Menopause, How to Cope Hot Flashes And Night Sweats?
Hot Flashes and Night Sweats:
The fact is that there are more menopausal women now than at any other time in history. Research indicates that fully forty million women will enter menopause within the next twenty years. hot flashes
Fortunately, there is more information available now than ever before to help guide women through these troubling times. Unfortunately, there is also an equal amount of semi-factual and misleading information on the topic, and information dispensed from those with their own agenda. hot flashes
Hot Flashes and Sweats are the most common and bothersome complaints of women approaching menopause. They frequently begin up to five years before periods stop and can last for another five years after. in this article, we will talk about hot flushes and night sweats, the causes, treatments, and best solutions to relieve symptoms of menopause.
1. Hot Flashes:
At the onset, hot flashes often occur just before or during menstrual periods. They can range from mild, to severe and debilitating. They are often described as a sudden wave of heat moving through the body, from the chest to the neck, face, and scalp.
The skin of the neck and face can flush red. HF can also be experienced across the breasts, below the breasts, or as a surge of heat over the entire body. The wave of heat is generally followed by sweating.
Who is Affected?
This sweating can range from light perspiration to heavy sweating and chills. Intense hot flashes may also be associated with a racing heart, tingling in the hands, and nausea.
- Nearly 80% of women suffer hot flushes (HF) to some degree during the transition to menopause.
- 30% of women report HF to be severe enough to significantly disrupt their quality of life.
- In 10% of women, HF is experienced up to ten years after their menstrual periods stop.
- HF affects 75% of women over age 50.
Causes of Hot Flashes:
The reason for hot flashes is actually quite simple.
Dropping levels of estrogen and progesterone throws off a part of the brain that regulates your body temperature. The brain gets confused and misreads changes in your body temperature, thinking that a crisis is at hand. Typically it thinks that you are overheating. In order to avert the crisis, the brain instigates emergency measures to cool you down. The end result is a hot flush followed by sweats. It may sound crazy, but that’s the reason in a nutshell.
Triggers:
Hot flashes usually affect women who are approaching menopause and are thought to be caused by changes in your hormone levels affecting your body’s temperature control. They can happen without warning throughout the day and night, but can also be triggered by:
- Eating certain foods – such as spicy foods or those containing monosodium glutamate (MSG).
- Drinking alcohol or coffee.
- Wearing woolly jumpers – especially polo necks.
- A fever.
- Feeling stressed.
- Anxiety or a panic disorder.
- Treatment for certain types of cancer.
- Certain medications.
- Hot food, hot tubs, saunas, hot showers, hotbeds, hot rooms, hot weather, smoking.
- Some health conditions such as an overactive thyroid, diabetes, tuberculosis, and certain types of cancer.
When to See A Doctor:
Hot flashes are usually harmless. But you should talk to your doctor if you are having other symptoms as well, such as feeling generally unwell, fatigue, weakness, weight loss, or diarrhea. Women often describe a hot flash as a creeping feeling of intense warmth that quickly spreads across your whole body and face “right up to your brow”.
Now let’s look at the whole process in more detail.
I. Hormonal changes during peri-menopause and menopause:
During the reproductive years, we experience the cycling of hormones month to month. At the beginning of each cycle, estrogen dominates and as a result, the uterus prepares for possible fertilization of an egg. Towards the end of the month, the rise of progesterone stabilizes the uterus.
The rise and fall of these two hormones are orchestrated by another set of hormones that are released by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus monitors the levels of estrogen and progesterone. It secretes follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to stimulate the ovaries to release more estrogen. It secretes luteinizing hormone to get the ovaries to release more progesterone.
Eventually,
The ovaries tire out and the secretion of estrogen and progesterone begins to drop. In an effort to keep estrogen levels up, the brain (hypothalamus) secretes higher levels of FSH. Because the ovaries don’t respond with the appropriate increase in estrogen, the brain secretes even more FSH.
The high levels of FSH are thought by researchers to disrupt this area of the brain. Nearby the part of the brain that monitors and regulates the ovaries, is the body’s temperature control center. The brain disruption (from high levels of FSH) spreads to the area that monitors and regulates the body’s temperature.
The temperature control center loses its ability to accurately monitor body temperature. Researchers refer to this as a narrowing of the thermal zone. It means that your body no longer tolerates more than slight fluctuations of body temperature.
B. Hot Flashes Are Designed To Control Body Temperature:
When the brain senses that your body temperature is rising too high, it initiates a hot flush followed by sweats. The effect of these is to cool your body temperature. First blood vessels near the skin are dilated so that blood rushes to the skin. Heat radiates from the skin out into the environment, cooling us down. This is the hot flash (sometimes referred to as a hot flush). Immediately the brain initiates the release of perspiration from the skin.
The perspiration can be so much that some women describe being drenched in sweat after a hot flash. When the perspiration evaporates from the skin it cools us down, further lowering body temperature.
The good news is that,
- A hot flash and the subsequent sweats are not a serious condition or a sign of a serious health problem.
- It simply reflects a disruption of brain regulation of body temperature.
- That is not to say that hot flashes and sweats aren’t bothersome or even disabling.
- Hot flashes are a stressful event which when severe, can be followed by anxiety and even disorientation.
Lifestyle Changes to Improve Hot Flashes:
Before considering medication, first, try making changes to your lifestyle. Doctors recommend women make changes like these for at least 3 months before starting any medication.
If hot flashes are keeping you up at night, keep your bedroom cooler and try drinking small amounts of cold water before bed. Layer your bedding so it can be adjusted as needed. Some women find a device called a bed fan helpful.
Here are some other lifestyle changes you can make:
- Dress in layers, which can be removed at the start of a hot flash.
- Carry a portable fan to use when a hot flash strikes.
- Avoid alcohol, spicy foods, and caffeine. These can make menopausal symptoms worse.
- If you smoke, try to quit, not only for menopausal symptoms but for your overall health.
- Try to maintain a healthy weight. Women who are overweight or obese may experience more frequent and severe hot flashes.
- Try mind-body practices like yoga or other self-calming techniques. Early-stage research has shown that mindfulness meditation, yoga, and tai chi may help improve menopausal symptoms.
What Is Relaxation Breathing?
Deep breathing, relaxation breathing, and paced respiration all refer to a method used to reduce stress. It involves breathing in (inhaling) deeply and breathing out (exhaling) at an even pace.
- Do this for several minutes while in a comfortable position.
- You should slowly breathe in through your nose.
- With a hand on your stomach right below your ribs, you should first feel your stomach push your hand out, and then your chest should fill.
- Slowly exhale through your mouth, first letting your lungs empty and then feeling your stomach sink back.
- You can do this almost anywhere and several times during the day, whenever you feel stressed.
- You can also try this if you feel a hot flash beginning or if you need to relax before falling asleep.
Hot Flashes Treatment:
The most effective treatment for hot flashes is hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which usually completely gets rid of them.
- Your doctor will talk to you about the benefits and risks of using HRT.
- If you have had a type of cancer that is sensitive to hormones, such as breast cancer, your doctor will not recommend HRT and will talk to you about alternatives.
- Other medicines have been shown to help, including vitamin E supplements, some antidepressants, and a drug called gabapentin, which is usually used to treat seizures.
Medications:
A. Non-Hormone Options for Treating Hot Flashes:
If lifestyle changes are not enough to improve your symptoms, non-hormone options for managing hot flashes may work for you. They may be a good choice if you are unable to take hormones or if you are worried about their potential risks.
- Women who use an antidepressant to help manage hot flashes generally take a lower dose than people who use the medication to treat depression.
- Side effects depend on the type of antidepressant you take and can include dizziness, headache, nausea, jitteriness, or drowsiness.
- As with any medication, talk with your doctor about whether this is the right medication for you and how you can manage any possible side effects.
B. Treating Hot Flashes and Night Sweats with Hormones:
Some women may choose to take hormones to treat their hot flashes. A hormone is a chemical substance made by an organ like the thyroid gland or ovary. During the menopausal transition, the ovaries begin to work less and less well, and the production of hormones like estrogen and progesterone declines over time. It is believed that such changes cause hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms.
- Hormone therapy steadies the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body.
- It is a very effective treatment for hot flashes in women who are able to use it.
- There are risks associated with taking hormones, including increased risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots, breast cancer, gallbladder disease, and dementia.
- The risks vary by a woman’s age and whether she has had a hysterectomy.
- Women are encouraged to discuss the risks with their healthcare providers.
Women who still have a uterus should take estrogen combined with progesterone or another therapy to protect the uterus. Progesterone is added to estrogen to protect the uterus against cancer, but it also seems to increase the risk of blood clots and stroke. Hormones should be used at the lowest dose that is effective for the shortest period of time possible.
Some women should not use hormones for their hot flashes. You should not take hormones for menopausal symptoms if You have had:
- Certain kinds of cancers, like breast cancer or uterine cancer.
- A stroke or heart attack, or you have a strong family history of stroke or heart disease.
- Blood clots.
- Problems with vaginal bleeding or have a bleeding disorder.
- liver disease.
- Allergic reactions to hormone medications
- If you think you are pregnant or may become pregnant.
Talk with your doctor to find out if taking hormones to treat your symptoms is right for you.
Complimentary “Natural” Therapies For Hot Flashes:
Women often turn to complementary therapies as a “natural” way to treat their hot flushes.
There have been small studies indicating that:
- Acupuncture.
- Soy.
- Black cohosh.
- Red clover.
- Pine bark supplement.
- Folic acid.
- And evening primrose oil.
may help reduce hot flashes. But the research is patchy, the quality of the products can vary considerably, and the long-term safety of these therapies isn’t yet known.
It’s important to talk to your doctor before you take a complementary therapy because it may have side effects (for example, mix badly with other medicines you are taking (women taking anticoagulants should not take red clover). Be aware, too, that soy and red clover contain plant estrogens so may be unsafe for women who have had breast cancer.
2. Night Sweats:
Night sweats are an extension of hot flushes, experienced at night while trying to sleep. At the culmination of an HF, one begins to perspire. At night time this is experienced as sweating which can be so severe that one wakes up drenched in perspiration. These nighttime HF tend to disrupt sleep.
Problems With Sleeping,
is another symptom of perimenopause and menopause, that may be a direct result of night sweats, sleep problems, fatigue, and problems with memory. All of these complaints are thought to be associated with declines in the ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone. The severity of these complaints seems to be in direct proportion to the severity and frequency of hot flashes.
Causes of Night Sweats:
The most common reasons for night sweats are:
- Menopause symptoms.
- Anxiety.
- Medicines, some antidepressants, steroids, and painkillers.
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
- Alcohol or drug use.
- A harmless condition called hyperhidrosis makes you sweat too much all the time.
- Sometimes Unknown.
Night Sweats Treatment:
Depending on individual needs, doctors may recommend medication to prevent or treat osteoporosis. Several medications are available that help reduces bone loss and the risk of fractures. Your doctor might prescribe vitamin D supplements to help strengthen bones.
Here are some Effective Tips For Hot Flashes And Night Sweats: hot flashes
If you experience hot flashes and night sweats as a result of menopause, simple measures may sometimes help, such as:
- Wearing light clothing.
- Keeping your bedroom cool at night.
- Taking a cool shower, using a fan, or having a cold drink.
- Trying to reduce your stress levels.
- Avoiding potential triggers, such as spicy food, caffeine, smoking, and alcohol.
- Taking regular exercise and losing weight if you’re overweight.
Overall, you should watch your diet very closely and try to avoid fatty foods as often as possible as some women have reported a change in diet can have great benefits in reducing the effects of hot flashes.
Some dietary changes we recommend:
A diet rich in Phyto-Estrogen is very healthy. After all, what would we eat?
- Beans.
- Whole grain.
- Sprouts.
- Berries.
- Nuts.
- Seeds.
Remember, natural remedies for hot flashes are the best choice and it is our belief that hot flashes can be a thing of the past if you adhere to the advice in this article and put into practice our recommendations.
If you find this article useful, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family, as you might help someone in need. Thanks.
Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment of any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”
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