Health Topics > Women's health > hotflushes

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HOT FLUSHES

What are they?

Hot flushes are the single most common symptom associated with menopause. They consist of a sudden sensation of heat which rises usually from the chest up over the neck and face. The face may actually become quite red and sweaty. They last from a few seconds to several minutes and may occur just a few times a year or fifteen to twenty times a day! You may find yourself feeling hot and flustered while those around you are cool, calm and collected, as they complain when you open windows and turn off heaters. The flushes can occur at night as well, but you may only be aware of them after waking drenched with perspiration.

What causes them?

Hot flushes are due to a rapid dilatation of blood vessels on the surface of the skin, which results from the fact that the body's thermostat, situated in the area of the brain known as the hypothalamus, does not function at all well without the presence of oestrogen. The lack of oestrogen is of course the hallmark of menopause. Nearly 80 percent of menopausal women are troubled with hot flushes and in 70 percent of this group the flushes will last, on average, for five years. They vary in severity between different women and may be associated with heart palpitations, dizziness and strange crawling or itching sensations under the skin.

Recommended books

• "HRT The Real Truth - balance your hormones naturally and swing from the chandeliers!"  
• "Hormone’s Don’t let Them Ruin Your Life"  This is my latest up-to-date book which covers all aspects of natural hormone replacement.
•  "MAGNESIUM The Miracle Mineral You won't believe the DIFFERENCE it makes to your HEALTH!"  This is my latest book and discusses Magnesium as being essential for hundreds of chemical reactions that take place in the body every second, with recent findings also indicating that it offers a wide range of important health-promoting benefits.  See page 9 for these benefits. 

Treatment and general recommendations

A simple treatment at the time of a hot flush is to apply cold water compresses to the face. It is wise to avoid foods and situations that will make you hot such as caffeine, alcohol, cigarette smoking, big meals, emotional exertion, electric blankets and sitting in direct sunlight. Wear cotton clothing if possible, which allows your skin to breathe.

Aerobic exercise, which makes you huff, puff and sweat is a great remedy for preventing hot flushes.  Aerobic exercise needs to be performed 3 to 4 times a week, for 30 to 60 minutes.

Diet

Numerous plants contain natural oestrogenic substances which, though weak in potency and only present in small amounts, are capable of exerting a mild oestrogenic effect when eaten regularly.

Follow "The Liver Cleansing Diet" principles outlined in Chapter 5 .

Also see Chapter 18 on nutritional and herbal medicine for menopause in - "HRT - The Real Truth"

Raw juicing

Recommended juice recipe from "Raw Juices Can Save Your Life Book"

"Hot Flushes" juice on page 103

Orthodox Medical Treatment

Oestrogen replacement therapy is highly effective in the treatment of hot flushes and can be given in the form of a daily troche (lozenge), a gel or cream rubbed into the skin daily, an injection every two to three weeks, or an implant which lasts six to twelve months. In women who still have a uterus it is combined with the other female sex hormone, progesterone. If you are taking oestrogen purely to relieve hot flushes you may choose to continue it for two to five years and then gradually wean yourself off it. However, oestrogen replacement has the added benefit of protecting against heart disease and osteoporosis (see Osteoporosis), and to gain these advantages you can safely continue it for fifteen to twenty years or longer. (For further information about oestrogen/hormone replacement therapy, see Menopause.)

Clonidine, an anti-blood pressure drug, is occasionally used as an alternative to treat hot flushes. It works by causing constriction of the blood vessels. It is given in a dose of 25 to 75 micrograms twice daily, but is often only partially effective and may have many nuisance side effects.

Recommended supplements:

Oestrogen replacement therapy is the simplest, quickest and most effective way of relieving hot flushes. However, for those women who cannot or choose not to take oestrogen for a variety of medical, personal or philosophical reasons the following naturopathic approaches listed, together with the dietary recommendations above, can provide genuine relief.

A combination of vitamins, minerals and female balancing herb capsules

• Take 2 capsules twice a day with food. A great all round supplement for menopausal women, containing plant oestrogens from herbs and foods to relieve hot flushes, as well as a combination of vitamins and minerals like calcium, to help balance the hormones naturally.

Flaxseed capsules

• Take 2 daily with food - Flaxseed exerts an anti-inflammatory effect and is very useful with menstrual disturbances.

Magnesium powder or tablets

• Take 1 teaspoon daily or 2 tablets twice daily - Magnesium plays an important role in maintaining and promoting efficient muscle and nerve function.