Did I just take a hot flash? I'm 44!

Reviewed By:

Hot flashes — those sudden surges of hot pare and sweat associated with menopause and perimenopause — start for most women in their 40s. If that's news to you lot, take a deep breath.

First, hot flashes occur less frequently in perimenopause (the pre-menopause years) than during menopause. 2nd, there are several ways you can manage these oestrus spikes to lessen their bear on on your daily life.

Wen Shen, Thou.D., M.P.H., a Johns Hopkins gynecologist who specializes in perimenopause and menopause, shares data virtually hot flashes and steps you can take to minimize their affect.

Q: What is a hot flash?

A: Hot flashes are the quick bursts of hot peel and oft drenching sweat that final anywhere from xxx seconds to nigh 5 minutes. Your face and cervix may turn carmine, your heart rate may increment and you volition most likely suspension out in a sweat. Dark sweats are the aforementioned thing, only you're asleep and are jolted awake by the rut and sweat sensation consuming your body.

These sudden bursts, especially at night, can cause fatigue, irritability and fifty-fifty forgetfulness. For 10 to xv percent of women, hot flashes are so severe that they disrupt normal functions, such as leading a meeting or sticking to a schedule. If yous feel your daily activities are impacted past hot flashes, make sure to speak with your gynecologist.

Q: How long will I go hot flashes?

A: On average, you may be looking at 10-xv years of living with hot flashes. Though they are sporadic, their unpredictability is very frustrating. Let'southward wait at what you lot can look:

  • 40s: This is when near women start perimenopause. Some hot flashes and nighttime sweats begin. (For some, perimenopause starts in the 30s.)
  • 46-53: In the U.South., this is the boilerplate age for menopause, which is defined every bit 12 straight months with no period. Hot flashes tend to be virtually frequent in the ii years later menopause.
  • Tardily 50s: Most women continue to have hot flashes anywhere from 4-x years later menopause. But about of these will decrease in frequency and severity.

Q: What causes hot flashes?

A: The exact causes of hot flashes are yet unknown, only they are thought to be related to changes in the brain's thermoregulatory center, which controls rut production and loss, and is influenced by your hormones. During perimenopause, hormones start acting like a rollercoaster, with progesterone and estrogen levels changing in wide variations. These ups and downs don't settle down until almost ten years after menopause.

Q: How tin can y'all command hot flashes?

A: There are several ways to bargain with hot flashes. Since hormone levels are irresolute all the time, we don't treat the hormone levels — we treat the symptoms. Showtime with lifestyle changes, merely if that doesn't work, talk to your gynecologist about prescription medication.

Lifestyle

1. Keep Yourself Cool.

  • Dress in layers and then y'all can easily remove wearing apparel if you get hot.
  • Vesture natural fibers instead of synthetic materials.
  • Carry a portable fan in your purse.
  • Employ cold water and pre-treated wipes to cool the back of your neck when you feel a hot wink coming on.

two. Avoid Triggers.

  • It may take you lot a while to figure out your triggers. For most women, they include coffee and carmine wine.
  • Review your medications with your provider. Certain high blood pressure and cholesterol medicines are known to crusade hot flashes.

three. Acupuncture: Research has shown that acupuncture tin exist highly effective for resolving hot flashes. In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, hot flashes were reduced past nigh half for 50 percent of women over eight weeks of acupuncture treatment.

Prescription Medications

If lifestyle changes don't assistance you manage hot flashes, talk to your gynecologist nearly medication.

  1. Menopause Hormone Therapy: This is really the gold standard for treatment options — it is the nigh effective style to make certain hot flashes are manageable. There is a multitude of options, and your gynecologist tin recommend a handling that meets your needs.
  2. Nonhormonal Medications: For women who do not wish to employ hormone therapy, or cannot apply it due to medical problems, there are nonhormonal medications such equally gabapentin, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and clonidine.
  3. New Drugs: There are new drugs and injections being tested that may take care of specific menopausal symptoms. Peculiarly if you lot cannot take hormone therapy because information technology may exist harmful to you (a medical contraindication) or if you lot did not find relief with the other medications, these new drugs may be helpful. Talk to your provider to discover out if you qualify to use them.

Hot flashes are an unavoidable part of being a woman. But with lifestyle choices and perhaps assist from your gynecologist, you can manage them with minimal disruption to your life.

A group of smiling adults stretch before exercising.

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletter

One of the best things you can practice to protect and meliorate your health is to stay informed. Your Health is a FREE e-newsletter that serves as your smart, simple connection to the world-course expertise of Johns Hopkins.