Menopause is a natural transition that marks the end of the fertile years that occurs in every biological female’s life. Yet this period of time is not only a significant milestone, it often also brings with it a range of uncomfortable symptoms. One of the most frequent and troublesome symptoms experienced during menopause is hot flashes, as these intense, uncomfortable waves of heat can occur suddenly and without warning.
Hot flashes can be accompanied by flushing, sweating and a quickened heartbeat, which can all interrupt activities, making daily life challenging. Luckily, there are some effective strategies that can help to ease the discomfort of hot flashes during this period of change, which can greatly aid in restoring wellbeing.
Why do hot flashes occur?
Hot flashes are triggered by hormonal fluctuations, especially shifts in oestrogen levels, and these peaks and troughs often cause disruptions in the body’s ability to regulate its temperature.
It’s common for the length of a hot flash to vary in duration, severity and frequency, as they can last from a just few seconds to several minutes long – and can happen at multiple times throughout the night, or the daytime. While we still don’t know the precise reason why a hot flash happens at any given time, there are particular triggers that are known to increase their frequency and intensity – including caffeine, alcohol, stress, spicy foods, and overly warm temperatures.
8 effective coping strategies for hot flashes
While it’s not possible to completely eliminate hot flashes, they can be significantly minimised using a number of coping strategies that can reduce their impact.
- Wear layers – If you’re regularly troubled by hot flashes, then wearing layers can allow you to adjust your clothing faster when they strike. Dressing in layers of lightweight, breathable clothes made from natural fabrics like cotton or linen will allow you to shed layers as needed and help wick away sweat, boosting the flow of air.
- Keep your environment cool – It’s crucial to keep living and rest areas as cool as possible, as lower temperatures help decrease the intensity and frequency of hot flashes. Installing fans, turning on the air conditioning, or opening a window to enhance air flow can all help to keep the areas you frequent cool.
- Practice calming techniques – Stress is a known hot flash trigger and can worsen associated symptoms but by incorporating proven relaxation methods, you can experience greater calm. Practicing yoga, meditation, mindfulness or deep breathing daily can be extremely beneficial at lowering stress levels and enhancing calm.
- Keep hydrated – An adequate intake of cool fluids can help balance body temperature and prevent dehydration, which will help to minimise the occurrence of a hot flash. Drinking plenty of water, chilled beverages, or herbal tea regularly should provide noticeable relief of at least some of the discomfort typically linked with hot flashes.
- Avoid known triggers – It’s important to identify and avoid known triggers that cause hot flashes, including caffeine, alcohol, spicy food and hot beverages. By limiting or avoiding these triggers entirely, you can often greatly reduce the number of hot flashes you experience, as well as their duration and severity.
- Exercise regularly – Taking part in regular physical activity will help to ease hot flashes, as exercise is known to balance out hormone levels. Activities like yoga, swimming or walking are all relatively low-impact but are incredibly effective at enhancing general well-being.
- Experiment with relaxation techniques – Incorporating relaxation methods, like visualisation, progressive muscle relaxation, or aromatherapy will help lower stress, calming body and mind. If you regularly experience discomforting hot flashes, these techniques should have a positive impact, decreasing the intensity and frequency.
- Consider supplementing with Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – If hot flashes are causing severe symptoms and seriously impacting your quality of life, it might be necessary to consider hormone replacement therapy. Not everyone is suitable and HRT can come with some risks, yet it can greatly help to alleviate symptoms. You should always seek the advice of a medical professional first, so you can fully discuss the benefits and risks.
Seek support
If you regularly experience discomforting hot flashes, it can be a physically and mentally draining process and everyone’s experience is unique. Seeking out support is pivotal, whether it comes from your peer groups, who may be suffering from similar symptoms, family support networks, or groups that let you share your experiences and connect. Menopause experts can also help to provide you with valuable support, as well as advice that’s effective and caters to your individual requirements.
Conclusion
Hot flashes can be extremely disruptive but there are strategies that will help reduce their impact, so you can cope with them more effectively. By incorporating these various lifestyle adjustments, it will be far easier to control triggers and lessen the effect of symptoms when they do strike. Discovering your coping formula will always involve trial and error, but with a little perseverance, you can significantly lessen the impact of hot flashes, which will enable you to embrace this new chapter in your life with renewed enthusiasm and confidence.
