Hot flush: reclaim your cool with these simple daily habits

A hot flush is certainly a common sign of menopause for many women in the UK today ⁽¹⁾. These vasomotor symptoms manifest as sudden feelings of intense heat and unexpected anxiety in the body ⁽⁴⁾. Consequently, they cause the blood flow in the face, neck, and chest to increase rapidly ⁽⁶⁾. As a result, this produces visible redness and uncomfortable night sweats across the upper body ⁽⁴⁾. 

Why does a hot flush occur? 

They occur because there are significant hormonal changes before, during, and after the transition phase ⁽³⁾. Specifically, when oestrogen levels drop, the hypothalamus becomes more sensitive to small body temperature changes ⁽⁴⁾. Therefore, the thermostat detects heat and triggers hot flushes as a way to cool down ⁽¹⁾. 

Signs and symptoms of a hot flush 

The most common signs can occur at any time of the day or the night ⁽⁶⁾. For instance, a sudden sensation of warmth spreads across the chest, neck, and the face ⁽⁴⁾. 

Some women may also suffer from restless legs syndrome during the perimenopause transition phase today ⁽⁶⁾. Indeed, this is characterised by a feeling of leg discomfort that is relieved by moving them ⁽⁴⁾. Moreover, it may be experienced more intensely at night, disrupting your essential sleep quality significantly ⁽¹⁾. 

How is a hot flush treated? 

The most effective treatment to relieve your symptoms is often taking oestrogen replacement therapy medication ⁽³⁾. However, this carries risks, so your doctor must determine if oestrogen is right for you ⁽³⁾. For example, they check if you can start taking it before the age of sixty safely ⁽⁵⁾.  

Alternatively, other medications, such as antidepressants, can also help control them effectively for some women ⁽²⁾. However, these tend to be less effective than hormones for managing severe vasomotor symptoms correctly ⁽²⁾. 

Above all, you should always consult your doctor to learn the advantages and the disadvantages ⁽³⁾. In fact, symptoms as a hot flush are completely normal in menopause and are often manageable for everyone ⁽⁷⁾.  

If they are not preventing you from leading a normal life, treatment is usually unnecessary ⁽⁶⁾. The important thing to know is that they progressively decrease in most cases naturally ⁽¹⁾. 

Lifestyle changes to improve your daily comfort 

However, before thinking about treatment, you should try to make some positive lifestyle changes first ⁽⁵⁾. 

In addition, specialists suggest making these changes at least three months before any medical treatment ⁽³⁾. For instance, practicing breathing techniques like yoga helps alleviate their frequency and intensity ⁽⁵⁾.  

Menopause is a natural stage of life and these symptoms are actually very common indeed ⁽⁶⁾. Therefore, taking small steps above can help to reduce the impact of a hot flush ⁽⁷⁾. Do you want to learn more about how to effectively manage menopause symptoms today? Read our blogs at Issviva UK and find all information that we have for your well-being. 

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