Hot Flushes

If you happen to get hot flushes and night sweats, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that up to 70-75% of women in perimenopause and definitely menopausal time of life report experiencing them. 

Menopause like puberty is NOT a sickness, it is a process of hormonal changes. If you are healthy then this hormonal period of life may not be difficult.  Low estrogen, combined with extremely low progesterone, signals the hypothalamus, (brain’s temperature control centre), causing rapid elevations in body temperature and dilation of blood vessels, resulting in a hot flush. Hot flushes can cause interruption of daily activities, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, feeling out of control or helpless, and lack of intimacy. 

Hot flushes are sudden feelings of body heat that can occur during the day or night.  Exaggerated they can produce sweats associated with this heat. At night hot flushes can often wake women up from sleep.

While they’re naturally occurring, menopausal hot flushes and night sweats can be uncomfortable.  

They’re your body’s reactions to the hormonal changes. The healthier your hormones are the less these flushes will effect your life.

Frequent sweating can actually be a sign that your heart and arteries are in good condition.  Blood vessels that are starting to harden from cardiovascular disease—which women are at significantly higher risk for as they go through menopause—don’t expand and contract as readily. In fact, one study found that having night sweats in addition to hot flushes during menopause reduced the risk of dying from heart disease by almost 30 percent over the next 20 years. 

Estrogen, at the time of perimenopause, can even increase causing issues like breast enlargement, weight gain, fibroid growth, heavier cycles. Literally the first cycle I missed was when some flushes started. Some clients say the flushes come when the cycles are missed and stop again when a menstrual cycles return. For many women this can go on for years.

Unfortunately some people choose to take estrogen in a synthetic form. This, in my opinion, is not a good choice. Learn about hormones and your body, your genetics,  before you do any form of hormonal therapy. There are many other things you can do to help hot flushes if they are effecting your health. All hormonal therapy needs to be monitored carefully. .

Things that can help hot flushes:

• Avoid gluten 
• Avoid caffeine
• Avoid alcohol, aspartame and artificial preservatives
• Eat raw foods predominantly and drink raw veggie juices
• Drink sage tea
• Keep hydrated
• Do regular exercise- relaxation and cardio
• Avoid overheated rooms
• Have routine sleep and rest
• Avoid wearing tight, restrictive clothing
• Avoid heavy blankets and warm pyjamas at night
• Avoid exposure to smoking
• Limit red meat, peanuts, shellfish and dairy - as they increase prostaglandins which can influence hormones
• Talk to your practitioner about your hormones. Maybe get a female hormone profile checked and balance your E1, E2, E3, Progesterone, Dhea, Melatonin or Testosterone. For remedies/diet go naturally. Discuss with your naturopath suitable treatments for you
• Check and if needed treat the liver, adrenal, pancreas and thyroid health – these organs can influence the hormone. Talk to your practitioner about these organs if you have concerns 
• Look at relaxation to handle stress. Stress and drama increase the flushes
• Detox house, garden and cosmetics of endocrine disruptors
• Eat linseed, unprocessed soya for the right person