Hot flushes and those dreaded night sweats!
As many as 75% of menopausal women experience hot flushes or hot flashes. They vary in intensity and frequency and may recur over months, or even years. They often begin during the period preceding the menopause and start to get less frequent once the menopause has been reached and the body begins to adjust to the lower levels of female hormones in the body.
Hot flashes refers to the dilation, or relaxation, of the tiny blood vessels near the skin, leading to a rise in skin temperature and flushing of the skin. Increased heart rates, headaches, dizziness, weight gain, fatigue or insomnia may accompany hot flushes.
While you're having a hot flush, you can feel suffocated or even have moments of panic, and it is sometimes followed by shivers.
Some of the ways of dealing with hot flashes are:
- Wear natural fabrics that breathe
- Wear layers so that you can add or remove layers as needed
- Carry a foldable fan with you to help cool down.
- Don't fight the flush - try to relax if you can
- Carry moist tissues to freshen up after a flush
- Have a glass of cold water
Vitamin E (200-600iu per day) has long been established for helping many menopausal problems especially hot flushes, night sweats, palpitations and vaginal dryness. The combination of bioflavonoids, especially hesperidin, together with vitamin C (at about 1000mg of each per day) can also be useful for flushing and other circulatory problems. Natural sources of vitamin E are plant oils (hemp, olive), seeds (linseeds, hemp seeds, sesame), wholewheat products (wholemeal bread, cereals), tinned tuna and asparagus.
Apparently vitamin E doesn't always work, but if you've tried all else, like I have, it's definitely worth a try!
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