Hot Flashes
A hot flash is a sudden, intense, hot feeling on your face and upper body. Hot flashes can be accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, sweating, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, headache, weakness, or a feeling of suffocation, followed by chills. Hot flashes are caused by less estrogen circulating throughout your body. When estrogen levels drop or estrogen receptors are blocked due to certain medications, the body’s temperature control system gets confused and the result is hot flashes.
Hot flashes are a symptom of menopause. Hot flashes can be intense for some women. When menopause has been medically induced some women feel it is the culprit of the intensity.
Managing hot flashes
If you’re taking hormonal therapy and want to stop talk to your doctor. Let them know your preferences for treatment and suggest what you would like to try. If you are considering Femmerol, direct them to the website or print out information such as the ingredient list and clinical study. Keep in mind not all doctors are aware of natural treatments and the more information you are able to give them the better they can partner with you for your symptom relief.
You can also try these tips to ease hot flashes:
- Avoid hot flash triggers such as stress, cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, diet pills, spicy food, hot food or drink, hot tubs, saunas, hot showers, hot rooms, and hot weather.
- Reduce the fat in your diet. Over time, a low-fat diet helps some people with hot flashes. Losing excess weight helps, but losing too much weight, or being too thin, can make hot flashes worse.
- Dress in layers so you can peel off one layer after another as you get warmer.
- Don’t wear heavy or thick fabrics such as wool, synthetics, or silk. Wear loose and airy fabrics such as cotton, linen, and rayon.
- Keep ice water nearby so you can sip it to cool down. Pack a small cooler full of cold water to carry with you.
- Lower the room temperature by turning down the thermostat, turning on the air conditioner, or turning on the ceiling fan.
- Sleep in cotton pajamas or a nightgown. If you have hot flashes and perspire at night, the nightclothes are easier to change than the sheets.
- Put cotton sheets on your bed. Cotton soaks up sweat and dries quickly.
- Take a cool shower before going to bed.
- Consider techniques that may help include meditation, massage, yoga, and acupuncture.
- Be patient. Your body is going through changes. Take care of yourself, keep it natural and you’ll feel more like yourself again.
