Coping with Hot Flashes
by Jennifer Bunn, RNOne minute you are comfortably cool, the next you are sweaty, hot and miserable. Sound familiar? Hot flashes are one of the most common and unpleasant of perimenopause symptoms. What can be done to cope with them? Here are a few suggestions:
- Wear appropriate clothing- wearing clothes that keep you cool and that easily absorb moisture can help you feel more comfortable when a flash hits. Cotton is your friend: avoid wearing clothes that you may overheat in, such as nylon or polyesters. Adopt the “layered look” so that you can shed unwanted clothing and still be fully dressed!
Cool down with water- Staying well-hydrated is important, but water can have different uses here. Try applying cool compresses to your skin when you become overheated. Using key areas, such as the back of the neck, wrists, forehead and even the groin may provide some relief. Running cold water over your wrists or rinsing your face in cool water may stop a flash in its tracks.- Don’t smoke- thin women who smoke are more likely to have more frequent and intense hot flashes, according to some studies. Quitting smoking may decrease the frequency of hot flashes.
- Avoid triggers- triggers may be different for each woman; the key is in determining what your specific triggers are. Common triggers are alcohol, spicy foods, hot tubs, caffeine and stress.
- Manage your stress- stress may trigger hot flashes, so finding ways to cope with stressful situations may help you to cope more effectively with hot flashes. Controlled breathing, meditation, massage, exercise…all are ways to help you feel calmer and more in control of your body.
- Remind yourself that menopause won’t last forever- although it may feel like forever, even the symptoms of menopause must come to an end. They will not last forever, thankfully, so remind yourself that “this, too, shall pass”.
PreMenora is a twice-daily natural botanical formula designed to relieve many of the symptoms of perimenopause, such as hot flashes.
