.
• Avoid warm rooms, hot drinks, hot foods, alcohol, caffeine, bright lights, excess stress, and cigarette
smoking. Wear layers of clothing made from light, breathable fabrics, removing a layer or two when
you’re hot, and replacing them when you’re cooler. Cooling products, including sprays, gels, cooling
bed linens, wicking sleepwear, and the Chillow pillow may be helpful.
• To reduce stress and promote more restful sleep, exercise regularly, but not too close to bedtime.
Meditation, yoga, qigong, tai chi, biofeedback, acupuncture, or massage also will lower your stress
levels.
• When a hot flash is starting, try “paced respiration”—slow, deep, abdominal breathing, in through
your nose and out through your mouth. Breathe only 5-7 times per minute, much more slowly than
usual.
• Try different strategies to stay cool while sleeping. Dress in light, breathable nightclothes. Use
layered bedding that can be easily removed during the night. Cool down with a bedside fan. Keep a
frozen cold pack or bag of frozen peas under your pillow, and turn the pillow often so that your head
is always resting on a cool surface. If you wake at night, sip cool water. Try different techniques for
getting back to sleep, such as meditation, paced respiration, or getting out of bed and reading until
you become sleepy.
• Women who are overweight have more hot flashes, so maintain a healthy weight and exercise
regularly to decrease bothersome hot flashes and improve your overall health.

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