Hot flushes are one of the most common side effects of the menopause or pre menopause. When you least expect it, you might feel a sudden heat throughout your body, leaving you feeling flustered, sweaty and sometimes perhaps even experiencing heart palpitations.
Most hot flushes during the menopause are caused by hormone imbalances affecting your body’s ability to control its temperature. Having low oestrogen levels lowers levels of another hormone called norepinephrine which helps your body to regulate its own temperature and it is this hormone which is usually responsible for sparking a hot flush.
These processes are completely natural and just something that many women learn to live with, so there is no need to panic if you begin experiencing them. However, if the flushes are continously interrupting your daily life, there are a few things that you can do that will help make them far less frequent.
Cut the coffee.
Caffeine is a stimulant that interferes with your nervous system. With so many hormonal changes already happening, when you drink coffee or any caffeine product, your nervous system is sent into complete overdrive and can result in the hot flushes, headaches and heart palpitations which we are trying to avoid whilst your body tries to adapt. The same also applies to alcohol and nicotine products.
For those who live for their morning coffee, this doesn't mean that you need to cut out all hot beverages. Alternatives such as green teas contain around half the amount of caffeine than coffee and certain types of green teas can even help balance your oestrogen levels.
This being said, the heat from the drink can also be a trigger to induce a hot flush, so perhaps wait for it to cool a little before drinking.
Healthy fats and adopting a well balanced diet.
When going through the menopause, your nutrition becomes especially important and you will likely find that an unhealthy diet will lead almost always lead to more frequent flushes. In order to help prevent this, make sure that sure everything is you eat is organic. Many artificial foods can your hormone levels and create an oestrogen dominance, which will also worsen the symptoms of hot flushes.
Another great tip is to make sure you’re eating enough healthy fats such as avocados, oily fish and nuts. This is because your body needs healthy fats to help in the production of hormones in the first place: Not having enough healthy fats in your system means less hormone production, which then leads to a hormone imbalance and an unpleasant flush.
Keep yourself cool
It may seem pretty self explanatory, but the best way to minimise the chances of a hot flush coming on is to do all you can to stay as cool as you can. Pay extra attention to staying hydrated and wearing loose layers of clothing to allow your body some breathing room if you overheat.
Finally, check any medications that you may be taking, most people are unaware of the side effects of their medications, these may also be causing flushes. If you are experiencing hot flushes due to your medication, talk to your doctor about other things you can perhaps be taking take to avoid this.
