The 7 to 14 years between menopause and premenopause are called perimenopause.
When this happens, a variety of symptoms occur, including difficulty sleeping, pain during sex, hormonal changes, and sweating. Hot flashes are associated with all of the above and can bring their own additional undesirable symptoms. “About 8 in 10 women experience hot flashes during menopause or the menopausal transition,” explains Dr. Rebecca Thurston, a professor of psychiatry and menopause researcher at the University of Pittsburgh.
Here’s what hot flashes are, what causes them, and how to stop them.
What are hot flashes?
A hot flash is a sudden, intense feeling of heat – especially sharp heat in the neck, chest, and face, explains Dr. Ruta Nongak, a perinatal and reproductive psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor at Harvard Medical School. . During the experience, she says “facial flushing” and “sweating sweats” commonly occur. This is why hot flashes that occur during sleep are known as night sweats.
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Sometimes hot flashes can also cause you to experience anxiety, red and mottled skin, rapid heartbeat, and chills as the fever subsides. Thurston says hot flashes can occur at any time of the day or night, but they usually only last a minute or two.
What causes hot flashes?
Hot flashes are most commonly caused by hormonal changes associated with menopause, Thurston explains. Specifically, rapid declines in reproductive hormones such as estrogen and progesterone affect the brain’s thermoregulatory center.
Caused by menopause-related hormonal changes, medical conditions such as urinary tract infections, migraines, neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, and the potential development of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. In addition to hot flashes, in addition to hot flashes.
“Medications that affect hormone levels can also cause hot flashes,” adds the non-AC. She lists inhibitors taken for breast cancer and some drugs prescribed to treat infertility as an example.
How to stop hot flashes
Hot flashes can often be stopped in many ways, including medical intervention.
NonACS says the drug known as gabapentin is “effective for hot flashes” even though it was not originally intended for that specific purpose. The same goes for some antidepressants and non-hormonal drugs. She also explains that in 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an oral drug known as Veoza (fesoline). “Low-dose estrogen replacement therapy may also be recommended if symptoms are severe or if other treatments are not well tolerated or ineffective,” adds the non-AC.
When it comes to lifestyle changes, “There are some really simple treatments that can help,” explains Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, OB-Gyn and clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine. These include wearing layered clothing, minimizing stress, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding common triggers such as alcohol and spicy foods, and “sleeping in a very cool room at night.” there is.
She says herbal remedies and supplements such as Remifemin, Riratzan, and Thermora may also be helpful.