Coping With The Symptoms Of A Hot Flash
Posted on Apr 24, 2009 under Menopause | No Comment
With any hot flash the symptoms may vary, but they all include one major component – heat. Although no one can pinpoint exactly what causes a hot flash, most agree that a hormonal imbalance makes your body think it is overheating causing your blood vessels to open and pump more blood to cool your body down. This is what actually causes the symptoms of a hot flash.
Some women agree that they can feel the symptoms of a hot flash coming on by having an uneasy feeling, or a feeling of anxiety. The flash is just that, a sudden feeling of intense heat. It will start around your waist area and move up quickly to your upper body and face. You will start to perspire and your face can become quite red and flushed looking. You may start to experience nausea, dizziness, instant headaches, weakness, or even a feeling of suffocation. Unfortunately this is all normal, and it will pass eventually, usually in about 2 to 5 minutes, but it can last as long as 30 minutes.
Symptoms of a hot flash also include rapid heartbeat and the feeling of anxiety. This may make you perspire even more than you usually would because of the overwhelming emotion that it provokes in your brain. The amount of sweat also depends on any medication you may be taking, your diet, and the stage of menopause you are in. Some people barely get a glisten on their upper lip, and others look as if they have run 10 miles. The perspiration will soon cool down. Depending on how much you exuded you will suddenly feel very cold and chilled. The rapid chills will last until you essentially dry your body of any left over perspiration.
Although up to 85% of women have symptoms of hot flashes during perimenopause and menopause, only about 10% to 15% actually have them so badly that they need medication. This isn’t to say that you can’t change the frequency or levels of your symptoms. You can do so easily by changing your diet, eliminating alcohol and tobacco, exercising, and doing breathing and relaxation techniques. This will all help to make it a more tolerable experience and to relieve some of the anxiety you have when suffering the symptoms of hot flashes.
Linda Bruton
http://www.articlesbase.com/women’s-issues-articles/coping-with-the-symptoms-of-a-hot-flash-85997.html