Summer, as a child, might have reminded you of a holiday from school, lots of play time, gorging down ice creams, running through the forest and the feeling of sheer happiness. It was a good time. If someone mentions summer to you now? You might just consider moving into your freezer. Naked. I mean, who cares about clothes when you’re literally melting anyway. The culprit? Menopause and its dime a dozen menopause symptoms!

Hot flushes are the reigning king of menopause symptoms. The heat generated by your body during one of these episodes could power a small town. Women suffering from menopause symptoms all over the world could literally be the answer to any energy crisis. Our saviours! Of course, that’s only if they don’t kill you first as you attempt to plug them in. Anywho, it’s still not a cure for hot flushes.

Hang on there skippy, what are hot flushes?

A number of menopause symptoms usually start from the perimenopausal stage. In fact 75% of women report hot flushes before full fledged menopause arrives on the scene. Sweating, your heart beating wildly out of control and a flushed face, reminds you of being 15 and making accidental eye contact with your crush, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, these menopausal symptoms are dialed up a notch. At 15, sweating might feel be a mere trickle of sweat down your face, and a heightened heartbeat feeling like flutters and butterflies in your stomach. On the other hand at 55, its imitating someone walking out of the swimming pool with all of their clothes still on and wondering if they’re having a stroke.

When you suffer from menopause symptoms your temperature shoots up because your hormones, especially oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone begin to fluctuate during perimenopause and menopause. Oestrogen is primarily given the duty to regulate the temperature of your body, a task it promptly drops as it gets on the roller coaster of menopause symptoms. The Hypothalamus (a part of your brain) is also responsible for temperature regulation. Unfortunately, it also joins the menopause symptoms party and wakes up in the menopausal era, hungover and extra sensitive to even slight temperature deviations in your body, which in turn makes you acutely aware if the temperature goes up even a bit.

When your oestrogen levels take a nosedive, they basically nudge the hippocampus to send the message that you’re overheating. This sends the rest of your body into panic. Your heart beats faster, your body releases sweat to get you to cool down and the blood vessels in your skin expand to allow more blood circulation. Your body is sent into a cooling down frenzy when there is no need, which leads to a hot flush and night sweats. In case you’ve bid adieu to your ovaries, hot flushes might walk in to take their place and stay long after they’ve worn out their welcome and the house is on fire.

The Menopause symptom of hot flushes can be a pain in the butt, putting a wrench in your life and everything you consider normal. You add summer to it, and it can be a little taste of hell. But the thing is that it doesn’t need to be. Here are some of the things you can do to keep the devil of menopause symptoms at bay and have a hot flush free summer.

Hydrate

Dehydration is known to trigger your nervous system into having a hot flush. Menopause symptoms might also make you sweat bucket loads, so it is of paramount importance that you replenish your body with fluids at regular intervals. Drink up as much water as you can to kick this menopause symptom out. However it has to be water you hydrate your body with and not coffee, tea, fizzy drinks or drinks full of sugar or artificial sweetener, as they can make your hot flush much, much worse. Cold water is one of the best natural remedies for hot flushes, however unsweetened iced tea is also a good alternative.

Use natural deodorant

Indulging in bricks of antiperspirants will do you no good when it comes to your menopause symptoms. They might stop you from dripping with sweat but this might work as a trigger for hot flushes as they interfere with the regular temperature of the body. It is better to use natural deodorant as it does not assist in hot flushes by leaving your sweat regulation the hell alone.

What to take for hot flushes instead of food, salted snacks and alcohol?

I repeat, run away from any salty or spicy food, fried snacks as well as all forms of alcohol like the plague as it will only assist your menopause symptoms with all the damage they choose to make. High levels of salt, sugar and alcohol dehydrate your body leading to hot flushes. It doesn’t mean that you have to shun them all together, but it is advisable to cut them back. Replace them with salads, fruits, juices and water instead. Before you jeer at the healthy stuff, remember how it felt to have a small pond of sweat accumulated at your feet as you waited in line at the grocery store. Fruits and veggies don’t sound so bad anymore, do they? Thought so!

How to stop hot flushes by kicking your weight into touch.

For reasons unknown, packing on the pounds increases the frequency and intensity of the menopause symptoms of hot flushes and a few others. A theory suggests that it is due to the fat trapping heat, which adds to the sweating and flushing to bring down the temperature of the body, which in turn results in hot flushes. If you’re stuck wondering, how to reduce your hot flushes, losing weight could be a good place to start. It is observed that with the weight loss you can actually significantly lower your hot flushes, if not entirely eliminate them!

Catch up on your beauty sleep

Sleep is important for a number of things in your life including managing your menopause symptoms. It repairs the wear and tear your body endures during your waking hours as you go about your daily tasks. Sleep rejuvenates your physical, mental and emotional health, and keeps you going. Sleep is seriously part of the answer for anything in life. Want better skin? Sleep! Want to reduce sleep? Get your daily 8 hours of zzz. Plenty of good quality sleep can be a cure for hot flushes.

The heat when you go to bed courtesy of your menopause symptoms can lead to tossing and turning all night. Sleep deprivation leads to your nervous system being overwhelmed which causes fatigue, irritability and frustration, which triggers even more hot flushes. So round and round we go!

To avoid this you must make sure that your bed sheets are light and breathable. Opt for cotton night clothes or bed sheets instead of polyester, as the latter can make you sweat more and add to your menopause symptoms. Make sure that there is good air circulation in your room through the window or even invest in a fan to keep the air flowing. This will keep the room cool enough for you to sleep better and gain some relief from hot flushes.

 

Don’t smoke

Summer means the temperature is off the charts along with your body temperature. Add smoking to the insanity and we’ve got an addition to the frequency and intensity of hot flushes. So as hard as it might be to kick that smoking habit, especially if you’ve been smoking for a long period of time, the menopause symptom of hot flushes can be the perfect reason to throw that filthy disgusting (yes Michael… disgusting not cool) habit out of the window.

Alternative treatment

While there is no concrete research conducted on alternative forms of treatments like hormonal or bioidentical hormone treatments to treat your menopause symptoms, you could still try them out and see if they work for you. They have almost negligent side effects. Acupuncture, menopause supplements like evening primrose oil, soy, flaxseed, or herbal remedies can be used to treat hot flushes.

Freeze!

You could just move into your freezer, but if that’s not practical, you could freeze a towel or handkerchief and use it to bring relief when the hot flushes strike. Companies have also come up with products that have tiny crystals in a pack that you can place on the back of your neck to help with your menopause symptoms.

How to reduce hot flushes with yoga and meditation

Hot flushes can be triggered and worsen if anxiety and stress are a part of your daily life. Chronic stress can also have detrimental effects on other areas of your life. So it is important for your physical, mental, and emotional health to keep your hot flushes in check; indulge in stress and anxiety management techniques like yoga and meditation.

Consult A Doctor

Menopause was a taboo topic for a long time. Menopause symptoms were considered a woman’s inheritance and had to be borne in silence. The reality on that front is not the same in the 21st century. Knowledge about menopause is widespread and can be sought by one and all. Suffering in silence is no longer acceptable. Instead, reaching out to a medical professional in case summer is really making your menopause symptoms worsen is advisable.

Summer is a time to be carefree and enjoy your time indulging in outdoor activities. Try some of these best remedies for hot flushes and see a world of difference in your menopause symptoms. Never will you have to be afraid of the summer again.