Basics of Hot Flash

Hot flashes are the most common complaint of women undergoing menopause or perimenopause. Women who experience hot flashes attempt to combat them are using a variety of methods that include, but are not limited to, clothes, herbal supplements and adjusting their food intake.

Hot flashes usually manifest themselves during the transition known as perimenopause often when a woman is in her forties. A woman is considered to have reached menopause when she has not had her period for twelve straight months. During that year’s time, her body slowly begins to make less estrogen and progesterone. Most women experience menopause between forty five and fifty five years of age but others become menopausal at a much younger age usually due to some types of medical treatments like undergoing surgery for ovary removal, family genetics or even cancer treatments like chemotherapy or radiation to the pelvis and the areas surrounding it.

When a hot flash occurs, a woman feels a sudden rush of warmth in her neck, chest, and face. This uncomfortable sensation may last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. Several women have reported an increase in their heart rate and a feeling of anxiety accompanying their hot flashes. Women who have had their ovaries or their uteruses removed usually experience more severe hot flashes than women who still are in possession of theirs. Others symptoms that accompany hot flashes during menopause include night sweats or pain as the vagina becomes dried out and thinner.

The following are some suggestions to help ease hot flashes.

• women who experience hot flashes should layer their clothing so they can peel them off should they have a hot flash
• women should avoid spicy foods as they can bring on hot flashes
• women should avoid caffeine and alcohol as well as stop smoking as they can make hot flashes even worse.