Hot flashes: the phenomenon when the body suddenly feels hot & bull; hello healthy

For some women, a phenomenon hot flashes identical to the menopause, aka when the menstrual cycle in women has stopped. This condition is usually felt as a warm to hot sensation, it can even make the skin red in a moment. Although hot flashes or hot flushis normal, but often makes you feel uncomfortable.

What happens when the body experiences hot flashes?

The burning sensation can occur slowly or it can occur suddenly and can occur at various times in minutes, hours or even days. Hot flashes marked by several specific signs including:

A burning sensation that spreads around the hands, upper body and face.
Redness of the skin.
Heart beat.
Excessive sweating of the upper body.
The body feels cold afterward

Symptoms hot flashes it occurs more frequently at night and may persist during the transition period, or last for several years as the body adjusts to hormonal changes at menopause. Hot flushoften causes sleep disturbances and chronic insomnia, which can lead to memory problems, anxiety, and depression in postmenopausal women.

ALSO READ: How to Overcome Overheating During Menopause (Hot Flashes)

Risk factors hot flashes

Menopause occurs due to hormonal changes, although not all women will experience it hot flashes at the age of menopause. The exact mechanism is not known hot flashes can occur but changes in reproductive hormones can affect the hypothalamus gland so that the body becomes more sensitive to changes in temperature.

There are several triggers that make menopausal women more at risk of experiencing symptoms hot flashes, including:

Consuming cigarettes and secondhand smoke
Drinking alcohol
Are stressed or feeling anxious
Obesity
Lack of physical activity, especially after menopause
Eat spicy foods
High consumption of caffeine
Was in a hot hot room
Wear tight clothes

ALSO READ: 10 Symptoms You Are Entering Menopause Period

Cause hot flashes if you're not in menopause

Symptoms hot flush in the body can also be experienced even though a woman has not entered menopause and this is caused by several things, including:

Treatment side effects – hot flashes can be caused by several types of drugs such as osteoporosis drugs (Raloxifene), breast cancer chemotherapy drugs (Tamoxifene) and painkillers (Tramadol).
Dietary habit- Spicy food habits can provide a hot sensation due to enlargement of blood vessels and stimulation of nerve endings, causing a burning sensation. Alcohol consumption, for some people, can also cause this reaction, which can lead to a burning sensation in the body.
Secretion of certain hormones - The hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine can increase blood flow which results in a sensation of warmth to heat in the body. This mechanism can occur when a person is stressed, anxious, or as an allergic reaction.
Foreshadows the menopause transition - when menopause occurs at the age of about 50 years, the transition period of hormonal changes (perimenopause) can occur up to 10 years before entering menopause, and symptoms hot flashes may have started happening at this time.
Hypothalamic gland malfunction - The decrease in the hormone estrogen at menopause can affect the function of the hypothalamus gland. But this is not the only thing, malfunctioning of the hypothalamus can also trigger it hot flush. Disorders of the hypothalamus function itself can be caused by several other conditions, such as:
- Eating disorders
- Trauma to the head
- Genetic diseases and hyperthyroidism

is hot flashes only experienced by women?

Men can also experience symptoms hot flashes if he is experiencing andropause in which the hormone testosterone has decreased significantly. Just like in menopausal women, decreased hormones can also interfere with the work of the hypothalamus, causing symptoms of heat stroke. In general,hot flush in men have almost the same symptoms and patterns as women. However hot flashes is not normal in healthy men, therefore it can be treated with testosterone replacement therapy.

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How to overcome hot flashes

The severity can be minimized by doing the following:

Maintain body temperature and the environment - keep room temperature cool and wear clothes made from natural fibers or cotton.
Regular physical activity - actively moving by walking, cycling, dancing, or swimming.
Applying the abdominal breathing technique - is an effective relaxation technique by breathing regularly with deep breaths at a frequency of six to eight times per minute. Performed for 15 minutes in the morning and evening to reduce symptoms of heat.
Use a cool pillow for sleeping - this can reduce the intensity hot flashes while you're trying to fall asleep.
Hormone replacement therapy - is a last resort and requires supervision by a doctor. This therapy cannot be done in a short time and also has a risk of side effects such as increased blood clots and inflammation of the gallbladder. However, there are alternative ways of reducing the severity of this hot flashes with lifestyle improvements, such as being active, having a balanced diet, and avoiding alcohol and cigarette consumption.