Getting hot flashes are one of the most common signs and symptoms of menopause and perimenopause.

Hot flashes are an occurrence where you feel a sudden feeling of warmth in the upper body, which usually happens in the face, neck, and chest.

This may make you appear reddish and sweaty. Losing too much body heat will make you feel chills afterwards.

This is usually a result of menopause as mentioned before, or this is the time where menstrual periods become irregular or stop.

When a hot flash happens to you at night, it is called night sweats, and can wake you up at night, making it difficult to sleep.

Hot flashes can last for several years, may it be 7 years or even more than 11 years. Women can experience night sweats for several years.

Symptoms of hot flashes include:

• Having skin that suddenly feels warm

• Experiencing redness on parts of the body, such as the face, neck, ears, or chest

• Sweating, especially in the upper body

• Tingling in your fingers

• Experiencing a heartbeat that’s faster than usual

• Chills

Women experiencing menopause can get hot flashes several times in a day. There are actually several causes for hot flashes, including:

• Certain birth control medication

• Tumors

• Diabetes

• Eating problems

• Alcohol

• Caffeine

• Spicy foods

• Stress and anxiety

• Pregnancy, especially during the first and second trimesters

• Radiation therapy

• Chemotherapy

• Certain medications such as a breast cancer drug known as tamoxifen, osteoporosis drug called raloxifene, and tramadol which is a strong pain reliever.

Most people manage this at home with natural remedies for hot flashes as well as lifestyle changes. Below are some of them:

Identifying trigger points and avoiding them

A simple strategy in helping treat hot flashes is knowing the factors that can trigger your hot flashes.

Knowing the specific factors causing hot flashes will help allow women to deal with them more easily. This can vary from woman to woman and the common triggers include:

• Stress

• Spicy or hot foods and beverages

• Alcohol

Stop Smoking

Smoking especially chain smokers are at risk of getting earlier menopause, thus, experiencing hot flashes.

Women who are smoking regularly can experience symptoms associated with menopause such as anxiety, mood swings, poor sleep habits, skin problems, and especially hot flushes and flashes.

Hot flashes are triggered by smoking because it triggers the nervous system and affects your overall health. Smoking may speed up the onset of menopause and increase the severity of symptoms, especially hot flashes.

Losing Weight

Being overweight or obese are thought to trigger the severity and frequency of hot flashes in women.

But it doesn’t mean that only people who are overweight need to exercise but this applies for almost all women who are already in that period of having menopause anytime.

This lifestyle habit is important not just for menopause but for the overall health of a person.

When you lose weight through exercising and eating only enough food reduces your risk of getting certain conditions and hot flashes.

Bring Cold Water

Cold water is helpful for hot flashes because it can lower body temperatures temporarily.

Sprinkling cold water over your face or drinking cold water helps quickly cool down the body during hot flashes.

In addition to that, being hydrated helps steady body temperatures.

Keep A Fan In Your Room

Fans are helpful in terms of creating cool air circulation to provide instant cooling relief.

Relaxation And Exercise

Hot flashes and menopause in general can cause stress for some women, and stress isn’t good for menopause.

Stress releases a substance called epinephrine — this increases body temperature and sweating.

You can easily try relaxation techniques and exercises to reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes.

You can easily access tutorials from youtube or other media sources which can teach simple techniques for you to try.

Recommended relaxation exercises include:

• Yoga

• Mediation

• Tai chi and qi gong

• Acupuncture

• Massage

• Breathing exercises

• Keeping calm

Eating A Healthful Diet

Eating healthy food is generally good for you, and even more beneficial than anything.

When you eat healthy foods, your body will receive adequate amounts of nutrients good for the body This will then help create healthy hormones and nerve signaling.

This can also help reduce sugar which can cause symptoms of hot flashes. Women should eat foods that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids such as fish oil, flax seed, and many more.

Ginseng

This is a popular remedy in increasing sexual arousal and improving sex drive.

This has been proven to help reduce the severity of hot flashes and night sweats in women with menopause. You can do this by drinking ginseng tea daily.

Black Cohosh Root

This has been found to reduce vaginal dryness and hot flashes in menopausal women.

As a matter of fact, it has been an alternative to hormone replacement therapy. This can be consumed through a pill or as a tea.

However, if you are pregnant, sad to say, but you can’t consume black cohosh as it has strong medicinal properties that can cause negative side effects on pregnant women and people with high blood pressure and liver problems.

Green Tea

This contains several properties which are beneficial in treating certain symptoms such as menopause.

This contains plenty of antioxidants, caffeine, and EGCG. Green tea helps decrease bone fractures and strengthens bone metabolism.

A study suggested that ginkgo biloba can improve symptoms of post-menopausal syndrome.

Valerian Root

This has several properties which are beneficial in treating conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, headache, and stress. It also has the ability to reduce hot flashes and joint pain.

Drink a cup of valerian root tea before bedtime to promote a good night’s sleep,

Red Clover

According to a study, they found that red clover supplementation decreased menopausal symptoms.

This is used in treating hot flashes and night sweats in women. This is due to the phytoestrogens found in red clover, which also helps improve hormonal imbalances caused by menopause.

Avoid Eating Refined Sugar And Processed Foods

If you have a diet that is high in carbs and sugar, it can cause significant increases in blood sugar, as well as add to your stress and irritability from menopause.

As a matter of fact, it is found that a diet high in carbs and processed foods will increase your risk of depression and affect bone health.