Hot flashes are one of the major symptoms of menopause that feels like a sudden flare of heat, along with sweating and flushed skin. One might experience other symptoms as well during the transition phase such as vaginal dryness, urinary urgency, insomnia, and mood swings. However, the majority of the time hot flashes are the most common symptom reported.
There is no clear reasoning as to why hot flashes happen but it is generally believed that the hormonal shift during the transition phase lead to symptoms like hot flashes. There is no definite treatment for hot flashes, however many Clinical Research Organizations conduct Clinical Trials in search of potential treatment options for different conditions.
Menopause & Hot Flashes:
A woman enters a phase of life called menopause when her menstrual periods end permanently. This stage, which is also known as the “transition of life” denotes the termination of a woman’s reproductive potential. The moment when a woman’s hormone levels start to change is actually referred to as menopause. When menstrual cycles have been absent for a full year, menopause is considered to be finished.
Perimenopause is a term used frequently to describe the time just before menopause. The number of mature eggs in a woman’s ovaries reduces and ovulation becomes inconsistent during this transitional period before menopause. Progesterone and estrogen production both decline concurrently. The significant decline in estrogen levels is what results in symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, etc.
When Does Menopause Occur?
The majority of women go through the menopausal phase at the age of 50 and above. However, it can happen anywhere from the ’30s to the mid-’50s. It is generally believed that a woman will go through menopause at the same time as her mother.
Menopause can occur for reasons other than normal/natural reasons. These include:
- Premature menopause: When ovarian failure occurs before the age of 40, premature menopause may result. Smoking, radiation exposure, chemotherapy medicines, or surgery that affects the ovarian blood supply may be linked to it. Primary ovarian insufficiency is another name for premature ovarian failure.
- Surgical menopause: it happens after one or both ovaries are surgically removed or due to radiation to the pelvis. This results in abrupt menopause, and the symptoms may be more severe than in natural menopause.
How Does A Hot Flash Feel Like?
Every woman might experience the symptoms of menopause differently. Hot flashes usually feel like a sudden rush of heat coupled with sweating and flushed skin. It may last for a brief interval, however, the time period and severity may vary from person to person.
What Causes Hot Flashes?
The exact cause of hot flashes is still not clear. However, the fluctuations in hormone levels might be the answer to it. Hypothalamus is the part of the brain, that regulates the temperature of the body. If the hypothalamus senses a rise in temperature, it quickly initiates the negative feedback mechanism to cool down. The blood vessels near the surface of the skin begin to dilate in order to dissipate the heat and normalize the body temperature. This in turn gives a red, flushed look to the face and neck.
How Do Hot Flashes Impact Mood?
Hot flashes can negatively impact mood in menopausal women who experience them. Hot flashes can cause feelings of intense warmth, sweating, and palpitations. These physical symptoms can lead to anxiety, irritability, and poor sleep quality, which can further worsen a person’s mood.
A lack of sleep and the discomfort caused by hot flashes can leave a person feeling fatigued and emotionally drained, making it difficult to concentrate and focus. Additionally, the onset of hot flashes can often be unpredictable, which can lead to frustration and a sense of loss of control over one’s body. All these factors can have a significant impact not only on mood, and emotional well-being but also on physical health.
Treatment Options for Hot Flashes:
- Hormone Therapy: Using a combination of the female hormones progesterone and estrogen throughout perimenopause and menopause is called hormone treatment (HT). The most common method to prescribe HT is as pills. Nevertheless, vaginal lotions and skin patches can also be used to administer estrogen. Only after discussing the advantages and disadvantages with your healthcare physician should you decide to begin utilizing these hormones.
- Estrogen Therapy: When the body no longer produces estrogen, estrogen treatment (ET) entails taking estrogen alone. Women who have undergone a hysterectomy frequently are recommended an ET. Skin patches, vaginal creams, and tablet forms of estrogen are all suggested. Only after discussing the advantages and disadvantages with your healthcare physician, you should decide to begin using this hormone.
- Non-Hormonal Treatment: some other types of treatments are utilized instead of hormonal treatment options to relieve the symptoms.
- Estrogen Alternatives: also called synthetic estrogens help better the symptoms of vaginal atrophy.
Other Ways To Relieve The Symptoms Of Menopause:
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): Replacing progesterone and estrogen helps lessen night sweats, hot flashes, and dry vaginas.
- Changes in lifestyle: A balanced diet, consistent exercise, lowering stress levels, and giving up smoking can all help symptoms subside.
- Products made from soy: Soy includes phytoestrogens, which have the ability to mimic the effects of estrogen in the body and may help lessen hot flashes.
- Acupuncture: Research indicates that acupuncture helps lessen hot flashes and enhance the general quality of life throughout menopause.
- Lubricants: Lubricants and moisturizing products can help with vaginal dryness
- Consuming a well-balanced, healthy diet can help prevent bone density loss by containing foods high in calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D. Consuming nutritious grains, fruits, and veggies may help lessen mood fluctuations.
- Exercising on a regular basis can help with menopausal symptoms like hot flashes.
- Medication: It has been discovered that antidepressants, blood pressure pills, and anti-seizure meds are beneficial in treating hot flashes.
- Calcium and vitamin D pills can aid in maintaining bone health, which can be problematic after menopause.
- Counseling or talk therapy can assist women in adjusting to the emotional changes brought on by menopause, such as anxiety or despair.
Outlook:
Menopause is one of the crucial phases of a woman’s life where they go through a roller coaster of emotions. It not only drains them mentally but also affects them physically. Therefore, it is essential for women to take charge of their health, and keep a track of their symptoms to avoid inconvenience.
Since there are not many treatment options available for hot flashes and menopause, one of the ways is to enroll in Hot Flashes clinical trials that may be able to help in providing potential treatment options to reduce the severity of the symptoms.