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You don’t have to live with hot flashes and night sweats. It could be minus forty outside and you’re throwing off covers trying to cool down. When you do get cooled down – BINGO – you get the chills. You’re not alone. Statistics say 75 to 80 percent of women going through menopause have hot flashes and night sweats.
Wouldn’t it be great to not have that prickling, creeping warmth that hits you like a ton of bricks, giving you a red face, back, and neck? And while you might feel like the flashes last for eternity, they actually last from 15 seconds to 6 minutes, and happen roughly every 90 minutes.
Understanding Your Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
It’s not just the flooding heat you get with hot flashes and night sweats, you also experience weakness, dizziness, heart palpitations, and skipped/erratic heartbeats that make you question if something is seriously wrong with you. Not all these symptoms happen at the same time and that further confuses the issue.
Have you made trips to the doctor asking about those funny “jumps” in your chest and why you have extra heartbeats when you didn’t before? Some doctors tell you extra heartbeats are no big deal, that ten year olds can get them. The point is though, they’re a big deal to you and you want answers.
If all those symptoms aren’t enough, you find yourself fatigued one day, and can’t sleep the next. Then there are the headaches that feel like your head is in a vice grip. No wonder you’re cranky, embarrassed, irascible and uncomfortable (who wouldn’t be having symptoms like that all day?).
Menopause is not for sissies, and it takes a lot of courage to get through it. Help along the way is priceless.
What’s happening? Your body is putting out less estrogen and progesterone. The presence of fewer hormones messes up the thermostat in your brain (the hypothalamus). It doesn’t know if it’s hot or cold, so it erratically expands or contracts your blood vessels.
Since the hypothalamus is confused, your heart rate and skin blood flow increase. Your internal body temperature might drop three or four degrees while struggling for a balanced system. Hence hot flashes and night sweats.
Tips to an Easier Menopause
Eating well is always a good idea and now is a crucial time to avoid certain foods and drinks that are known triggers of hot flashes and night sweats. Stay away from spicy foods and hot drinks, and be sure to stay well hydrated. It also helps to avoid caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, and steer clear of acidic foods (like tomatoes, citrus and pickles).
Take care to enjoy stress-reducing exercise by taking Yoga, Tai Chi, walking, swimming, jogging or playing sports. But take note that intense exercise (even lovemaking!) can increase hot flashes and night sweats. You may want to notice anything that is causing you to hold in anger, as releasing toxic emotions will go a long way in relieving your symptoms.
Going Natural for Symptom Relief
There are many herbal remedies that can help menopause symptoms. Trouble is you may not know which ones will work. Menopaused AM & PM has taken the guesswork out of this for you.
With Menopaused AM & PM you have a blend of herbs (formulated by women who have been there) to tackle hot flashes and night sweats. Ingredients like Soy Isoflavones that handle those flashes/sweating and headaches. Added bonus! They also boost brain function, protect bone strength, lower bad cholesterol, increase good cholesterol and support heart health.
Black Cohosh is a winner in promoting hormone balance, while Motherwort reduces hot flashes, relieves nerves, anxiety, depression, and restores vaginal elasticity. Vaginal dryness is irritating, and you get more infections because of it. Wild Yam is noted for treating this and other menopausal symptoms. And for that restlessness? Valerian works well as a sedative.
Find out more about natural relief for easing hot flashes and night sweats so you can lower your menopause heat index now, by reading more tips to an easy menopause at the links in the article above.