Is The Heat On?
Maybe You're Having A Hot Flash!
By Dr. Rita Louise*
Hot
flashes are characterized by a sudden feeling of heat often accompanied
with a reddening of the face and profuse sweating. For some, it is as
mild as a brief warm flushing of the face and skin. For others, it is
experienced as an intense heat on the face and upper body with intense
sweating. Sometimes hot flashes are also accompanied by an increased
heart rate, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, weakness or a feel of
suffocation.
Physiologically speaking, hot flashes are the
body's reaction to a decreased supply of estrogen. Typically this
occurs when a women approaches menopause. Every woman's experience of
this important life change is different, unpredictable and highly
individual and they all follow their own pattern. In some production of
estrogen decreases gradually, producing few flashes. In others, the
ovaries stop abruptly or start and stop before production ends
completely. For these women, hot flashes can become tricky.
Dropping
estrogen levels confuse the hypothalamus (the part of the brain that
controls appetite, sleep, sex hormones and temperature), where it makes
the body think it is too hot. This activates the body's heat releasing
mechanism where it causes the blood vessels in the skin to expand,
increasing blood flow to help dissipate heat. At the same time, the
sweat glands begin producing sweat in an effort to cool the body off
even more.
Not all women experience hot flashes, but more
than half of them do. In fact, it is estimated that nearly 85% of all
women in the US experience hot flashes in one way or another. Hot
flashes often begin before a woman notices a change in her menstrual
cycle and can start as early as her late 30's and early 40's. It is
typically the first sign that menopause is approaching.
Usually
experienced for a short period of time, some women complain of them all
the time for a number of years. Most women begin to experience hot
flashes 1-2 years before menopause and they end within a year of their
last menstrual cycle. Some women can experience hot flashes up to and
sometimes more than 5 years after their last menstrual cycle.
While
estrogen therapy is the traditional solution to hot flashes it is good
to try a less drastic measure first. Below are some things you can try
to help reduce the heat of hot flashes:
Recommendations For Wellness
- Dress in layers so you can peel off a layer if you start to feel warm.
- Stick to cottons, linens and rayon and avoid wools and synthetic blends.
- Try to keep some ice water on hand to sip on and cool down your insides.
- Turn down the thermostat, buy an air conditioner or a ceiling fan to help keep your environment cool.
- Silly as this may sound, many women report sticking their heads in the freezer when a hot flash hits.
- Try
to identify what is triggering your hot flashes. Keep a record of when
they occur, what you're are eating or doing and how you're feeling at
the time a hot flash strikes.
- Incorporate massage, meditation, yoga, breathing exercises and other techniques to help you reduce your stress level.
- Herbs
such as black cohosh, ChasteTree, wild yam and don quai have
historically been used to relieve menopausal symptoms including hot
flashes.
- Talk to your health care provider about natural bio-identical hormone replacements.
- A menopause homeopathic may also help to alleviate hot flashes, relieve pain and hyper-sensitivity.
We have products designed to help with this issue:
*Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Rita Louise, Ph.D. is the author of
the books “Avoiding the Cosmic 2x4” and “The Power Within”. It is it is
her unique gift as a medical intuitive and clairvoyant that illuminates
and enlivens her work. Medical Intuition & Energy Medicine
Certification training classes are now forming. Visit
http://www.soulhealer.com or call (972) 475-3393 for more information.
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