Hot Flashes in Premenopause!
Hot flashes can make you want to move to Alaska and find an igloo, right? Or spend your day in front of a fan turned on high. Don't worry. The answer is "Yes" — you can minimize the symptoms and they will, eventually, go away. Hot flashes (and night sweats) are sudden feelings of being extremely over-heated—you may even break out in a sweat. But there's nothing "wrong" that needs to be fixed. For some women, they are a normal part of menopause. You can, however, lessen the symptoms. Hot flashes occur because of low estrogen levels and can last for less than a minute or several minutes. Women may experience them intermittently for several years as they go through the change of life. What can you do? First, and most importantly, try to maintain a healthy lifestyle and control stress. Avoid situations that prove likely to exacerbate the hot flashes.
One of my favorite resources, The Art of Natural Family Planning, Premenopause, Student Guide, (Couple to Couple League 2009, p.41), recommends these tips for dealing with hot flashes.
- Dress in layers so you can comfortably remove items of clothing during a hot flash.
- Avoid heavy blankets; use layers of lighter covers if necessary. Night sweats can disturb your sleep, so you want to minimize them as much as possible.
- Carry ice water, and avoid hot drinks that might provoke hot flashes.
- Keep a fan in your home and workplace to use as necessary.
- If you wish to avoid blushing during a hot flash, FCN [Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition] suggests the following: "Exhale and hold your breath as the hot flash comes on. This initiates a reflex that causes the blood vessels in your skin to constrict, counteracting the blood vessel dilation of the hot flash."
- If discomfort seems excessive, try the nutritional strategies in FCN, especially flax oil and vitamin E, or consult a physician.
If these suggestions don’t alleviate your discomfort, do talk to your doctor about other possible treatments such as hormone, anti-depressants, or over-the-counter remedies such as Estroven or Promersil.