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Hot Flashes and Other Signs

Hot Flashes and Other Signs

Date : 04-12-2003 - 03:24 PM - Readers : 14787

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Help! I'm burning up. I've always been on the "cold" end of the temperature gauge, fighting with my hubby for the thermostat control and now I'm burning up and want the windows open....and its winter! Are these signs of menopause? What is a hot flash? And when will they go away? And what is the difference between a hot flash and night sweats?

Yes, The hot flash is the most common symptom during perimenopause, experienced by as many as two-thirds of women. The hot flash or flush is an uncomfortably warm feeling that results from "vasomotor" changes in the body. These are changes in circulation, such as increased body temperature, heart rate, or blood flow.

During a hot flash, the blood vessels typically dilate, allowing greater blood flow to the skin. The skin's temperature often rises 4 to 8 degrees, which is why a woman blushes, sweats, or feels hot or tingly. She also may feel her heart pounding. The sensation of heat often begins on the face or chest and spreads over the rest of the body. The body's internal temperature actually falls because heat is being lost through the skin. When the hot flash is over, a woman may feel chilled.

Hot flashes usually result from low levels of the hormone estrogen, but they can be triggered by stress, being in a hot room, eating hot or spicy foods, or drinking alcohol, caffeine, or hot beverages. While hot flashes don't pose a risk to health, they can be embarrassing, even debilitating.

Typically, they're most severe during the first two years after menopause.

Heres an interesting tidbit of info: obese women tend to be less likely than thin women to develop hot flashes, since some estrogen is available from the body's fat tissue. (estrone)

Night sweats are hot flashes that happen while a woman is sleeping, leaving her drenched in perspiration. Unfortunately, they can also leave her tired and irritable from lack of sleep.

You may, also, have trouble concentrating and experience memory lapses. There is alot of research that suggests that estrogen helps maintain short-term memory.

Also, the decline in estrogen can alter a woman's normal sleep cycle, reducing the amount of deep sleep she gets. (Also indicates low levels of progesterone which is important to sleeping patterns)

There are other signs that indicate changes in hormone levels bringing on menopause: skin changes. After menopause, the skin gets progressively thinner and loses its elasticity. This is due to a loss of collagen, a protein that keeps the skin firm. Still, most wrinkles and skin mottling are due to sun exposure. Fine lines from aging -- as opposed to sun damage -- usually don't appear until the sixties.

Other not so pleasant symptoms include incontinence and vaginal dryness. Incontinence,is the involuntary leaking of urine and can be a particularly troublesome issue during menopause. As a result of declining estrogen levels and normal aging, the lining of the urethra -- the tube that runs from the bladder to the outside of the body -- becomes thin, and the muscles surrounding it become weaker. When this happens, a woman is likely to experience involuntary leakage when sneezing, coughing, or laughing. She may also experience an overwhelming need to urinate, painful or more frequent urination, or the need to urinate several times during the night.

Vaginal dryness is also a result of low hormone levels. The decreased production of estrogen and progesterone leaves the lining of the vagina thin, dry, and less supple, which can cause itching, tenderness, inflammation, and even bleeding.

Check with your doctor to discuss any menopausal symptoms if they keep you from a normal day of activities.

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