When I say hot flashes are my passion, there is no affection, only an ardent desire to rid myself and the world of this suffering. For many, they are the object of humor, but for those so afflicted, they are hell. So here are some basic recommendations to help fellow sufferers deal with them.
Hot flashes are a known bane of women during the “change of life” or menopause transition. Almost 80% of perimenopausal women experience some mix of hot flashes, flushes, and night sweats, also called vasomotor instability. Of the 20 million US women entering or currently undergoing perimenopause annually, over 15 million will develop hot flashes at some time and about 3 million will be plagued with them for well over a decade!
Hot flashes can be a shock to the system depending on how rapidly they develop and recur, their intensity, how sensitive you are, and other concurrent factors. Practitioners typically recommend lifestyle modifications for all hot flash sufferers and discuss medications or other therapies if the vasomotor symptoms are severe or debilitating. (Having only one night sweat per night might seem mild, but if it wakes you and you can’t get back to sleep, it can become disabling if the sleep deficit grows.) Try the following suggestions, and if you are still troubled, seek medical guidance.
BASIC LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS TO REDUCE HOT FLASHES
Eating, Drinking, & Habits
Avoid known triggers: red wine, spirits, aged cheese, spicy food, and hot (temperature) food or drinks.
Drink chilled beverages—water is best.
Limit or avoid foods with additives like monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium nitrate, and sulfites.
Eat (even a bit) less because overeating leads to overheating!
Avoid energy drinks and diet pills since caffeine and stimulants can be triggers.
Quit smoking or cut back.
Weight loss—even a few pounds—may help.
Decrease or reduce your alcohol intake (especially red wine and hard liquor). This bears repeating.
Try the Hot Flash Diet™ to guide your food and drink choices. (Book written, awaiting acceptance.) More about this in later columns.
Home/Work/Gym/Travel
Keep the thermostat low, if affordable, especially in your bedroom at night. (Move to a cooler state/country?)
Use a fan to blow on you while sleeping or exercising at home.
Arrive at meetings early to get a seat near a cooling vent or on the end of an aisle.
Ask hotels for a room with two beds and an extra lightweight blanket (to use instead of the heavy comforter) when your partner can’t tolerate lowering the thermostat.
Avoid over-heated pools, hot tubs, saunas, and hot showers.
If you have a marble pastry board and a low dresser to put it on, you can roll up your (night) shirt and lay across it to suck the heat out of you.
Clothing
Dress in layers.
Cotton, rayon, and linen are breathable fabrics.
Lightweight merino wool may be an option for the winter as it breathes.
Wear silk in layers since it can get warm.
Avoid polyester and other synthetics that don’t breathe.
Don’t wear turtlenecks. To protect your neck from drafts, wear scarves, bandannas, or lightweight neck gaiters that are easily removed.
Remove your jacket before getting in your car and driving.
Avoid tight clothing. Loose clothes allow you to flap for cooling.
Bedroom/Sleep
Take a lukewarm or cool shower before bed.
If it’s summer and you don’t have air conditioning, place a damp sheet or towel over you and turn on a fan.
Avoid synthetic fabrics for sheets and covers like polyester and microfiber.
Use 100% cotton sheets.
Try separate bed linens on a shared bed. Buying 2 twin-size covers allows you to flap or partially uncover yourself on either side. (Ikea is a good source for different weights of matching comforters.)
Down comforters breathe and those with polyester batting do not.
Some mattresses hold heat well, so switching to another bed might help.
Social
Avoid sucking in your gut to look skinnier.
Relearn belly breathing.
Learn/practice core exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles instead.
Practice relaxation (especially Type A people.)
Avoid stress. (Hahahahahaha!!!)
Extreme emotions (anger, anxiety) can also be triggers, so practice slow, deep breaths in and out to temper them.
Find social support: this could be talking with your sister(s) or mom, your friends, or your book club buddies.
Cool Stuff to Try
Just as I marveled at all the neat baby/toddler inventions that came after I was done raising children, I now wonder where all the cool stuff (literally) was hiding when I began sliding down that flaming grease pole to hell. In the dark ages, all we had were 100% cotton sheets and marble slabs until internet shopping improved. Now, searches reveal a myriad of products, and ads magically appear alongside one’s social media feeds for cooling inventions. I have not tried most of these newfangled things to recommend them so carefully read any reviews. Here are some items to search for:
All sorts of cooling neck gaiters, wraps, towels, and tubes.
Moisture-wicking pajamas.
Handheld or portable fans. The white noise may help you sleep too.
Wearable fans and neck air conditioning devices for people who exercise (or just sweat a lot).
Air-conditioned protective gowns with hoods for health care professionals. (Ask your business to provide.)
Light down-filled comforters for the colder months.
Cooling blankets which may or may not be weighted depending on your tastes.
Cooling pillows including body pillows.
Cooling mattresses as well as pads and toppers.
Holy cow, even bra cooler inserts and full body ice packs!
Be forewarned should you go on the Internet. There are many not-so-reliable blogs with odd or misleading recommendations, pages that might convince you that you have a life-threatening disorder, or thinly veiled sales pitches. Beware of medical-sounding sites accompanied by ads. Reliable internet information about menopause and hot flashes is best found on sites affiliated with accredited medical institutions or from the North American Menopause Society at www.menopause.org where you can also find a local menopause specialist.
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