Hot Flushes and Panic Attacks
How have you been feeling lately? Are you irritable, hot and bothered? Are you feeling unusually stressed out? Are you just a little off key? For many women feelings such as these are the early signs of the onset of menopause. Menopause will effect different women in different ways, for some menopause will be drastic and life altering, for others it will be barely noticed. Menopause itself happens when the ovaries stop producing eggs, however the symptoms of menopause may begin many years before this and not cease until years after.
Menopause seems to creep up on us. For some women the symptoms will appear very suddenly, but for most they gradually increase over a number of years, in fact a lot of people don’t even realize what they are experiencing is a part of menopause.
Hot Flushes are perhaps the most common and the most uncomfortable symptom of menopause. Along with night sweats, it isn’t really known for sure what causes this reaction. A hot flush occurs when the brain thinks the body is too cold, it increases the flow of blood around the body which increases temperature quite quickly. Hence the uncomfortable feeling of hotness. It is thought that the hormone estrogen may have a role in reporting the body’s temperature to the brain. During menopause estrogen levels drop substantially, which could have a role in the onset of hot flushes.
Of course, one of the best ways to deal with a hot flush is to cool down the body’s core temperature. If possible, take yourself to a cool room. Splash a little water on your face and wrists and have a glass of water to drink as well. Take off any extra items of clothing like jackets or cardigans. If you are at home, taking a lukewarm shower can help.
Even women who have had a calm and relaxed mindset for most of their lives may feel increased levels of stress and tension during menopause. For some, this may even eventuate in a panic attack. When a panic attack happens for the first time, many women do not think to associate with menopause or even recognize it as a panic attack. It is often one of the earliest signs of menopause. A panic attack can strike at any time, it may be triggered by a stressful event or simply nothing at all. You may feel tightness in the best, have difficulty breathing, nausea, headache or an intense feeling of fear.
It is difficult to know when a panic attack will strike, but the best way to be prepared is to make sure you are implementing stress management techniques in your daily life. If an attack does start, try to breathe slowly, and keep in mind that these feelings will pass in only a short space of time.