Causes, Symptoms and Treatment of Hot Flushes

A sudden flash of heat on your body can make you feel extremely uncomfortable. It gets worse if blotches start appearing on your face and hands and is followed by sweating as an intense chill spreads throughout your body. This is known as a hot flush and is usually seen in menopausal women. These flushes may be momentary in nature or last up to thirty minutes.

It is difficult to treat them as they appear sporadically and almost without any warning. These flushes normally decrease with age and finally cease all together. On an average most women experience hot flushes for a period of about two years. It may last as long as five years in extreme cases.

Aggravating factors- Hot flushes are known to be triggered off by insomnia, excessive caffeine intake, alcohol and stress. However such factors are not conclusive and many women who avoid the above may also fall prey to hot flushes.

Symptoms- Most women experience a feeling of nausea and vomiting immediately after the hot flushes. Insomnia and difficulty in concentration are often associated with hot flushes too.

Causes- The level of estrogen decreases with the advent of menopause which results in fluctuating of the body temperature.

Treatment- Hot flushes are not life threatening but the problem may be uncomfortable. Vitamin E supplements may help in increasing the estrogen levels of the body. Hormone Replacement Therapy is an excellent way of reintroducing the body to estrogen thereby controlling the hot flushes. However, HRT may cause irregular bleeding and needs to be avoided if you have a family history of breast cancer.

Drinking cold water during hot flushes may help. Removing a few layers of clothing from your body may also help you to feel cool. It is a good idea to dress in pure cotton which will help to keep your body temperature under control.