With a staggering 75 percent of menopausal women experiencing hot flashes, necessary lifestyle changes can keep this symptom at bay. Women between the ages of 45 and 55 enter menopause. This temporary life experience reduces the amount of reproductive hormones. Ebbing estrogen and progesterone mark the end of fertility. This normal life transition, however, comes with a variety of symptoms related to the body’s drop in progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone. SO what are h
Menopause
So what are hot flashes? Menopause occurs one to two years prior to a women’s last menstrual cycle and can last for an undermined amount of time. With hot flashes, night sweats, difficulty with concentration, weight gain, mood disorders, and painful periods among the many symptoms of menopause women have options for reducing and avoiding menopausal symptoms.Causes of Hot Flashes
A tiny but ancient organ in the brain called the hypothalamus monitors all of the body’s primary functions. The hypothalamus is responsible for hunger, thirst, temperature, and sleep. Additionally, the hypothalamus controls chemicals that nurture body functions. Decreased production of reproductive hormones in the pituitary and endocrine glands reduces the hypothalamus ability to monitor body temperature.Lack of estrogen and progesterone produce a variety of physical reactions. Hot flashes are the most commonly reported of all symptoms. Hot flashes cause blood vessels to enlarge increasing blood flow to the heart. Women experience an immediate and intense heartbeat that appears unexpected followed by perspiration. Rapid blood pumping through expanded blood vessels sweating and the ensuing chills and shivering ensures that the body returns to its normal temperature. Read a detailed article about what causes hot flashes.
Symptoms
Some women experience a sudden heat on their face, chest, head, and neck followed by the sensation of the heart banging against the chest. These symptoms often lead perspiration that soaks the hairline and runs down the temples. Additionally some other women experience a sense of panic intense fear or anxiety associated with these hot flash symptoms. A hot flash typically last between 30 seconds and five minutes. Initially hot flashes can be a frightening experience. Women who are aware of menopausal systems develop lifestyle adjustments that minimize the onset, frequency, severity, and duration of hot flashes.Treatment
Wearing layers of clothing allow women to adapt to changing body and environmental temperatures. Eating a balanced diet of protein, fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, and fiber reduces the onset of hot flashes. Drinking several liters of natural or fruit infused water each day flushes the body of stress hormones. Cortisol and excess adrenaline can increase the symptoms of hot flashes. Avoiding or reducing the intake of caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, processed, sugary junk foods can also reduce the severity and frequency of hot flash symptoms. Exercise reduces stress and boosts endorphins that increase mood.Regular exercise also helps to maintain body temperature. Additionally quitting smoking and losing even small amounts of weight can significantly reduce flushing perspiration and anxiety that accompany hot flashes. Herbal supplements that boost the pituitary and endocrine glands to produce estrogen and progesterone naturally is also effective in decreasing hot flashes.
Recommendations
Herbal supplements that contain artificial plant estrogens, phytoestrogenic herbs increase long-term dependence and increase the risk of heart disease and breast cancer. Women should consult a medical health professional for acute or debilitating menopausal symptoms. A small percentage of women continue to undergo frequent and extreme hot flashes. These women may discuss alternative medicines with their doctor to reduce the impact of waning hormones during menopause.
