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The period of menopause inevitably overtakes all women. It most often occurs between the ages of 40 and 50. Much changes in the body: the risk of developing autoimmune and infectious diseases increases, the immune response to external attacks weakens, it is more difficult for it to resist viruses and bacteria. The aging of the skin and the body as a whole occurs faster.
However, against the background of these changes, most women do not suffer from excessive discomfort and severe pain. However, there are those who endure menopausal manifestations quite hard.
The so-called hot flashes can be so strong that women feel absolutely sick for some period. At the same time, they suffer not only from psychological, but also from physical discomfort.
Hot flashes during menopause – what is it?
Hot flashes with menopause – a problem familiar to the vast majority of women of “piquant” age. The basis of such unpleasant physiological manifestations is a decrease in the level of female sex hormones and, as a result, the inevitable age-related restructuring of the entire female body.
To simplify, the scheme is as follows: estrogens (and these are the same female sex hormones) are responsible not only for the development of the body according to the female type, but also affect the thermoregulation center located in the hypothalamus.
When the level of such hormones declines at a certain age, the body initially perceives this fact as a kind of “breakdown” and begins to send external signals to the woman, which she perceives as hot flashes. The body begins to react accordingly, and the mechanisms responsible for normalizing the balance are activated. As a result, increased heart rate, vasodilation and increased sweating.
After a certain time, and for each woman it happens individually, the body is rebuilt, it starts working according to new rules and the processes of thermoregulation stabilize.
To the question: “How long can this last?” There is no clear answer. Some women “skip” this period in just six months, but there are cases when hot flashes last up to 10 or even 15 years. Factors that can significantly prolong this uncomfortable state are natural early or drug-induced menopause.
Hot flush symptoms
Those women who have entered the menopause are interested in the question of the duration of the tides. They manifest before the last menstruation. Attacks of varying intensity will continue on average for another two years. This applies to 60% of all women. Some experience no more than 2 attacks in 12 months, some suffer from this condition for many years, and some never experience hot flashes at all. In any case, over time, the severity of symptoms decreases, their duration decreases. Very rarely, the rush lasts up to an hour, the average time to feel the heat is about 2 minutes.
Among the most pronounced signs of hot flashes are:
It is impossible to take the onset of any infectious disease for the tide. Most women note that a certain “aura” is felt before its start. That is, with high sensitivity, you can even predict when the tide manifests.
There is a sharp influx of blood to the upper body. The skin of the face and neck turns red, heat covers the chest and arms.
The number of heartbeats increases, in connection with which dizziness occurs, headaches appear. Women experience nausea, shortness of breath, feelings of anxiety and weakness.
During an attack, a woman experiences a jump in body temperature, then she returns to normal. There is increased sweating. Sweat can cover the entire body or come out just above the upper lip. After the temperature drops, chills begin. This forces the woman to either change clothes or go to the shower.
The time of day also affects the frequency of hot flashes. There is an influx of heat at night and in the evening. At the same time, up to 10% of women seek medical help, since the attacks are quite pronounced.
Causes of hot flashes
During the entry into the menopause, the transformation of the sexual functions of the body occurs. Ovulation stops, follicles and eggs stop maturing, the activity of the endocrine glands decreases. In the place where the follicles previously matured, connective tissue is now formed. Due to these processes, the ovaries decrease in size, their parenchyma is replaced by a dense structure (the process of sclerosis).
Therefore, the causes of tides are:
First of all, pronounced changes in the hormonal background and ovarian function.
The lifestyle that a woman leads. In some of them, the climacteric syndrome manifests itself quite intensively, while in others, on the contrary, it proceeds quite imperceptibly.
Taking medications. Means for the treatment of cancer patients can have a pronounced effect on the frequency of attacks and their intensity. For example, Tamoxifen will increase the frequency of seizures until the body adapts to its constituents.
What is the mechanism for the appearance of tides? It is known that the hypothalamus is responsible for normal sleep, maintaining body temperature, appetite and hormone production. A decrease in the amount of estrogen in the blood has a significant effect on it. Until now, science has not found an exact explanation of why the hypothalamus during menopause begins to perceive the actual body temperature as high. However, it is reliably known that it is he who causes an increase in heart rate, increases the volume of capillaries. Thus, it prepares the body to cope with a sharp jump and release excess heat.
The hypothalamus regulates through the nervous system. Signals are delivered to tissues by mediators of the hypothalamus – serotonin, adrenaline and prostaglandids. For this reason, a rush occurs, with all the accompanying symptoms: rapid heart rate, increased sweating, dilated capillaries.
Disorders associated with insufficient estrogen production affect not only the work of the hypothalamus, but also the urinary system, skin, bones, all mucous membranes, brain, mammary glands and vagina. The neurovegetative regulation changes, the risks of developing atherosclerosis and coronary artery and heart disease increase, the skin undergoes dystrophic changes. The frequency of visits to the doctor about diseases of the joints is increasing, which is due to the formation of osteoporosis. The psychological background of a woman does not remain unchanged.
What amplifies hot flashes?
There are certain factors that affect the increase in unpleasant symptoms, among them:
Drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking tobacco. This leads to the expansion of all vessels, increases the intensity of the symptoms of the disease state. Bad habits have a negative impact on all cells of the female body as a whole.
Irrational nutrition with a predominance of fatty, fried, spicy or too hot food in the menu increases the occurrence of hot flashes. Therefore, during this period it is so important to adhere to the dietary menu. If this does not reduce the number of unpleasant manifestations of menopause, then at least reduce their intensity.
Spending time in poorly ventilated areas with low oxygen content. The stuffiness contributes to the occurrence of hot flashes. Therefore, if you are prone to them, you should avoid visiting saunas, baths, rooms with a working fireplace or heaters as much as possible. In the summer it is advisable to use air conditioning.
Regarding the exclusion of certain foods, then sugar falls under a hard limit.
Avoid wearing underwear that causes discomfort. It should be free and not restrict movement, do not pinch the vessels.
Strengthen the menopausal syndrome can nervous strain, overwork and depressive states. Stressful situations should be avoided as much as possible. Even the experience of positive emotions can have a negative impact in this regard.
Beverages such as tea and coffee not recommended for use by women with menopausal syndrome.
Too intense physical education can have a negative effect. This does not mean that this kind of activity should be abandoned. But in everything you need to know the measure.
How not to go crazy after menopause. Menopause is not a death sentence!
A few more tips
Practicing gynecologists agree that a woman after 40 needs to please herself. It is important to satisfy your desires, even the smallest ones. If there is a need to eat ice cream, then you should not deny yourself this. I want to buy a new thing – why not. This gives moments of joy, albeit not very long, but they allow you to tune in to the positive.
In this case, you should not rely too much on the help of a man. As a rule, they perceive all women’s problems as something unworthy of attention. Therefore, only positive thoughts and an independent attitude to a good start to the day will allow you to cope with all adversity.
Neuro-linguistic programming techniques can come to the rescue in this case. Saying the phrases: “I am smart”, “I am the most beautiful”, “I have no health problems”, “I will be fine”, bring positive results. There can be many such affirmations, it is important to come up with the most significant ones for yourself.
Remedies, drugs, drugs for menopause from hot flashes
Sometimes a woman needs to take hormones, the use of which is impossible without medical advice. It is important to understand that these funds have a lot of contraindications:
If there is a risk of developing cancer, then hormone therapy should be abandoned.
You can not take drugs of this group for liver diseases, with thromboembolism, if there are problems with blood clotting disorders.
It is strictly forbidden to prescribe hormonal drugs on your own. Before picking up the drug, the doctor completely examines the woman: sends her for an ultrasound of the breast, pelvic organs, mammography, takes blood for biochemistry, a smear for cytology, and performs a coagulogram.
There are drugs of non-hormonal origin that can reduce the symptoms of hot flashes, including dietary supplements, phytoestrogens, herbs. (Full list of non-hormonal drugs for menopause)
During the onset of menopause, you should not refuse to take vitamins, even with a balanced diet.
Sedatives will help calm the nervous system. It can be corvalol, peony tincture, valerian and motherwort.
Reception of antidepressants also cannot be uncontrolled. They can be prescribed only in the pathological course of menopause. Among such agents are fluoxetine, citalopram, paroxetine, venlafaxine and others.
Homeopathic remedies can also reduce the negative manifestations of hot flashes. For example, Sepia, Lachesis, Climate-hel, Pulsatilla, Klimadinon, Klimaktoplan are often used.