Hot Flashes

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Hot Flashes

No More Flushes and Night Sweats

Did someone just turn up the heat to a toasty 500°F, or are you having a hot flash?

If your chest suddenly feels warm and the heat quickly spreads to your face and neck, and you're going through menopause, chances are that you're experiencing a hot flash. A hallmark of menopause, researchers theorize that the drop in production of the female hormone estrogen and other hormonal changes associated with menopause somehow disrupt the body's heat regulation system (at least for a few months). Blood vessels in your face and neck dilate, your heart races, your skin gets warm and you sweat like you just sprinted around the block on a 90° day.

RED-HOT CHICKS

Hot flashes are temporary--for most women, they persist for anywhere between 9 and 16 months, according to Liliana Gaynor, M.D., D.D.S., clinical assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. But they're bothersome and embarrassing. Women doctors say that these remedies can provide some relief.

Keep cool. "Heat itself can trigger hot flashes," says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., associate clinical professor at Yale University School of Medicine and co-author of What Every Woman Needs to Know about Menopause. In hot weather, head for an air-conditioned environment. When it's chilly outside, keep rooms heated comfortably--not overly hot.

Avoid dramatic temperature swings. "Some women find that it isn't heat per se that aggravates hot flashes but dramatic temperature changes," notes Lois Jovanovic-Peterson, M.D., clinical professor of medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and author of A Woman Doctor's Guide to Menopause. "Going from blistering heat into an air-conditioned building or room (or vice versa) can provoke the onset of hot flashes." She suggests that you wait a few minutes in a semi-cool lobby before entering an air-conditioned or heated room.

What Women Doctors Do Breathe Deeply Suzanne Woodward, Ph.D. Slow, deep breathing throughout the day is effective in lessening the intensity and frequency of hot flashes, says Suzanne Woodward, Ph.D., a psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. She and her colleague Dr. Robert Freedman concluded this from a study in which they trained menopausal women to breathe from their abdomens, inhaling and exhaling six to eight times per minute. They hypothesize that deep breathing slows the metabolism, or modulates body temperature, or the production of certain brain chemicals related to hot flashes. "Practice as often as possible and do it particularly when a hot flash begins," Dr. Woodward advises. She successfully uses the technique herself when she is awakened by hot flashes at night. "It helps me relax and get back to sleep."

Dress for success. In sweater weather, wear a T-shirt underneath a long-sleeved shirt underneath a sweater, so you can peel down to the T-shirt if you have a hot flash and pile it all back on when you cool off, suggests Dr. Minkin. Cotton and other natural fibers and athletic-wear fibers like polypropylene are best, because they help release heat and moisture instead of keeping it against your skin.

Skip the spices. Hot tamales or curried chicken may taste great, but they tend to trigger hot flashes. "They probably set off the temperature regulation mechanism that's at the genesis of a hot flash," says Veronica Ravnikar, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology and director of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Unit at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Boston. If they bother you, skip them.

Cut caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant and can trigger hot flashes by raising your blood pressure and heart rate, says Dr. Ravnikar. You probably don't need to completely cut out caffeine, but try to go easy on coffee, tea and soft drinks containing caffeine.

Steer clear of sweets. Eating sugar boosts your metabolism and, in turn, generates heat, says Dr. Gaynor. So if you want to avoid hot flashes, put the sweets away.

Abstain from alcohol. Research has shown that right after consuming alcohol, a woman's estrogen levels go up dramatically, says Dr. Ravnikar. These temporary "spikes" may be followed by sudden drops in estrogen, which can lead to hot flashes.

When To See A Doctor The vast majority of women who get hot flashes don't find them debilitating, says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., associate clinical professor at Yale University School of Medicine and co-author of What Every Woman Needs to Know about Menopause. But for others, hot flashes are quite bothersome, keeping them up nights and otherwise interfering with their day-to-day lives. If you are uncomfortable and want help, see your physician to discuss medical approaches, particularly the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy. Incidentally, you don't have to be menopausal to experience hot flashes. Some medications, including estrogen-controlling drugs prescribed for endometriosis (an abnormality of the uterine lining) and tamoxifen for breast cancer, can induce hot flashes.

Fill up with soy. Soybean products contain phytoestrogens--natural plant compounds that act like estrogen. "Researchers have found that women in Japan and other Asian countries--who eat something like 35 to 45 milligrams of plant estrogens a day in the form of tofu, soy milk and other soy products--seem to experience fewer hot flashes," says Margo Woods, M.D., associate professor of community health in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.

Researchers in Australia found that menopausal women who ate soy flour daily for 12 weeks showed a 40 percent decrease in hot flashes.

SLEEPING THROUGH NIGHT SWEATS

No, night sweats aren't workout clothes that you wear to bed. They're hot flashes that wake some women in the middle of the night, drenched in perspiration, while they're going through menopause.

"Night sweats are a real problem for women who can't take estrogen replacement therapy," says Suzanne Woodward, Ph.D., a psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. "There is no way to eliminate night sweats--but there are ways to make yourself more comfortable and minimize their disruption of sleep."

Here's what Dr. Woodward suggests that you do if a night sweat strikes.

Sip ice water. Keep a carafe of ice water on your night table and sip as needed.

Take nine or ten slow, deep breaths. Repeat for several minutes, until the night sweat passes.

Turn down the thermostat. Keep the bedroom cool--no warmer than 72°F. Sleep with a fan operating by your bed, even in winter. And use light blankets only.

Sleep in all-cotton night clothes and sheets. Synthetics or blends trap body heat and can trigger a night sweat.