Hot Flashes

Hot Flashes

Hot flashes are characterized by heating sensations felt mostly in the chest, neck and the face. These flashes are mostly accompanied with sweating and can also cause the skin of these areas to redden as well. Hot flashes are mostly the result of menopause. However, there are other hormonal conditions that might also be held responsible for them. In most cases the hot flashes are experienced during the day time but they can also occur at night as well. Hot flashes can easily be treated using a number of treatment methods. Symptoms of Hot Flashes
Symptoms
The following symptoms are usually felt by a person during a hot flash.

• Heating sensation felt in the face that quickly spreads throughout the body.


• Excessive Sweating


• An increase in heartbeat


• Reddening of the skin


• A chilling sensation is felt once the hot flash is over

When to See a Doctor
Hot flashes are generally thought to be not much of a problem by women. However, if the frequency of the hot flashes increases so much so that it starts disrupting the daily routine then it becomes necessary to consult a doctor. Causes of Hot Flashes
Causes
Hormonal changes especially the depreciating levels of estrogen in the body when a woman nears menopause are considered to be the primary cause of hot flashes in most women. According to some researchers, a problem with the thermoregulation system of the body might be held responsible for the heating sensations that are felt during hot flashes however, there is no concrete evidence to back this statement. Hot flashes can also be caused as a result of a reaction to a drug or medicine that you are taking for another medical condition. Even though hot flashes are experienced mostly by women, some men might also get hot flashes. For instance, patients of Carcinoid Syndrome, a Tumor that affects the endocrine system, have to deal with hot flashes. Risk Factors
While the primary cause of hot flashes remains menopause, they are not experienced by all women going through this phase of their life. Women who have a greater risk of experiencing hot flashes have the following factors present in them.

• Smoking. If you are a regular smoker then you are at a higher risk of experiencing hot flashes.


• Obesity. Women that have a higher BMI (Body Mass Index) are most likely to get hot flashes than women with lower BMI.


• Physical Inactivity. Lack of exercise and physical activity is another factor that can increase the risk of hot flashes.


• Ethnicity. American women of African origin are most likely to experience hot flashes during menopause than European, Japanese or Chinese women.

Home Remedies for Hot Flashes
Women that are not too bothered by their hot flashes and do not want to take medications for it can treat them at home using the following remedies. 1. Keep Cool
Remaining hydrated and wearing light clothing that can be easily taken off are among the lifestyle changes that can help you in keeping cool and thus, decreasing the chances of getting hot flashes. Since hot flashes are mostly triggered by changes in temperature of your body, you can control their occurrence by simply lowering the temperature in your room through a fan or air-conditioner. 2. Watch Your Diet
Avoiding the consumption of excess amounts of coffee, alcohol and spicy foods can help you in lessening the chances of getting hot flashes. 3. Relax
Indulging in activities that relax your mind and body such as yoga and meditation can also help you a great deal in limiting hot flashes. 4. Quit Smoking
Smoking is injurious to health and is considered to be a major factor that increases the risk of hot flashes in women. Thus, quitting this habit can help you in quelling your hot flashes as well. 5. Use Alternative Supplements
The intake of the following medicine is considered an effective way of treating hot flashes by most women.

• Plant estrogens

Soy beans and red clover are used by Asian women for curbing the amount of hot flashes that are experienced during menopause. The effectiveness of these plant estrogens, however, has not been medically proven as of yet.

• Black cohosh

Most women consider the use of Black cohosh as a means of treating menopausal symptoms and hot flashes. Continued use of this supplement however can damage the liver.

• Ginseng

Ginseng is known to be quite effective in treating mood swings and sleeping disorders that are associated with menopause but has no effect on hot flashes.

• Dong quai

Dong quai is considered excellent for thinning the blood by increasing the efficacy of the blood thinning medications but does not reduce hot flashes.

• Kava

The use of Kava is a good way of reducing anxiety, but it is mostly ineffective when it comes to treating hot flashes. Medical Treatment for Hot Flashes
The use of the hormone estrogen is by far the best way of treating hot flashes. However, this treatment method has many side effects and leaves you open to many diseases. Thus, it is better to make use of antidepressants and drugs for controlling seizures to minimize the occurrence of hot flashes. Doctors mostly recommend women to not use any medication if their hot flashes do not bother them much. However, it is best to consult a treatment plan with your physician if the occurrence of hot flashes increases and do not go away in a year or two’s time. 1. Hormone Therapy
Doctors recommend the use of estrogen and progesterone which are both hormones for treating hot flashes. However, women that have had breast Cancer are advised not to use these hormones as they increase the risk of Heart Disease and cancer. 2. Antidepressants
The antidepressants that can be used for treating mild hot flashes include Venlafaxine, Paroxetine and Fluoxetine. These anti-depressants, however, should only be taken in low doses and after consulting with a doctor. 3. Other Prescription Medications
Gabapentin and Clonidine are among the prescription medications that can be used for reducing symptoms of hot flashes. Both these medicines have side-effects that include drowsiness, Headaches and Constipation.

Hot Flashes Early Pregnancy

Hot Flashes Early Pregnancy

During pregnancy, you'll see several changes and developments in your body, and experience many ups and downs. One condition you are likely to experience is the development of hot flashes, also known as hot flushes. These are usually linked with the menopause, but around 10% of pregnant women also experience hot flashes in early pregnancy.

What Do Hot Flashes FeelLike?
During a hot flash, a strong heat sensation will radiate out from your head and neck to the entire upper body. This typically lasts anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

As with other pregnancy symptoms, different women experience hot flashes early pregnancy in different ways, for example, at varying frequencies, intensities, and durations. Some women feel the heat spreading from the lower body instead of the upper body. During a hot flash, you may also experience Excessive Sweating, palpitations, and flushes over your face, neck, and chest.

However, you need to be aware of the difference between a hot flash and a fever. Fevers, usually indicative of infection, raise your body temperature, which hot flashes in early pregnancy don't. If you are concerned you may have a fever, take your body temperature, and if it is above the normal range, see a health professional as soon as possible.

Hot Flashes: Early Pregnancy Sign?
Hot flashes are often one of the first early pregnancy symptoms, and you can experience them right from conception. However, they are definitely not the most common early pregnancy characteristic and shouldn't be taken as a certain sign of pregnancy, particularly if they are your only symptom. You will need to check for other indications of early pregnancy, including:

• ŸSwollen and tender breasts. Your breasts may feel tight, tingly, and sore. This is because of increases in estrogen and progesterone hormone levels, preparing your breasts for breastfeeding. To ease the pain, ensure you wear a well-fitting bra.


• ŸSeverefatigue. You may have severe tiredness, comparable with that from flu. During pregnancy, you need lots of relaxation, so take time for rest and naps. You'll also benefit by going to bed early and cutting back your schedule.


• ŸHeightened sense of smell. Pregnancy hormones sharpen your sense of smell, particularly in the very beginning. This can cause morning sickness. Try carrying around a tissue with a few drops of aromatherapy oil to sniff whenever you smell something unpleasant.


• ŸLots of trips to the bathroom. Human chorionic hormone (hCG) secreted during pregnancy boosts blood flow to kidneys, causing increased water loss through urine. Furthermore, your uterus is already starting to grow, which puts extra pressure on your bladder.


• ŸInsomnia. Many pregnant women have trouble sleeping, particularly if they've woken up in the night-time. This can be partially due to increased urination and hot flashes in early pregnancy.


• ŸRestless Leg Syndrome. You may also feel as though you can't keep your legs still when you're trying to sleep. This is restless leg syndrome, and a quarter of pregnant women suffer from this.


• ŸMorning sickness. Want to know "Are hot flashes early pregnancy symptoms for sure?" Well, it is not sure. The most commonly known early symptoms of all is morning sickness. It usually develops in the first few weeks of pregnancy. However, it can happen any time of day – not just morning. Again, hormones are to blame.


• ŸDizziness. You may also experience dizzy feelings and light-headedness. This is due to changes in blood circulation during pregnancy. To prevent yourself fainting, eat regularly and avoid standing up for too long.


• ŸLower back pain. Changes in hormone levels loosen muscles. When combined with weight gain in pregnancy, this can cause backache. Pregnancy often brings pain around the spine (lumbar pain) or in the bottom and thighs (posterior pelvic pain).

In the following video, a mom has talked abouther experiences of early pregnancy symptoms which may help you a lot.

What Causes Hot Flashes During Early Pregnancy?
Pregnancy-related hot flashes are completely normal, with over half of pregnant women affected. They commonly occur in the first and second trimesters and happen about once a week.

Unfortunately, the exact cause of hot flashes in early pregnancy has not been found. Some scientists have suggested that they may be due to the effect of oscillating hormone levels on your brain. After conception, estrogen levels decrease markedly, which can increase Stress. This stimulates the synthesis and secretion of epinephrine and norepinephrine from the brain into the blood. These hormones may result in bodily heat sensations.

How to Deal With Hot Flashes During Pregnancy
Although you may feel embarrassed or uncomfortable with hot flashes in early pregnancy, bear in mind that in the majority of cases, they are harmless to your baby or you and you won't need any medical treatment. However, you can take the following measures to keep yourself feeling cool and comfortable:

• Wear loose clothing in layers, and then you can remove them one by one if you feel hot.


• Stick to clothes made from natural fibers (e.g. linen and cotton). These allow increased air circulation over the skin.


• To aid sleep, ensure your bedroom is at a nice cool temperature. To make sure your room doesn't heat up in the day, keep the curtains closed to prevent the sun coming in.


• Fill a spray bottle with water, and use this to regularly spritz your face for refreshment. Alternatively, you can carry a sandalwood or mini electric fan in your bag.


• You can also freshen up at work using disposable wipes.


• Fat tissue contains estrogen, so if you're overweight, try to lose those extra pounds.


• Some women find acupuncture helpful, but speak to your doctor before trying this treatment.


• Take as many showers as you need to freshen up.

Essential Oils for Hot Flashes

Essential Oils for Hot Flashes

Hot flashes refer to a condition when you experience sudden feelings of warmth, especially in the neck, face, and chest. Your face becomes red as if you are blushing. You may also experience profuse sweating followed by a feeling of being cold. Several hormonal conditions can result in hot flashes, but you usually experience them due to menopause, which is the time when your menstrual period stops. For most women, hot flashes are the most common symptom of menopause. Some women may experience a couple of hot flashes a day, while others have this feeling once an hour. You can try a number of ways to deal with bothersome hot flashes, and one great idea is to use essential oils.

6 Best Essential Oils for Hot Flashes
Essential oils offer numerous health benefits and many women have used them to see great results in dealing with symptoms of menopause. Just remember that for topical use, essential oils should first be diluted with a carrier oil such as sweet almond oil, avocado oil or olive oil to avoid skin irritation.

Here are some most popular options for you to consider:

Geranium

Geranium essential oil is extracted from the leaves and stems of the geranium plant. The process used for extraction is steam distillation that helps preserve healthy benefits of geranium in its oil. It has hemostatic, astringent, and cicatrisant properties and is a popular choice in aromatherapy for its several health benefits, including its ability to reduce symptoms of menopause.

How to use:This hormone balancing oil is quite effective for daytime use because you may find it quite stimulating. You can dilute it by mixing in a carrier oil or apply directly to the bottom of your feet. For better effects, apply it to your wrists and tummy (just draw a line with it across the bottom) after taking a shower in the morning.

Peppermint

Peppermint is one of the essential oils for hot flashes. It is a colorless oil with a distinctly penetrating aroma. It can have a relaxing or regulating effect on you depending on the circumstances in which you are using it. Peppermint oil is among the most powerful vasoconstrictors in aromatherapy and works great for relieving achy legs, tired hands and feet, and hot flashes.

How to use:You simply need to add 4 drops of this oil to a quart of water and keep it in your refrigerator. Leave it there for a couple of days but shake it well twice a day. Put the mixture in a bottle and soak a cloth in it and apply directly over the back of your neck and face whenever you experience hot flashes. Once done, drink the remaining mixture to experience great relief.

Clary Sage

Clary Sage essential oil is effective in dealing with premenstrual syndrome mainly because it contains natural phytoestrogens. With its mellow, warm scent, it relaxes your nerves and provides you with relief during menopause.

How to use:To enjoy its hormone balancing ability, you simply need to dilute it by adding 4ml of carrier oil to 15 drops of clary sage essential oil and keep it in a roll-on bottle. Just apply it on the bottom of each foot to sleep through the night without having to worry about hot flashes.

Lemongrass

Lemongrass, a highly fragrant plant with an impressive lemony smell, is one of the best essential oils for hot flashes. It has refreshing, renewing, and mentally stimulating effects on you and soothes your body as well. Research shows that lemongrass essential oil has a sedating effect on the nervous system. Moreover, it has anti-inflammatory and vasodilating properties that make it an effective choice to relieve hot flashes.

How to use: You can simply inhale it from a piece of cloth or tissue to find relief, or you can put it in your diffuser or vaporizer for great effects. Just be sure to do a patch test first if you wish to apply it to your skin because lemongrass essential oil may cause sensitivity in some people. Avoid using it if you have Glaucoma.

Roman Chamomile

Roman chamomile offers a variety of health benefits. With its sweet and somewhat fruity-herby scent, it works amazingly well for your skin and nervous system. As soon as you use it, you will notice a therapeutic calming effect on your mind, skin, and body, which makes it an ideal choice of essential oils for hot flashes.

How to use: Roman Chamomile oil works great when mixed with peppermint and clary sage oil. Clary Sage oil is known for its mood balancing properties, whereas peppermint works great to relieve hot flashes. The combination of all three will help you make a highly effective cooling mist that offers several health benefits. Just take 8 drops each of clary sage, Roman chamomile, and peppermint essential oils in a 4oz dark glass bottle spray. Add an ounce of witch hazel extract and 3oz of distilled water to the bottle. Mix well and use to avoid hot flashes and Night Sweats.

Cypress

Cypress is among the most effective essential oils for hot flashes. It has detoxifying effects on your body and works amazingly well to reduce Cellulite and limit fluid retention. Its soothing effects also help maintain an emotional and hormonal balance. It also has strong cooling properties that make it a suitable choice for anyone having trouble managing menopausal symptoms like hot flashes.

How to use:You can add cypress essential oil in your bathwater to enjoy its amazing benefits. Simply add 6-8 drops and have a long relaxing soak. You can make it even more effective by adding a couple of drops of geranium and clary sage oil to your bathwater.

Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

Hot flashes and night sweats are sudden feelings of warmth, and are usually more intense over the upper torso. Hot flashes are most commonly due to menopause, the time when a woman's menstrual periods stop. However, other medical and hormonal conditions may cause them. Although how often hot flashes occur will vary, each hot flash usually subsides within a few minutes.

What Causes Hot Flashes and Night Sweat?
Medical experts do not know what causes hot flashes, but several factors are likely. These include changes in your body's ability to regulate temperature and in reproductive hormones (estrogen) during the transition to menopause. The Hypothalamus, a region of the brain below the thalamus that coordinates body temperature, can become imbalanced with the changes in estrogen levels.

A diminished level of estrogen has a direct effect on the hypothalamus. It attempts to cool you down by triggering a series of events, including the dilation of blood vessels in order to release heat, which feels like a hot flash, and causes the sweat glands to produce perspiration. This makes you wake up hot and wet, and sometimes with a racing heart and increased anxiety.

What Can You Do to Manage these Discomforts?
About 80% of women transitioning into menopause will experience some hot flashes and night sweats. Of those women, 15% to 20% may have symptoms severe enough to require medication from their health care provider. There are also some other measures might be helpful, include:

1. Breathe Deeply
When you are breathing deeply, the air inhaled through your nose fills up your lungs, and causes your lower abdomen to rise. Try inhaling slowly through your nose for 5 seconds and exhale slowly through your mouth for 5 seconds. Breathing deeply calms the sympathetic nervous system and enhances circulation. Practicing this skill allows you to use one of your body’s strongest self-healing mechanisms.

2. Stay Comfortable
Use a fan in your bedroom to keep the air circulating. And consider wearing pajamas that wick away any sweat. Wicking fabric moves any moisture away from the skin. It works by absorbing and spreading any moisture throughout the fabric to enhance the evaporative drying rate. Pajamas made from this fabric can draw sweat away from your skin, and help you to sleep throughout the night.

3. Try Yoga
Studies have found that in postmenopausal women who were having more than three moderate to severe hot flashes per day, and who began taking a restorative yoga class, led to a drop in the number of hot flashes along with their severity. Yoga focuses on relaxing the body in restful postures using props such as bolsters, blankets, and straps. The poses are usually sustained for 5-10 minutes each, putting you in a deep state of relaxation.

4. Manage Your Weight
Studies have also found that overweight women often have more hot flashes and night sweats than women with a healthy weight. The excess fat traps heat, triggering your body to sweat more in order to cool off the blood vessels. This dilation brings more blood to the surface of the skin, helping your body to cool itself.

5. Include Soy in Your Diet
Phytoestrogens are plant derived compounds found insoy that bind to estrogen receptors and mimic some of estrogen's effects in your body. Its health benefits include lowering the risk of menopausal symptoms, and may help protect you from hot flashes. Foods such as tofu, miso, and soy milk can serve as a natural alternative to estrogen replacement therapy.

6. Consider Menopausal Hormone Therapy
To help relieve hot flashes and night sweats, some women in menopause use hormones. This is called menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).Estrogen is a hormone used to relieve the symptoms of menopause. Important note, a woman whose uterus has been removed can use estrogen only, but a woman who still has a uterus must add progesterone or a progestin along with the estrogen.

7. Other Tips for Hot Flashes and Night Sweat

• Quit smoking: Hot flashes have been linked to smoking, and one study has found that heavy smokers are four times more likely to experience hot flashes than those who don’t smoke.


• Lower the temperature: Run the air conditioner or lower the heat, use a fan, or open a window while you are sleeping.


• Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids daily, and keep a drink close to where you will be sleeping for quick relief.


• Avoid triggers: Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods that are known to trigger hot flashes.

Can It Be Something Else?

• Pancreatic Tumors and other hormone-secreting tumors:Pancreatic cells create and release hormones that keep our body functioning properly, but if there are pancreatic tumors that are also releasing hormones, the result could be hot flashes.


• Hyperthyroidism:Some women with menopausal like symptoms, might be suffering from undiagnosed thyroid disease or thyroid Cancer. Although symptoms such as Depression, fatigue, and sleeping disturbances are often associated with menopause, they could also be signs of Hypothyroidism. If you are experiencing symptoms of menopause, don’t hesitate to discuss thyroid disease with your physician.


• Rush of adrenaline:When exposed to a sudden stress or threat, the rush of adrenaline we experience is a result of the release of the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine that may feel similar to a hot flash. The presence of a stressful triggering event is a way to differentiate an adrenaline hot flash, from a menopausal induced hot flash.


• Certain food and drinks: Eating spicy food is one of the triggers for hot flashes and sweating, and drinking beverages which contain caffeine and alcohol also has the similar effect. Some people have heavy flushing even only after a big meal.

Hot Flashes

Hot Flashes






Hot flashes are feelings of warmth felt on the face and neck area. The skin becomes reddish and your face looks very much like blushing. It is accompanied by intense sweating which may cause “chilled’ feeling in you. Hot flashes are quite common in women who are in menopause stage. They may occur once or many times a day and sometimes it can also happen during night. Basically it is caused by hormonal changes.

Symptoms :

The affected person will be engulfed with a sudden feeling of warmth. The warmth is felt largely on the face and neck and upper part of the body. Your face becomes reddened as though you are blushing. For some it can cause blotchy skin and profuse sweating. There may be palpitation and feeling of chillness when the hot flashes subside. Normally it would occur only for few minutes. It can be ignored if it does not interrupt your daily life.

Causes :

Hormonal imbalance is the main cause for hot flash. It can also occur when the functions of Hypothalamus is affected. This is the area in the brain which is responsible for regulating the body temperature and some hormones may block its function which may trigger hot flashes. Estrogen is the main hormone which is totally reduced or withdrawn during menopause thus interfering with the functions of hypothalamus causing hot flashes. Hot flashes may also occur due to excess secretion of thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism).

Estrogen when secreted in low levels will not affect the normal functioning of the brain as seen in children and teenage females.

Who are at risk?

Smoking and physical inactivity may increase hot flashes in women. It is not mandatory that all women who are in menopause stage will experience hot flashes. Similarly women who are overweight are likely to get hot flashes frequently.

It is very popular in certain ethnic community like African American race and less frequent in Chinese and Japanese women.

Treatment :

Range of treatment methods is available for hot flashes but your doctor will always recommend to ignore the symptoms since hot flashes will settle on its own after few months or years.

• Hormone Therapy:

Estrogen hormone is given for reducing hot flashes but only in lowest possible dosage. Your doctor will analyze the health condition and check for heart related disease and also monitor the symptoms of hot flashes and its frequency before starting estrogen therapy. This treatment is not safe for people with Breast Cancer and heart related diseases. For some women, progesterone is given instead of estrogen for relieving the symptoms.

• Drug Treatment:

Certain drugs like antidepressants (venlafaxine, paroxetine and fluoxetine) are effective in reducing the symptoms of hot flashes. But there will be some adverse effects like nausea, weight gain and dizziness.

Prescription medicines include gabapentin (given for Epilepsy), clonidine (given for treating Hypertension) but many of them will have some side effects. Hence these drugs are to be given only if the symptoms are severe and interfere with the daily life.

• Home Remedies:

Many of you can ignore the symptoms if they are mild, without requiring any treatment. Simple lifestyle adjustments are highly beneficial for controlling hot flashes.

Keep yourself cool and try to lower the temperature when it is hot outside. You can also have cold drinks when you have such signs. Avoid taking coffee, tea and hot spicy foods which can increase hot flashes. Quit smoking which is beneficial for managing hot flashes and helps in protecting you from many diseases.

Pictures, Photos, Images and Pics of Hot Flashes :

• Alternative Medicine :

Practice yoga and relaxation exercise to reduce stress which will ultimately decrease the symptoms of hot flashes. Make sure that you are sleeping in cool environment and use only cotton clothes that absorb perspiration.

Herbal products are widely used by many women for controlling hot flashes.

• Phytoestrogen :

Some people restore to take plant estrogens and black cohosh for managing hot flashes. This are safe methods of treating this disease without any side effects.

Hot Flashes – Symptomes, Causes, Treatment

Hot Flashes – Symptomes, Causes, Treatment

What are Hot flashes and why do they happen?

Common hot flashes may happen at any time, leaving the individual red-faced as well as sweaty. Usually extra hormonal disorders are the cause of hot flashes but they are most frequent because of menopause. There are approximately three out of four women who have hot flashes while they go thru menopause.

Hot flashes do not necessarily need to be treated especially if the individual tolerates them well. But if they become extremely bothersome, there are treatment options available but discovery of the best choice to control these hot flashes does take time. Any person suffering with hot flashes should begin by asking themselves exactly how the hot flashes are upsetting their daily life. After visiting with their physician, the individual should consider the pros and cons of prescription medications, lifestyle changes as well as other remedies which are common.

Hot Flashes Symptoms

When an individual suffers with a hot flash, they can experience:

• Flushed appearance including blotchy, red skin on the neck, upper chest as well as face


• Sensation of pressure in the head at the beginning of the hot flash


• Feeling of warmth that is mild progressing to extreme heat dissemination thru the upper body and face


• Perspiration, mainly on the upper body


• Rapid heartbeat


• When hot flash subsides a chilly feeling

Symptoms less common which are related to hot flashes include:

• Fatigue


• Weakness


• Dizziness


• Faintness

Hot flashes often vary in occurrence – they may be numerous in one day or just a few in a week. You can experience sweating which is persistent thru out the day and night, or you can just infrequently have the feeling of being warmer than usual. They can last for 30 minutes but mostly they subside in a few minutes. Night Sweats or hot flashes at night can wake up the person from a sound sleep.

When hot flashes start to become especially troublesome as well as unsettling to your daily routine that is the time to consider an appointment with your doctor to discuss any options for treatment.

Hot Flashes Causes

The precise cause of hot flashes is not known but the symptoms and signs normally point to factors which affect the functioning of the body’s thermostat – which is the Hypothalamus. This is the area at the base of the brain that controls the temperature of the body as well as other basic processes. Estrogen being reduced during menopause can upset the hypothalamic role and therefore lead to hot flashes.

But low estrogen alone does not seem to induce hot flashes, because women as well as children with low estrogen levels due to medical conditions normally do not experience hot flashes. But it seems that the withdrawal of estrogen as happens during menopause appears to be the trigger.

It is notable that not all women going thru menopause experience hot flashes. It is not clear why some women get hot flashes and others don’t. The following factors can increase the risk of hot flashes:

Obesity
A high body mass index is associated with a higher frequency of hot flashes.

Smoking
Women who smoke are much more likely to have hot flashes.

Physical inactivity
If you do not exercise, you are more likely to have hot flashes during menopause.

Ethnicity
More African-American women have menopausal hot flashes than women of European descent. Hot flashes are also less common in women of Japanese as well as Chinese descent than in white European women.

Problems with sleep are often complications of hot flashes. Night sweats or nighttime hot flashes can wake an individual from sleep and overtime, can cause problems with chronic insomnia. This disturbance with sleep can over time lead to memory problems, Depression as well as anxiety in some women.

Hot Flashes Treatment

Your primary care physician can diagnose hot flashes normally based on an explanation of the symptoms experienced. To confirm the cause, the physician may also question you about your medical history as well as reproductive health, including the date of your last period.
Menopause is known as a life transition which is natural. If hot flashes are not interfering with your life, you do not need any treatment. If it is necessary to ease the symptoms with any treatment, you need to be periodically re-evaluating the need for continuing the particular treatment. With most women, hot flashes slowly fade within a few years.

You're reading Hot Flashes – Symptomes, Causes, Treatment posted by minhhai2d, the information is for reference only.

Hot Flashes Hormone therapy

For moderate to severe hot flashes, your physician may advise hormone therapy. Estrogen therapy is the most effective treatment option for hot flashes, but there are some cases where the physician might prescribe progesterone therapy instead.

Estrogen therapy
If you have had a hysterectomy, you can take estrogen alone. But if you still have your reproductive organs and they are intact, you should take progesterone along with the estrogen to protect against cancer of the lining of the uterus – endometrial cancer. With either option, current recommendations are to use the lowest dose which is effective for the shortest amount of time needed to bring relief of symptoms.

Prior to starting estrogen therapy for symptoms of menopause, review your risk factors for heart-disease with your physician and weigh the benefits of symptom relief against the risk—although remote—of developing heart disease as a result. It is also likely that hormone therapy interacts with other factor—timing and length of hormone use, family history and reproductive history for instance—to increase this risk but there is absolutely no way to know what is safest for you exclusively. Your physician will help you to gauge the pros and the cons.

Therapy with estrogen is not a good option if you have had any history of Blood Clots or Breast Cancer.

Progesterone therapy
An alternative for women who cannot take estrogen, some physicians prescribe progesterone alone to control hot flashes. Two drugs which are progesterone-like include megestrol acetate and medroxyprogesterone acetate; have proven to provide some relief from hot flashes.

Other Prescription Medications

If you decide not to opt in for estrogen or progesterone therapy, your physician can suggest a non-hormonal medication for the reduction of hot flashes. These drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of hot flashes, but they have been approved for the treatment of other conditions.

Antidepressants
Low dose of certain antidepressants can decrease hot flashes. Antidepressants from classes of medication referred to as “selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors” or SSRIs and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors or SNRIs – including Effexor, Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, Pristiq and other, have been shown to relieve hot flashes. But, these drugs are not as effective as hormone therapy for the symptoms of severe hot flashes as well as causing unwanted side effects, such as dizziness, nausea, sexual dysfunction and weight gain. Your physician can discuss the benefits and the potential side effects.

Gabapentin known as Neurontine
This medication is approved for treating seizures or any pain associated with Shingles. It is increasingly used to treat various other types of pain. This medication may be moderately effective in the reduction of hot flashes, especially for women who have symptoms at night. Side effects can be dizziness, Headaches and drowsiness.

Clonidine
The delivery includes oral or by patch and is normally used to treat high Blood Pressure and can provide some relief of hot flashes. Side effects include dizziness, headaches and drowsiness as well as dry mouth and Constipation are common, often limiting the drug’s usefulness for treating hot flashes.

If the hot flashes are mild, you might be able to manage them with lifestyle changes alone.

Keep cool
Dress in layers of clothing can be removed if you feel too warm. Keep air flowing by using a fan or air conditioner. If possible, lower room temperature. Sip a cold drink if you feel a hot flash beginning.

Watch what you drink and eat
Cut down hot and spicy foods, caffeinated beverages as well as alcohol can trigger hot flashes.

Relax
Mild hot flashes can be relieved with yoga, relaxation, meditation or other stress-reducing techniques.

Deep breathing
Deep and slow abdominal breathing may decrease hot flashes. Pace your respiration for 15 minutes twice a day or at the beginning of a hot flash can be helpful.

Stop smoking
Smoking is linked to increased hot flashes.