top 10 tips to beat hot flushes
say goodbye to hot flushes in super easy steps + free tracker sheets!
What is a hot
flush/flash?
These can happen for several reasons but
this article is about hot flushes in women of peri/menopausal age. During this
period of a woman’s life estrogen levels drop. This causes havoc with our body
temperature controls. They get all over excited and try to regulate our body
temp’. Unfortunately, this results on what we know as hot flushes and night
sweats.
Up to 75% of women will experience them. Some
experience a raging furnace whilst others will have much milder barely
noticeable increases in body temperature.
They are characterized as a sudden
heat rising through the body for no apparent reason. Women describe feeling
that their clothes feel heavy and uncomfortable, they feel faint and experience
palpitations and for those who experience them at night, that their nightwear
is soaking wet.
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It is known that these hot moments can be
triggered by environmental factors. This is where we may be able to help
ourselves and ease the frequency/intensity of these horrid hot flushes.To join the chat / vlog CLICK HERE.
Top 10 Tips to
Beat Hot Flushes
1.
Watch
your alcohol intake.
Alcohol can warm our faces
and neck and thus trigger and exacerbate hot flushes. This doesn’t mean you
can’t ever drink alcohol again but do think about moderation.
2.
Stub
out the cigs
In many people cigarette
smoking can be a cause of hot flushes. If you are thinking about giving up, now
might well be the right time. Imagine significantly reducing hot flushes if you
stopped smoking? It isn’t easy. I know, I gave up 21 years ago. Look for a
support group or try gum or patches.
3.
Scrap
the Spice and Caffeine
Sadly, for me and
gazillions of other women around the world, spicy foods and caffeine are real triggers.
Avoiding hot curries and chilies, which I love, has made a real difference to
the frequency and intensity of my flushes. At first I thought it was such a “boring”
idea. But you know what it is so worth it! Lowering my caffeine intake wasn’t
so easy at first. I limit myself to a large black coffee in the morning and
seem to be fine with that. Remember sodas also often include high levels of
caffeine as does paracetamol.
4.
Shake
your booty and tone up
It is not inevitable that
we get fatter through menopause. More to the point, we tend to slow down but
not adjust our food intake accordingly! If we are honest we know it is true!
So…. Move your body, if you can, get in some weight bearing exercise and start looking
at what you stuff in your chops! It is not about the volume of food we eat but
the value of it. So, enjoy lots of lovely veg and fruit along with whole-wheat
pasta and rice. It must be worth it as obese women experience more frequent
intense flushes.
5.
Dress
to impress your cool side!
In other words, avoid
chunky knits and manmade fibres and go for lighter clothes. I have revamped my
wardrobe lately. No, I don’t wear lots of layers because for me that shrieks of
“woman having hot flushes “and I just can’t bear the thought that I am
advertising it to the world! I do however choose lighter knits and finishes and
this does help me feel more comfortable. Ona personal level I never get cold
any more so I don’t miss huge thick clothes! My husband on the other hand is
piling them on as I switch all the heating off and open windows!
No idea why this works
other that it is very calming! Every morning and evening take around ten deep
slow controlled breaths in and out. It does seem to help and of course as I say
leaves me feeling quite levelled!
7.
Keep
your boudoir cool
Get yourself a chill
pillow to keep your face and head from overheating. Have a fan to hand and use
a light duvet. If you get cold, you could try some hot boudoir action……or not!
8.
Mind over
Matter
In cultures where hot
flushes are totally normal and a rite of passage, women report them as barely
noticeable. Studies have shown that where women learn to ignore their hot
personal climate, they describe them as lessening substantially.
There are various
prescription medicines out there that may help including HRT, low dose
contraceptives and some anti-depressants. This is of course a matter which must
be discussed with your GP as they are aware of your health history.
10.
Non-prescription
option
Despite searching there is
little evidence that I can find that suggest that non-prescriptive meds work
for hot flushes. I can however find a lot of anecdotal evidence. Supplements
such as sage, vitamin E, black cohosh and pine bark are put forward as being
useful. Complementary therapies such as yoga may also be helpful. Again, I cannot
recommend any supplement or therapy and would advise you discuss this with your
GP particularly if you are taking other medication.
BONUS TIP!
Keep a tracking sheet to help you
discover your triggers and helpers! CLICK HERE and I will send you a pdf to print out as many times as you want!
What do you use to help you cope with hot flushes?
Have you found a holy grail “cure”? Please share as it may be helpful to other
women out there wondering where to turn to next!
To share just simply follow below.
Namaste
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