Hot Flushes and Night Sweats

The feeling starts in your heart, you feel like it’s beating faster for some reason. A sensation of heat expands outwards throughout your whole body, it hits your face and you feel a headache hit you or even a feeling of nausea. You probably want to go sit down or lie down somewhere and wait for this to pass. A hot flush at an unexpected time can be both uncomfortable and embarrassing. You never know when one might hit you, and it is often at the most inopportune time.

Night sweats are a similar phenomenon and are thought to have the same basis as hot flushes, the difference being you are asleep and it takes longer for you to register the rise in temperature and make a move to cool down your body.

Hot flushes and night sweats can effect your life in many different ways. Judy, a woman in her early fifties, had worked in a bank for most of her life. Being on the teller, she found it incredibly embarrassing when hot flushes hit her at work.

‘I would feel the heat spread and my face turn pink. It was hard to concentrate often I had to excuse myself and quickly find someone else to help a customer, it was just too overwhelming.’ Says Judy of her experience with hot flushes.

Leah, who is in her late forties, has never experienced hot flushes during the day but experiences night sweats two or three times a week.

‘Often I wake up suddenly and feel panicked for some reason,’ Says Leah, ‘It’s uncomfortable, waking up feeling so hot and not understanding why. I’d heard about these things but never though menopause would be so hard for me, or hit me so early.’

There are several ways of dealing with symptoms of hot flushes and night sweats. Seeing your GP is a great first step. There are some hormone replacement programs which may be of help if your symptoms are severe.

More natural approaches to menopause are now being considered by many women. Of course, making sure you are sweating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water will help lessen the severity of menopause. Exercising at least three times a week is important too. Herbal supplements are a great alternative too, look for products that contain iron, calcium and magnesium, all of which are thought to help during your forties and fifties. B vitamins are also helpful if you are feeling lethargic and low in energy.