Breaking a Sweat
I sweat. A lot. As a kid, I got made fun of for it. Girls aren’t supposed to sweat like boys. We perspire. Over the years, I’ve become more comfortable in my own skin, and I realize that sweating is a natural process that helps my body cool down when it’s too hot.
I still distinctly recall my first hot flash. I was on a Zoom call for a job interview when out of the blue I felt this warmth come over my cheeks. I felt flushed and could feel myself getting inexplicably hot and sweaty.
I tried to continue answering the interviewer’s questions, ignoring yet another drip of sweat running down both sides of my face. I chalked it up to nerves, but the warm feeling soon became overwhelming, to the point where I had to pause the interview and take myself off camera to wipe the sweat and blast the AC for a few minutes. Note that it was the middle of January in NYC…I was having a hot flash.
If you’ve experienced a hot flash, know that you’re not alone. About 75 percent of all women experience this sudden, brief, periodic increase in body temperature, which can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Hot flashes are by far one of the most common symptoms of perimenopause, the time leading up to menopause when estrogen levels start to decline and symptoms begin to appear, and menopause, when periods stop for a consecutive 12 months.
It's not clear exactly how hormonal changes cause hot flashes, but decreased estrogen levels may impact the hypothalamus in the brain, which regulates the body’s thermostat, to become more sensitive. When the hypothalamus thinks your body is too warm, it triggers sweating and the dilation of blood vessels to cool the body down. Some women experience hot flashes for seven to 10 years!
So, what can we do about it?
There are so many products out there including Hot Girls Pearls, a cooling bracelet for hot flashes that I saw featured in Oprah’s O Magazine not too long ago, or the plethora of menopausal-related ads that seem to find their way into my feeds – cooling blankets, anyone?
But according to the Mayo Clinic, the “most effective way to relieve the discomfort of hot flashes is to take estrogen, but taking this hormone can carry risks for some women. If estrogen is appropriate for you and you start it within 10 years of your last menstrual period or before age 60, the benefits can be greater than the risks.”
The FDA recently approved a new non-hormonal drug, Veozah (fezolinetant), to treat hot flashes. It targets a neuron in the brain that becomes unbalanced as estrogen levels fall, but the cost of this new medication may be prohibitive at an estimated $550 for a 30-day supply.
Discuss the pros and cons of various treatments with your doctor. Hot flashes subside gradually for most women, even without treatment, but it can take several years for them to stop. If, like me, hormone replacement therapy (“HRT”) or other drugs is not an option, but hot flashes are interfering with life, consider the following lifestyle changes:
There’s some evidence[1] that eating soy products such as tofu, soybeans, and soy milk might be associated with fewer hot flashes as they contain chemicals which bind to estrogen receptors in the body. These foods also contain phytoestrogens, which mimic biological estrogen. Flaxseed is rich in phytoestrogens, though there are other natural food sources such as berries, oat, and barley.
According to PubMed[2], omega-3 supplements may alleviate night sweats, which are hot flashes that occur while sleeping and are disruptive enough to wake you. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found naturally in foods such as sardines, salmon, and anchovies.
Some studies[3] have shown a correlation between increased body fat and hot flashes. Successfully reaching an ideal body fat percentage varies from person to person, and the answer is not just through diet and exercise, though they are part of the solution. Discuss a safe and effective approach with your doctor, before embarking on any new diet trend or fitness regime. A few scientifically proven ways to lose body fat include: eating more good fats and limiting processed foods and refined sugar, drinking more water (and less alcohol, caffeine, and sugary drinks), and adding strength training as a part of an overall fitness routine.
A Mediterranean diet[4] may help, which includes a focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, a moderate amount of fish, a moderate amount of dairy but little or no butter, little or no meat, and little or no sweets or sugary drinks.
Have you experienced hot flashes? What have you tried? And what worked or didn’t work for you? Let us know.
Written By: Grace Park
[1] https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-to-eat-when-you-have-hot-flashes/
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30056356/
[3] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170531084443.htm