Care For Hot Flashes In Menopause

The most common and bothersome menopausal symptom is hot flashes and it is believed they are a result of fluctuating estrogen levels. They can happen anytime of the day or night and range from mild, moderate to quite troublesome for some women. Hot flashes are typically experienced as feelings of intense heat with sweating and rapid heartbeat. They may last for 2 minutes and continue up to 30 minutes for each occurrence and the frequency varies from woman to woman. Usually the sensation of heat begins in the face or chest and can spread throughout the body. Visible reddening of the skin appears and it feels hot to the touch.

During hot weather or in a warmer room the symptoms are often more frequent and intense. Some women have difficulty sleeping and this in turn can affect their mood, impair concentration and create other physical problems.

To reduce the symptoms and stress it is best to avoid hot & spicy food, caffeine, alcohol, white sugar and cigarettes. Keeping feelings of anger and shamed bottled up will also create a lot of health problems. It is important to find the root cause of unexpressed anger and give it a voice. Another great idea is to keep a journal to help you discover your patterns. A routine of regularly exercise, meditation, slow deep breathing, stretching and yoga are also recommended. While hormone replacement is available research needs to be done into the possible side effects. There are a few recommended Chinese herbs that women have had good results with.