Menopause is a transformative moment in our lives as women. We change, physically and emotionally. Change isn’t inherently good or bad, but it does happen, and addressing those changes shouldn’t be taboo! It shouldn’t be taboo to talk about the mood swings, aches and pains, the hot flashes, or the cold flashes. We don’t talk about any of these things enough, and it makes women think their bodies are broken when they are doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing.
With that said, your body doing what it’s supposed to be doing doesn’t mean you need to give in to nature and suffer alone. There are things we can do to help our bodies, both physically and emotionally, so we can live happily and healthily. This article will dive deep into what hot flashes are, what causes them, and things you can do to alleviate hot flashes and help manage them.
Hot Flashes are Sudden, Uncomfortable, and Seemingly Random.
You know what hot flashes are. They’re uncomfortable. They’re sudden. They aren’t just disruptive, they can be uncomfortable, painful and devastating. It isn’t just physical, the uncertainty of when you might experience your next hot flash can be debilitating, and nobody talks about how long a few minutes can be when you’re deeply uncomfortable. Some women do experience milder hot flashes, and not every hot flash you feel will be the same intensity. What people don’t talk about enough is that hot flashes don’t happen on a timer. You can go days, weeks, or even months without experiencing hot flashes. Some women experience them daily, at different, random times during the day.
Women Under Report Hot Flashes, And We Shouldn’t.
An article from CNN talks about how hot flashes aren’t benign and we should address them as the medical concern that they are. We aren’t saying this to worry you, we’re saying this so you know to take care of yourself and speak with doctors who understand hot flashes and are willing to work with you to treat them. We don’t talk about our hot flashes enough.
What Causes Hot Flashes And What Can We Do To Stop Them?
Per mayo clinic, the leading idea behind the cause of hot flashes is that as your body goes through perimenopause and your estrogen levels decrease, your hypothalamus( your body’s thermostat) becomes more sensitive. Hot flashes are your body’s response to this increase in temperature, and your body’s attempt to cool down. The sudden cold flashes you also experience are the inverse of this same problem. Many peri women experience hot flashes, and while most women stop experiencing hot flashes when they’re post-menopausal, some women do still get them.
How Hot Flashes Impact Our Nights
One of the most common pieces of medical advice given to women is “get better sleep”. How are we supposed to do that when we wake up at 3 AM because of the overbearing heat? We literally get so hot and uncomfortable that it jolts us up from bed to do whatever we can to cool down. Some of us come out of a hot flash and directly into a cold flash, cycling between taking the layers off and putting more on. Your sleep is important, and hot flashes are disruptive.
How To Manage Hot Flashes
Hot flashes are mental and physical, and managing them is a process. It doesn’t need to be a complicated process, but setting a routine can help avoid some of the more common triggers of a hot flash. If you deal with hot flashes during the night, here’s a few things you can try:
Dress in layers that can easily be removed
Lower the temperature in your bedroom
Drink cold water before bed
These are just the tip of the iceberg and are some small adjustments that you can make without disrupting your day to day life. If doing the above doesn’t suffice, here are some other recommendations:
Keep a Cold Towel and Water Handy
When you’re overheating, one timeless and natural way of managing that heat without medication is a cold towel or a cold glass of water. Simply putting
Avoid Alcohol, Spicy Foods, and Caffeine
This is a big one. Do we really need to give up coffee, alcohol, and some of our favorite foods? Not everyone needs to do this, but it is something to consider and try. Cutting these things out of your daily life and reincorporating them slowly can help you figure out if you have a specific trigger to your hot flashes. If you don’t notice any changes after a week, you can always go back to drinking coffee and wine.
The logic behind cutting out spicy foods is intuitive, the heat from the capsaicin could activate your body and mind’s heat sensors and trigger a hot flash. Making dietary changes sucks, but sometimes it is essential and better than the alternative of suffering through things like hot flashes.
Avoid the Heat in General
The sun is good for you, but if you’re experiencing hot flashes regularly, staying out of the heat is important to your overall health. Along with avoiding hot coffees and spicy foods, avoiding hot drinks like tea, hot cocoa, or anything warmed in general can help. Its also worth understanding that it doesn’t need to be an all-or-nothing ordeal. These are general guidelines that could help, but your comfort and mental health go above any individual suggestion.
Meditation Helps Some Women
There are plenty of benefits to meditation, and some women say that meditation has helped them manage their hot flashes. The clearness of mind, routine, and happiness that comes from sticking to a routine of meditation could all contribute to this. There are guided meditations and group meditations that can make settling into this routine much easier.
Does Exercise Help With Hot Flashes?
If you’re studying up on menopause for yourself or a partner, you’ve probably read a lot about how exercise can help manage many of the symptoms of menopause. To be honest, exercise is important and will help with many of the other symptoms of menopause, but there is not strong evidence supporting that it will stop hot flashes, and there are accounts from women that exercising has triggered hot flashes. We aren’t saying this to scare you, but to make you aware so you can be prepared if it does happen. If you’re a partner studying up on menopause, make sure you don’t mention exercise as a solution to hot flashes, and if you exercise with your partner, keep a towel and cold water handy.
Are There Medications For Hot Flashes?
There are a number of medications, hormonal and non hormonal, that doctors can prescribe to help manage your hot flashes. One common suggestion that many women advocate for themselves is hormone replacement therapy, or HRT. This comes in the form of estrogen pills, creams, and patches. Along with HRT, there are some medications made specifically for hot flashes, and other multipurpose medications that have been prescribed for hot flashes in the past. If you are experiencing hot flashes, you can speak with your doctor to find if there is a specific medication that would help you manage your symptoms.
Does CBD Help With Hot Flashes?
There is not a strong body of research regarding CBD and its interaction with menopause. Most research we have seen indicates that CBD does not prevent hot flashes, but there are some anecdotal experiences and reports saying that it may help manage some common symptoms associated with hot flashes, and we’ve read accounts from women that say that despite still experiencing hot flashes during the day, they are able to sleep through the night when they had previously woken up from hot flashes.
Real Experiences: Women Navigating Hot Flashes with CBD:
There are a number of blogs, journals, and forum posts from women documenting their experiences using CBD to help manage their hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. A common through-line reported by women using CBD for hot flashes is being able to sleep through the night.
Consulting with Healthcare Professionals:
Golden Goat CBD emphasizes the importance of consulting healthcare professionals before incorporating CBD in your menopause management plan. There are countless unregulated substances and natural remedies that people try to push, but we believe that its in your own best interest to speak with your doctor and find treatments that work for your body.
Potential Side Effects and Considerations:
Understanding potential side effects or considerations associated with CBD use is vital. While generally well-tolerated, individuals should be aware of any unique reactions, emphasizing responsible CBD usage under professional guidance. If you are considering using CBD for menopause, we strongly recommend you consult with a physician to know if you would experience any side effects.In conclusion, Golden Goat CBD recognizes the nuanced nature of menopausal symptoms and the ongoing research surrounding CBD’s potential role in alleviating hot flashes. Our commitment to empowering individuals with choices and transparency remains unwavering, allowing women to explore CBD as part of their personalized menopause wellness journey.
Menopause is a transformative moment in our lives as women. We change, physically and emotionally. Change isn’t inherently good or bad, but it does happen, and addressing those changes shouldn’t be taboo! It shouldn’t be taboo to talk about the mood swings, aches and pains, the hot flashes, or the cold flashes. We don’t talk about any of these things enough, and it makes women think their bodies are broken when they are doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing.
With that said, your body doing what it’s supposed to be doing doesn’t mean you need to give in to nature and suffer alone. There are things we can do to help our bodies, both physically and emotionally, so we can live happily and healthily. This article will dive deep into what hot flashes are, what causes them, and things you can do to alleviate hot flashes and help manage them.
