It's the classic symptom of menopause: the heat on your face and upper body, sweating, and rapid heartbeat known to menopausal woman everywhere as hot flashes or, the nighttime version, night sweats. While some women only experience a little warmth, others women's hot flashes are accompanied by nausea, dizziness, muscle weakness, headaches, and a feeling of anxiety. Just because they're common, though, that doesn't mean you have to put up with them. Understanding the causes and treatments for hot flashes and night sweats can help you deal with this uncomfortable symptom.
Causes of hot flashes and night sweats
While just about every woman entering menopause knows what a hot flash is, not many can tell you exactly what causes hot flashes. As with most menopause symptoms, hormone fluctuations are the underlying cause, but it's little more complicated than that.
Estrogen regulates not only your reproductive cycle, but also your body temperature. This hormone, along with testosterone (yes, even in women), affects the hypothalamus, the segment that regulates your body temperature. Without the normal amount of estrogen, your hypothalamus gets the signal that you're too warm. Your body then starts doing it's best to cool you off by getting your heart pumping in order to increase blood flow to the skin, where the excess he can be let off. That leaves you a pounding pulse and sweating like it's 110 degrees out.
Treatment for hot flashes
The good news is that there are plenty of treatments for hot flashes. The place to start is with what you eat and drink. Stay away from caffeinated beverages, alcohol, and spicy foods as much as possible. Decreasing the fat in your diet may also help although the effects are slow to show up. You might also want to try increasing the amount of vitamin E and omega 3 fatty acids in your diet by eating more nuts, olive oil, and fish like salmon and trout.
Herbs for hot flashes
Natural remedies for hot flashes are also available. Herbs for hot flashes include licorice root, black cohosh, red raspberry leaves, chasteberry (Vitex), spearmint, motherwort, and wild yams
Evening primrose oil can also help stave off hot flashes, but this may only be because of the essential fatty acids it provides.
Products for hot flashes
If adjusting your diet and using herbal remedies doesn't help, consider a product for hot flashes that includes natural progesterone. These products are made from plants rich in phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) and have been shown to help some 80% of women who use them. Besides helping with hot flashes and night sweats, products like these have also been shown to lessen other menopause symptoms like insomnia and loss of libido.
With time, the intensity of menopause hot flashes decreases and eventually they'll stop altogether. That said, in around 30% of women, hot flashes can keep happening for years before and during menopause. If you'd rather not put up with regular hot flashes and night sweats, but aren't willing to resort to traditional medications, look into some of the herbal remedies or progesterone creams available.
Causes of hot flashes and night sweats
While just about every woman entering menopause knows what a hot flash is, not many can tell you exactly what causes hot flashes. As with most menopause symptoms, hormone fluctuations are the underlying cause, but it's little more complicated than that.
Estrogen regulates not only your reproductive cycle, but also your body temperature. This hormone, along with testosterone (yes, even in women), affects the hypothalamus, the segment that regulates your body temperature. Without the normal amount of estrogen, your hypothalamus gets the signal that you're too warm. Your body then starts doing it's best to cool you off by getting your heart pumping in order to increase blood flow to the skin, where the excess he can be let off. That leaves you a pounding pulse and sweating like it's 110 degrees out.
Treatment for hot flashes
The good news is that there are plenty of treatments for hot flashes. The place to start is with what you eat and drink. Stay away from caffeinated beverages, alcohol, and spicy foods as much as possible. Decreasing the fat in your diet may also help although the effects are slow to show up. You might also want to try increasing the amount of vitamin E and omega 3 fatty acids in your diet by eating more nuts, olive oil, and fish like salmon and trout.
Herbs for hot flashes
Natural remedies for hot flashes are also available. Herbs for hot flashes include licorice root, black cohosh, red raspberry leaves, chasteberry (Vitex), spearmint, motherwort, and wild yams
Evening primrose oil can also help stave off hot flashes, but this may only be because of the essential fatty acids it provides.
Products for hot flashes
If adjusting your diet and using herbal remedies doesn't help, consider a product for hot flashes that includes natural progesterone. These products are made from plants rich in phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) and have been shown to help some 80% of women who use them. Besides helping with hot flashes and night sweats, products like these have also been shown to lessen other menopause symptoms like insomnia and loss of libido.
With time, the intensity of menopause hot flashes decreases and eventually they'll stop altogether. That said, in around 30% of women, hot flashes can keep happening for years before and during menopause. If you'd rather not put up with regular hot flashes and night sweats, but aren't willing to resort to traditional medications, look into some of the herbal remedies or progesterone creams available.
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