26
Feb, 2021
HOT FLUSHES??… MY TOP 8 TIPS TO HELP!
HOT FLUSHES??… MY TOP 8 TIPS TO HELP!
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I did a poll on social media this week asking women what’s their one main struggle during the peri/menopause?
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And the overwhelming feedback was hot flushes!
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I hear you girls!!! Even though I’ve worked with many menopausal women over the years I’ve only just started experiencing the dreaded hot flushes myself…..
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It was only the other week when walking Tilly in the ice and snow I had to strip down to just my vest top and I was still burning up! I must of looked like a right weirdo ha.
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Plus wearing these blooming masks don’t help either do they.? Especially getting a flush waiting in the supermarket queue, I get irritated queuing as it is, never mind dripping in sweat at the same time ha.
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It’s all down to a drop in estrogen as we age unfortunately which cause’s many unpleasant side-effects , one being the hot flushes…
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But all is not lost as there are many positive changes we can make to our lifestyle which I’ve found really helps. and if they don’t stop them completely, they can definitely help to reduce the frequency and severity of them.
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And here they are …..
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My 8 Top Tips To Help With Hot Flushes.
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Hot Flush Trigger 1. Alcohol .
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All alcohol causes some vasodilation within the body meaning an expansion of blood vessels making you feel warmer, leading to skin flushes or a full on blown hot flush..
Obviously it differs from person to person but alcohol especially red wine my nemesis is definitely a trigger to hot flushes.
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Tip..
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Ditch the alcohol! Or least cut down on the amount.
I’ve found cutting right down on my alcohol over the past couple of months has really helped.
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Hot Flush Trigger 2. Spicy Foods.
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Like alcohol, many spices and ingredients that give food their heat are vasodilators that expand your blood vessels, especially true of cayenne, chilli powders and hot peppers which contain a compound capsaicin which is heat triggering. .“Anything that tastes hot in your mouth can trigger a hot flush,”
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Tip..
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Obviously avoid any hot chilli or pepper-infused dishes.
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Hot Flush Trigger 3. Caffeine.
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Unlike alcohol and spicy foods, caffeine narrows blood vessels instead of widening them ,but never the less it can still set off hot flushes in some women, This is due to the impact caffeine has on the heart rate as an increased heart rate will increass the speed of blood pumping through the body and to the surface of the skin causing the skin to flush.
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Tip.
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Ditch the caffeine or at least cut it right down and swap for some herbal teas and decaffeinated tea/ coffee options.
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Hot Flush Trigger 4: Any Hot Drink.
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I’ve noticed any hot drink can set off a flush with me, and the reason why as us women age we have a lower tolerance for cold and heat meaning our body temperature’s not as adaptable as what it was once causing our temperature to rise and skin to flush when drinking something hot.
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Tip .
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Swap some of your hot drinks for cooler ones when hot flashes are active. Try cutting up some cucumber, lemons, limes etc or selecting mint leaves for refreshing flavoured water..
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Hot Flush Trigger 5: Smoking.
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Smoking just like caffeine increases your heart rate as well as inhaling the heat through the cigarette which is double trouble for hot flush sufferers .
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Tip.
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kick the habit for good. 
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Hot Flush Trigger 6 … Too much Cardiovascular Exercise.
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Too much exercise that boosts your heart rate – known as “cardio exercise” – is great for your health, but will raise that body temperature with every increased heart beat eg long drawn out running, spending hours on cardio machines, high intensity aerobics etc This sort of training can have a negative impact on hot flushes due to our stressed out adrenal glands as we age, leading with us to not being able to deal with the excess adrenaline the same preventing our blood vessels working properly.
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Tip.
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Cut down on some of your long drawn out cardio workouts , eg long distance running and hours on the cardio machines and swap to some other forms of beneficial exercises such as resistance/strength training which will also help in preventing osteoporosis and improve your bone density too.
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Other forms of exercise, like leisure walking, yoga, would also be beneficial as these are not intensively cardio-focused and will help rest the over worked adrenal glands.
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You don’t have to cut out all your cardio completely as a lot of women find it helps to boost their mood and mental health but just limit it and make sure you do it in a well ventilated room with a nice breeze/fan to keep the skin cool.
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Hot Flash Trigger 7 : Diet.
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Balancing blood sugars through eating a healthy diet helps to stabilises your hormones including mediating estrogen fluctuations. Levelling out estrogen helps with body temperature regulation to reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flushes and excessive sweats.
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Tip .
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Include lots and lots of protein and fibre (veg, salad, fruit) into your diet. In doing so it will help to balance the blood sugar hormones cortisol and insulin leading to a decrease in a rush of blood to your blood vessels reducing body temperature and can also help with anxiety.
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Hot Flash Trigger 8: Emotions & Stress.
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It’s quite common for us menopausal women to become easily stressed and emotional over the slightest thing isn’t it? Like me in supermarket queue ha Our body’s become really stress reactive during the menopause meaning we can’t cope with stress the same as our younger days meaning any irritations, strong emotions or high levels of stress can make the blood rush to our skins surface triggering yet another hot flush..
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Tip.
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Learn to deal with heightened emotions and stress with mindful and breathing techniques there are loads of apps available, calm and head space are good ones.
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Also work on getting in some YOU time…do something that makes you feel happy calm and relaxed every week, scheduling them in like an important meeting with yourself.
I find walking and escaping into a good book really helps me relax and regain some sort of mental balance.
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There are so many other practical ways to help with hot flashes eg wearing light cotton clothing, avoiding hot baths, sleeping in a well ventilated room or with a fan etc.. but the above are going to help you to transform from the inside out!.
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Every woman is different and in some cases hot flushes and other symptoms can become unbearable no matter what you do, so if that’s the case then maybe HRT is the best option… for all the best advice on HRT please follow Dr Louise Newson aka the Dr Menopause . Please don’t suffer in silence .
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Here is her website link below.. she also has a great app called balance to help monitor your symptoms with great info.
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As always I would love to know your thoughts!.
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I hope my above tips help , any questions give me a shout.
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Karen “off to Aldi now, give me strength” Austin xxxxx.