What to do about hot flashes?

An intense heat washes over your body while sweat drips down your forehead. You feel the flush in your cheeks and your heart rate quickens. What is going on? You are experiencing a hot flash: a sudden wave of heat that many women experience during menopause. What exactly are hot flashes, how do they occur, and what can you do about them? In this article, you will find all the information you are looking for about hot flashes.

Imagine this: You are in the middle of an important meeting when suddenly a wave of heat rises to your head. You feel the heat spread through your body. It makes you uncomfortable. You try to concentrate, but you really can't anymore. A hot flash has taken hold of your body, making you sweat, flush, and feel generally unwell. Hot flashes can catch you off guard both during the day and at night. During the day, they are exhausting, and at night, they keep you awake.

Hot flashes are caused by fluctuations in your internal thermostat. There is an area in your brain that regulates your body temperature. During a hot flash, this system temporarily malfunctions. Hot flashes are especially common in women going through menopause. They are one of the most common symptoms of this stage of life.

No fewer than 75% of women going through menopause experience hot flashes[1]. How often they occur varies from woman to woman. Some women have a few hot flashes per month, while others have several every day.

Hot flashes are caused by hormonal changes in your body that occur during menopause. During menopause, you gradually produce less and less oestrogen: the female sex hormone. This causes your internal thermostat to become slightly confused. That is what causes the notorious hot flashes.

The part of your brain responsible for regulating the internal thermostat is called the hypothalamus. Normally, our body regulates body temperature through sweating and blood flow to the skin. But during menopause, this regulatory system can become confused, making it think that your body temperature is too high and that you need to cool down. This sends incorrect signals to your blood vessels and sweat glands. The result is a sudden feeling of heat and sweating: you are having a hot flash.

In addition to hormonal changes, other factors can also trigger hot flashes. Stress is a known culprit that can trigger hot flashes. During stressful situations, your body produces hormones, including adrenaline, which increase your heart rate and blood flow to your muscles. This can, in turn, lead to hot flashes. Keeping your stress levels under control is therefore one of the tips for managing hot flashes as much as possible. You can read more tips for hot flashes further down in this article.

The most common symptoms of a hot flash are sudden heat, sweating, and flushing of the skin. Some women also experience heart palpitations, dizziness, or sweating during hot flashes.

A hot flash usually subsides after 3 to 5 minutes. In some cases, they can last up to half an hour [2]. Some women experience hot flashes occasionally, while others deal with several every day. The period during which you experience hot flashes, menopause, can last from months to years. But rest assured, one day they will disappear.

As a result of hot flashes, you may experience irritability and fatigue. Especially when hot flashes keep you awake at night, they make you tired.

Other symptoms of menopause include:

• Mood swings;
• Sleep problems;
• Difficulty concentrating;
• Reduced libido;
• Joint problems;
• Heart palpitations;
• Headaches.

Read more here about menopausal symptoms >>

Or read all about the different stages of menopause here >>

Hot flashes are part of menopause, and as a woman, you simply have to go through this stage of life. But there are ways to manage hot flashes a little better and to feel more comfortable during this stage of your life. Adjusting your lifestyle can make a difference.

Here are some tips for limiting the number of hot flashes you experience and reducing discomfort when they do catch you off guard:

• Eat healthily and avoid foods that trigger hot flashes. This includes spicy foods, sugar, hot drinks (coffee and tea), and alcoholic beverages [3].
• Avoid stress. Reducing stress and ensuring you get enough relaxation helps with menopausal symptoms. Stress is a known factor that worsens menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. Relaxation exercises, meditation, or yoga, for example, can help you reduce stress.
• Wear loose-fitting clothing made from natural materials. Breathable clothing is very comfortable if you suffer a lot from hot flashes. Think of wool, bamboo, or cotton, for example.
• Dress in layers so you can take off a cardigan or blouse if you suddenly feel hot. Many women like being able to take something off when they have a hot flash. This is, of course, easier if you are wearing several thin layers instead of just a bra with a thick sweater over it.
• Phytoestrogens, or plant-based oestrogens, are plant hormones. Although it has not been scientifically proven, some women say they help with hot flashes. Phytoestrogens can be found in various foods, such as soy and legumes. Excessive amounts can cause side effects.
• Check your medications, as some medications can increase the likelihood of hot flashes. Discuss this with your pharmacist or GP. Never stop taking medication on your own.
• Keep a fan or mini fan in your bag. A cool breeze on your face can be very pleasant during a hot flash.

During menopause, unfortunately, hot flashes do not only affect women during the day. They often catch you off guard at night too. This is known as night sweats or nighttime hot flashes. Some women who suffer from night sweats are woken by a hot flash. Others wake up cold and drenched in sweat after having a nighttime hot flash. Night sweats can seriously disrupt your sleep. Especially if you have to change your nightwear and bed linen in the middle of the night because it is completely soaked with sweat. 

There are several things you can do to make nights a little more pleasant if you suffer from night sweats:

• Natural materials for your bed linen. As mentioned, it is wise to choose natural materials for your clothing. The same applies to your bed linen. Choose natural fabrics here too.
• Create a cool bedroom and ventilate well. Also make sure you have a well-ventilated mattress.
• Do not shower or bathe too hot before going to bed.
• Avoid coffee, tea, alcohol, and strongly spiced food before going to sleep. This can stimulate hot flashes.
• Prepare for the night. Some women lay out a wet towel or a cold compress next to their bed. By placing it on your neck, you can cool yourself down when you wake up at night from a hot flash. Also put a glass of water on your bedside table so you can quickly have a drink.
• A fan in your bedroom can be pleasant, especially in summer. Do not point the fan directly at your face, but find a pleasant angle for it to blow. Not everyone finds a fan in the bedroom equally pleasant.

If you have already adjusted your diet and lifestyle but would still like some extra support, you can consider a supplement. We know, among other things, that the herb black cohosh helps with hot flashes*. OvaBalance has specially formulated a supplement for menopause that contains black cohosh, among other things.

The Ovabalance Menoformula contains the plant extracts of black cohosh, Kudzu, Maca, and hop extract. Hop extract can help improve sleep* and reduce irritability*, because it has a calming effect. Black cohosh supports your body with nighttime sweating*, mood swings* and hot flashes*.

*Health claim awaiting European approval

Are you suffering from menopausal symptoms and also experiencing a lot of hot flashes? You can discuss with your GP whether treatment is an option for you. Here are some examples of the possibilities:

• Some women are prescribed hormone therapy to reduce hot flashes. But this treatment is not suitable for every woman.
• Another option is traditional acupuncture. This can cause the number of hot flashes and their intensity to decrease.[4]

If you notice that hot flashes and menopause are having a negative impact on your mental well-being, do not hesitate to seek professional help. A therapist can help you cope with any fears, worries, or mood swings that come with menopause. It is important to take your mental health as seriously as your physical health.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), for example, is known to reduce the physical symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes. Your GP can refer you to a psychologist or psychotherapist. CBT also works well for symptoms such as stress, depressive feelings, mood swings, and anxiety and panic symptoms. Symptoms that also occur regularly in women going through menopause.

It is good to remember that you are not alone in this stage. Every woman goes through menopause sooner or later. So many women are going through exactly the same thing as you right now. There are several online communities where you can share your experiences with other women in the same situation.

Read more about menopause? Here you will find all the articles about menopause together.

Sources:

[1] The Association of Nurse Menopause Consultants

[2] Thuisarts.nl

[3] Care for Women

[4] Lund KS, Siersma V, Brodersen J, et al Efficacy of a standardised acupuncture approach for women with bothersome menopausal symptoms: a pragmatic randomised study in primary care (the ACOM study) BMJ Open 2019;9:e023637. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023637