Eight out of 10 women have hot flashes in the years before and after menopause. Many women find that hot flashes disrupt their days and interfere with sleep (night sweats are hot flashes that occur while sleeping).
If you need relief from hot flashes, Chetanna Okasi, MD, at Women’s Wellness MD, can recommend medical care that stops them, but you may be able to manage them with the following lifestyle tips:
The circulating air from a fan immediately helps you feel calm. It also evaporates sweat, which helps your body cool down.
Take advantage of fans by placing several around your house and carrying a portable handheld fan. Some fans spray a light mist of water, which enhances the cooling effect.
Layer your clothes to easily remove the top layers when a hot flash begins, or add layers if chills develop.
Layering also works for your bed. If it’s cold outside and you need more warmth, use several lightweight covers to remove layers and stay comfortable during night sweats.
Natural fibers (cotton, bamboo, and linen) keep you cooler than synthetic fibers because they tend to trap heat.
Take note of certain foods or beverages that trigger your hot flashes. Avoiding those items decreases or prevents them. A few common triggers include hot drinks, spicy foods, caffeine, and alcohol.
Stress is another common hot flash trigger. Relaxation techniques, mindfulness meditation, and yoga are a few ways to keep stress under control.
When you feel a hot flash starting, sip cool water and relax in an air-conditioned room. The water temporarily cools your mouth and throat, making it easier to tolerate a hot flash.
If you’re home, hop into a cool shower to help lower your body temperature. You could take a cool bath, but the hot flash may end before the tub fills with enough water.
After soaking cooling towels in cold water for a few minutes, they retain coolness for hours. When a hot flash begins, activate the towel by snapping or waving it, then place it around your neck or on your face or chest for cooling relief.
Exercise is essential for your well-being, but consider these two tips if you have hot flashes:
Suddenly increasing the intensity of your workout may cause more frequent or severe hot flashes. Maintain a steady, comfortable pace by sticking with your current exercise routine or gradually increasing it.
Studies show that strength training may decrease hot flashes. Strength training includes exercises that work your muscles using resistance, such as weight machines, resistance bands, free weights, or body weight.
Smokers have more frequent and severe hot flashes when comparing women who smoke to those who never smoked or who quit five years before menopause. Studies show that stopping smoking can lower your risk of having hot flashes and reduce their severity and frequency if they occur.
Warm temperatures can trigger night sweats (and hot flashes). Keep the thermostat to a steady, cool temperature, or turn on a fan at night. If the temperature outside is cool, try opening a window.
If you have a memory foam mattress, you probably know that these mattresses tend to trap body heat, making you warm and possibly causing night sweats. Placing a cooling topper on your mattress helps.
Though lifestyle tips can help you manage hot flashes, many aren’t practical in all circumstances. For example, you may be uncomfortable pulling out a handheld fan or cooling towel during a work meeting. Then, you may need other options for relieving hot flashes.
You don’t need to put up with hot flashes when treatments like hormone replacement therapy can prevent them.
Consider talking with us about treatment options when:
Call the Women’s Wellness MD office in Columbia or Greenbelt, Maryland, or request an appointment online today to learn about treatment options to relieve hot flashes.
