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By Jill Quinn, M.S.
Hot Flashes. The poster child of menopause symptoms. Annoying. Embarrassing. Just mentioning them can make you feel like you're about to spontaneously combust or break out in a panic.
The impact at work and home can be overwhelming, distracting, exhausting, and embarrassing. According to an article published in MENOPAUSE in 2023, 90.8% of the women surveyed experienced vasomotor symptoms that impacted sleep, and 83.1% were affected by sleep-related changes in daytime productivity. Hot flashes during the workday can impair concentration, potentially increasing the risk of performance-based job loss.
What Causes Hot Flashes/Flushes During Menopause?
One of the most frequently cited vasomotor symptoms, along with heart palpitations, hot flashes are reportedly experienced by 60%-80% of women during peri or post-menopause. Hot flashes begin in a region of the brain called the hypothalamus, the body's thermostat. The balance of internal temperature is disrupted when levels of estrogen decline, triggering blood vessels to dilate. That dilation is the "flash" or "flush" feeling that can spread from your core to your chest, neck, and face, causing you to break out in a full-on sweat like you've swallowed a Kerosene heater. When this happens at night, boom. You get "night sweats".
5 Tips to Manage Hot Flashes and Chill
Identify Triggers
Common culprits that exacerbate a flash are caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, and stress. Major buzz kill, but it's true. Foods and feelings that fire you up, can trip the wire of your internal thermostat and kick off a hot flash. One way to understand and identify your triggers is by tracking symptoms. Keep a dedicated journal for this. Could be digital or old-fashioned pen and paper. Notice and name what time of day, what habits, and environments bring on the heat. Once you can pinpoint the why, you can adjust behaviors accordingly.
Dress in Layers
Opt for lightweight breathable fabrics. Dressing in layers, no matter the season, is a must.
Practice Mindfulness
Stress can magnify hot flashes. Incorporate mindfulness practices like yoga or breathwork into your daily routine to keep your mind calm.
Maintain a Balanced Diet
Foods rich in phytonutrients (like flaxseeds, soy, and lentils) can help. Not only are these foods fiber and vitamin-rich, but the isoflavones found in these foods can mimic estrogen compounds. Not only are these foods rich in antioxidants, the can help regulate blood sugar, too. Phytonutrients found in berries, and dark green leafy veggies, like spinach, also help reduce inflammation. Hydrating foods like cucumbers, watermelon, and celery are great snack options to keep on hand.
Also staying hydrated is key. Hydration helps to regulate body temperature as well as replenish fluid loss through sweating. Proper fluid balance also helps detoxify the body, support liver and kidney function
Make Some Tweaks to your Health Behavior Strategies
One of my favorite practices is cold-plunging or cold showers first thing in the morning. Starting the day with a cold shower can also help with brain fog. [CITATION] Foundational habits like exercise, good sleep hygiene, and a cool sleeping environment can reduce the frequency of hot flashes throughout the day.
How RECLAIM Menopause Coaching Can Help You
Managing symptoms like hot flashes goes beyond the quick fix. It requires a comprehensive, holistic lifestyle approach that addresses your unique menopause experience.
RECLAIM Menopause Coaching is designed to:
Help you identify and minimize symptom triggers
Address nutrition and lifestyle solutions specific to the menopause era
Provide exercise programming to keep you strong and energized
Teach mindfulness and stress management techniques to help keep you chill
Provide ongoing support and community
Imagine feeling cool and confident? Hot flashes don't have to rule your life. If you're ready to take charge and embrace this phase with confidence, join the 6-week RECLAIM Menopause Coaching Program today.
You deserve quality care, attention, and support during menopause. Together, we can move from feeling overwhelmed by symptoms to thriving through menopause and beyond.
Want the scoop on upcoming programs and events? Subscribe to the QuinnEssentials Wellness Community today. [EMAIL ASK]
#menopause #hotflash #managinghotflashes #menopausesymptoms #menopausecoaching #vasomotorsymptoms #perimenopause #womenshealth
DePree B, Shiozawa A, King D, Schild A, Zhou M, Yang H, Mancuso S. Association of menopausal vasomotor symptom severity with sleep and work impairments: a US survey. Menopause. 2023 Sep 1;30(9):887-897. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000002237. PMID: 37625086; PMCID: PMC10487384.
O'Neill MT, Jones V, Reid A. Impact of menopausal symptoms on work and careers: a cross-sectional study. Occup Med (Lond). 2023 Sep 29;73(6):332-338. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqad078. PMID: 37542726; PMCID: PMC10540666.
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