Emotional Stress And Hot Flashes
Stress isnt always easy to avoid but for menopausal women its certainly something worth learning to tackle. When we become stressed adrenaline surges through the body. Our heart beats faster and blood flow speeds up, leading to a rise in temperature. A hot flash is our bodys cooling down process.
The response manifests itself by not only making us feel hot, but also red-faced. Some women experience tingling in their fingers, prior to flushing.
The ironic thing is, its not just typically negative emotions, such as anger, envy and anxiety that can prompt a hot flash even happiness and arousal can do it.
How To Stop Feeling Hot
That hot feeling can be very disruptive to your life. Those that experience hot flashes at night often report significant problems sleeping, as their sheets start to feel drenched in sweat and their body feels too warm to get any rest. Those that experience it during the day may find that they are uncomfortable everywhere they go. They may even worry that others are judging them, increasing their anxiety and the length of their hot flash.
Hot flashes are not something that you can stop once they’ve started. They’ll eventually stop on their own when your anxiety trigger goes away. But you can control how much the symptoms affect you by integrating the following:
Once the hot flash begins, waiting until it decreases is really your only option. There are a few ways to cool down, and distracting yourself can be valuable, but a hot flash is a natural body response and one that you can’t turn off. If anxiety is causing your hot flashes, you’ll need to find a way to reduce the anxiety itself.
You have a lot to consider, because while there are many anxiety treatments, they will not work for everyone. Some examples of treatment options include:
Everyone reacts to anxiety treatments differently, because everyone has different anxiety causes, biochemistry, symptoms, and more. So the above list is nowhere near extensive, and there are several very effective anxiety treatments that have been developed for specific symptoms and types of anxiety.
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Can Anxiety Cause Hot Flashes Or Do Hot Flashes Cause Anxiety
The confusing thing about hot flashes and anxiety is trying to determine which caused which.
As weve already discussed, the physiological response to anxiety can certainly bring about the sensation of a hot flash. This is especially true for events like panic attacks, where your heart rate and breathing rate are likely to spike even more.
But the opposite is also true a hot flash can lead to feelings of anxiety. The sudden rush of warmth and other physical symptoms of hot flashes can be distressing.
Ironically, the fear and anticipation of experiencing a hot flash can bring on those exact physical symptoms.
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The Terrible Eye Twitch
Personally, I have never gone to the eye doctor because of an eye twitch, but I have a friend, Steve, who has had some pretty severe eye twitches lately. They have actually become kind of debilitating. Its to the point where it interferes with his ability to work.
Now, let me explain the level of eye twitch we are talking about here. Anyone sitting two tables away from him in a restaurant would be able to see the twitch. It draws half across his face on one side, so we are talking serious eye twitch here.
Not the one that you have to say, stop the music and no buddy breathe although even the smallest eye twitch is super annoying.
So, my friend Steve went to seek medical care. The doctor injected some Botox to lessen the effects, but the problem has persisted.
I think most of us have experienced an eye twitch, so I would only get alarmed if it becomes serious or persists for a long time.
Things that you might want to look at are the following.
- What is your caffeine intake?
- How much sleep are you getting?
- Do you think you might be low on one or multiple of these three items: potassium, sodium, magnesium
Any time I am dealing with muscle spasms of any sort, I start thinking about my potassium, sodium and magnesium levels because a lack of them can interfere with muscle and nerve function. Think about whether you have been sweating a lot lately or maybe your nutrition hasnt been the best.
The Hot And Cold Experience
These “Flashes” are really just changes to your body temperature. During periods of intense anxiety, your body temperature heats up due to vasoconstriction, which is when your blood vessels tense up as they deliver more blood to the areas involved in fight and flight.
Vasoconstriction causes your body to heat up, and this creates what’s known as a “hot flash.” Your body heat appears to come out of nowhere, giving it its “flash” effects.
But the body also has a way of cooling itself down after it heats up. As soon as you start to experience heat, your body also releases more sweat. That sweat then reaches the air, and you start to cool down – in some cases becoming very cold. This is the “cold flash.” Your body itself isn’t necessarily becoming colder, so much as it is reacting to the sweat that it released to cool down after the hot flash.
When these hot flashes and cold flashes occur at night, it’s often referred to as “night sweats.”
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Take Good Care Of Yourself Mind And Body
If looking back on the hormonal upheaval of your teenage years fills you with compassion, lavish lots of care upon yourself now.
Eat rainbows of healthy vegetables and muscle-building protein which are vital as you get older.
Take time and space to create things. Numerous have shown that art, music, drama, and dance help people prevent and manage stress.
And consider taking a mindfulness course. In a
Preventing Hot Flashes In Men Naturally
Diet: Changing your daily food choices to reflect more healthy lifestyle choices can have a significant impact on hot flash development. Your doctor may provide you with a customized plan to make your decision-making process a bit easier. A pillar of this health plan typically focuses on losing weight, as excess fat is known for creating increased amount of estrogen in the body.
Eat more fruits and vegetables: A rich source of antioxidants, polyphenols, minerals, and vitamins. These food items are essential to any healthy diet.
Choose healthy fats: Not all fat is bad for you, in fact, your body needs a certain amount every day. Choosing the best ones for your body is key. Omega-3 fatty acids are great for supporting a healthy heart and good blood circulation.
Select plant protein over animal protein: Getting enough protein in the diet is essential for maintaining muscle strength and lean body mass. Good sources of plant protein include beans, legumes, and selected grains.
Consume green tea: This beverage contains substances called catechins that have potent antioxidant properties. Replacing sugary drinks with green tea can assist in preventing illness and make you feel healthy.
Quantity and quality of your sleep: Getting your daily recommended amount of sleep is vital for overall health. A lack of sleep can interfere with hormone production as well. Your body will thank you if you make getting sleep a priority.
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Q: Are Problems With Memory And Concentration A Normal Part Of Menopause
A: Unfortunately,trouble concentrating and minor memory problems can be a normal part ofmenopause. Experts dont understand exactly why this happens, but if you arehaving them, talk to your doctor. He or she can at least provide somereassurance.
Activities that stimulate your brain can also helprejuvenate your memory, so spend some time with crossword puzzles or cozy upwith a book. Keep in mind that depression and anxiety may make memory concernsmore noticeable.
What Are Hot Flushes
Hot flushes are often described as a ‘creeping’ feeling of intense warmth or heat which suffuses the face and upper body. They may also be accompanied by sweating and reddening of the skin.
Along with menopausal weight gain, restless nights and mood swings, they’re often a side effect of the menopause.
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Exercise And Hot Flashes
Intensive cardio-vascular exercise can lead to more frequent and severe hot flushes. Thats because as your heart beat rises, so does your body heat.
Exercise can, however, help beat obesity. And studies show that obese women have an earlier onset of menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats. Conversely, women who have a lower body mass experience the symptoms at a later stage than usual.
How Does Stress Cause Hot Flashes In Menopause
So if hot flashes are caused by increases in blood flow, heart rate, and ultimately, tricking the hypothalamus, how does stress play a role in this process? Stress hormones increase the heart rate, which in turn, increases blood pressure and the rate at which blood flows. It naturally raises core body temperature. How?
The emotional response that accompanies stress, particularly in women, closely resembles anxiety. This means that stress hormone levels are at extremely high levels. For women, this is especially difficult to deal with as more women are likely to experience chronic stress than men. When stress hormone levels are high enough for prolonged periods of time, they start to take on the behavior of toxins in the body and radically change the regulatory processes that affect the immune system, the brain, and more.
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Q: Is There Anything Else I Can Do To Cope With Emotional Concerns During This Phase Of My Life
A: A healthylifestyle can help ease the menopause transition, including the followingsteps:
- Exercise and eat healthy.
- Engage in a creative outlet or hobby that givesyou a sense of achievement.
- Turn to friends, family members or aprofessional counselor for support. Stay connected with your family andcommunity. Nurture your friendships.
- Take medicines, vitamins and minerals asprescribed by your doctor.
What You Will Learn In This Article
- Symptoms of Hot Flashes
- Why Some Women Suffer More
- Solutions for Hot Flashes
Hot flashes are the bane of many a peri- or post-menopausal womans existenceespecially since they are linked to insomnia and depression. While the mechanism of this irritating symptom isnt fully understood, there are things that can be done to lessen both the frequency and the severity of hot flashes.
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What Causes A Hot Flash
Hot flashes occur when estrogen levels in the body drop. Estrogen is a hormone that is responsible for the regulation of the reproductive system in people with a uterus.
Falling estrogen levels affect the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls appetite, body temperature, hormones, and sleep patterns. The hypothalamus is sometimes called the bodys thermostat because of the role it plays in regulating body temperature.
A drop in estrogen levels can cause the hypothalamus to get mixed signals. If it senses that the body is too warm, it prompts a chain of events to cool the body down: The blood vessels dilate, blood flow is increased to the surface of the skin, and heart rate may increase as the body tries to cool off. Some people experience a chilled feeling after a hot flash.
Most hot flashes are caused by hormonal changes, but they can also be related to other health conditions, substances, and even certain treatments or medications.
Other things that can cause hot flashes include:
- Alcohol
- Thyroid issues
Pearls And Other Issues
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Alcohol And Hot Flashes
Drinking alcohol can cause your blood vessels to dilate, meaning you are more likely to suffer hot flashes. And, because most people drink alcohol during the evening, flushing and night sweats can develop while were sleeping.
One study showed that drinking alcohol caused hot flashes and night sweats to worsen amongst 36% of menopausal women who took part. The biggest culprit seems to be red wine.
How To Prevent Hot Flashes From Taking Over Your Life
If you find that youre regularly struggling with hot flashes, its important to check in with a doctor to try to figure out whats going on. If lack of estrogen is the cause, your doctor will likely prescribe something to help increase the levels of the hormone in your body, like an estrogen supplement or antidepressant, Dr. Bohn says.
Other than that, you can try your best to wear light, loose clothes to bed, keep your house cool, and drink plenty of water, Dr. Wider says.
Theres only so much you can do to stop hot flashes altogether, but taking these steps should help limit how much you experienceand how severe they end up being.
Stay updated on the latest science-backed health, fitness, and nutrition news by signing up for the Prevention.com newsletter here.
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How To Get Rid Of Hot Flashes In Men
Hot flashes can be very uncomfortable and disruptive, but there are treatment options available to help men get rid of them. Firstly, it is important to identify and eliminate what may be causing your hot flashes. Keep note of whether certain foods or medications increase the frequency of your hot flashes and work them out of your diet. There are also some herbal remedies that may offer relief. Black cohosh and ginseng have been found to help reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes in some studies. Finally, some antidepressants have been found to limit the effect of hot flashes.
Consult With Your Doctor
If you find that your symptoms are increasingly bothersome, even with your lifestyle changes, reach out to your healthcare provider or doctor. Even though you may not be dealing with hormonal issues, your symptoms are real. There are effective treatments for reducing your symptoms as well as for treating the anxiety and depression that may underlie those symptoms.
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Insomnia And Hot Flashes
A severe fall in oestrogen, together with a decline in progesterone during the menopausal years, causes hot flashes and sweating. This results in disrupted sleep. A drop in the sleep hormone melatonin exacerbates the situation. Often symptoms of anxiety and depression are also present.
With regard to the latter, it is believed that disrupted sleep could be the cause of this in the first place. Oestrogen-loss can also lead to joint aches and bladder problems and which is another contender for the cause of waking during the night.
What Causes Hot Flashes In Men
There are several reasons that hot flashes could occur in men, including prostate cancer treatment known as androgen deprivation therapy lifestyle causes such as stress, depression, or anxiety and medical causes like testosterone levels dropping in middle age.
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Triggers For Hot Flashes And How To Prevent Them
Medically reviewed by
Hot flashes are a very common symptom of menopause 85% of women experience them. Hot flashes also called hot flushes or night sweats can be severe enough to significantly change a womans quality of life. For some women, there are no specific triggers for hot flashes or flash causes the hot flashes just seem to come randomly.
Sometimes, there can be triggers for hot flashes that make flashes occur more frequently. If you can identify triggers for hot flashes that affect you, then those triggers for hot flashes can be avoided, and your hot flashes will be reduced. This article will explore triggers for hot flashes and discuss what can be done to avoid these triggers in an effort to reduce hot flashes and regain control of a symptom that often seems out of control.
If you have had a hot flash, you know exactly what it feels like: a sudden feeling of heat, sometimes accompanied by a red, flushed face, and varying degrees of sweating. The triggers for hot flashes are vast, but what causes hot flashes? For some women, the number one hot flash cause is stress, and for others, it can be food or beverages, or even clothing. On a physiological level, hot flashes are triggered by changes in blood circulation due to stress, temperature, exertion, and hormone changes.
Tips For Reducing Hot Flushes
You can try these tips to ease your symptoms:
- cut out or reduce coffee and tea
- stop smoking
- keep the room cool and use a fan if necessary
- if you feel a flush coming on, spray your face with cool water or use a cold gel pack
- wear loose layers of light cotton or silk clothes so you can easily take some clothes off if you overheat
- have layers of sheets on the bed, rather than a duvet, so you can remove them as you need to
- cut down on alcohol
- sip cold or iced drinks
- have a lukewarm shower or bath instead of a hot one
- if medicine is causing your hot flushes, talk to your doctor about other ways you can take it to avoid this side effect
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