Hot flashes and menopause: what you need to know

During the menopausal transition, levels of oestrogen and progesterone in the body start to fluctuate and decline. These sex hormones have all kinds of functions, including regulating your body temperature. Oestrogen, in particular, plays an important role in this respect. When oestrogen levels drop, your brain gets a signal that you're too hot. Even when you're not.   

Reduced oestrogen levels cause elevated levels of the stress hormone noradrenaline, which initiates an intense cooling response. This causes your blood vessels to widen, you to start sweating profusely and your face to turn red. It’s as if your inner thermometer is stuck at 35 degrees Celsius. The opposite can happen, too: you feel cold and start shivering. It's like being in a freezer! That's what a hot flash feels like. 

Actually, the process is similar to your menstrual cycle. When you have your period, your oestrogen level drops and your body temperate goes down. When you ovulate and oestrogen increases, your body temperature rises. During the menopausal transition, the same temperature changes occur, only more severe. 

In addition, stress and tension are also known to trigger hot flashes (as well as other menopausal symptoms). When you're busy and in a constant state of being reactive, your cortisol levels rise. Increased cortisol levels impact the production of oestrogen. Therefore, women with a hectic lifestyle tend to get more hot flashes than those with a less busy lifestyle. Do you get hot flashes at night? Then they are called night sweats. 

Hormonal changes can also trigger a variety of menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, sleep problems and mood swings. 

More than 80 percent of women experience hot flashes to some degree, especially during perimenopause. Most women stop having hot flashes gradually after their periods stop. But for some women, they last a lot longer. One thing is certain, those pesky hot flashes will stop eventually. Five percent of unlucky women, however, still experience hot flashes 10 years after they hit menopause. Are you among the unlucky ones? Then talk to a doctor.  

How often hot flashes occur and how severe they are varies among women. Some feel like dunking their head in a bucket of ice water, while others breathe their way through them with ease. Also, the frequency varies from person to person: from occasional attacks in a week to once every hour. Whatever the intensity and duration of your hot flashes, they are still extremely bothersome – especially if yours happen at inconvenient moments. We’ve all been there... 

When a hot flash strikes, your first reaction can be to start fanning yourself. This may provide temporary relief, but it doesn’t make it stop. What can you do that works better? Focus on your breathing. Breathe in slowly through your nose and exhale through your mouth to reduce the level of cortisol in your blood. Your hot flash will then slowly disappear.  

Here are some tips to prevent hot flashes: 

• Avoid stress, sugar, spicy foods, alcohol, coffee and other caffeinated products, and quit smoking. These products or habits disrupt your body temperature, which can trigger or worsen hot flashes. 
• Stay physically active. Doing medium-impact sports, such as jogging, CrossFit workouts or swimming, has proven to be helpful in reducing hot flashes. Make sure you drink cool water during your workout. It is also recommended that you exercise in the morning to prevent night sweats.  
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day. When you experience a hot flash, you lose a lot of body fluids.