Hot Flashes of Brillance: Manage with Fans and Coolers
HOT FLASH!
If you are a woman, you probably know what they are and when you can expect to get them. Or you are already experiencing them and the heat from your computer screen is almost too much. Do not step away from the computer, though. This article just might enlighten you to some new facts about hot flashes.
A hot flash is a sudden sensation of intense body heat, accompanied by heavy sweating and the reddening of the head, neck, chest or entire body. Your skin temperature will rise but your body temperature might actually drop because of the heat lost through perspiration. You might even feel a chill afterward. If you experience a hot flash at night it is called a "night sweat."
There are three types of people who are commonly affected by hot flashes. They are:
1. An older woman who is about to experience menopause or who has already experienced menopause. It occurs when estrogen levels are declining. In these women it is not a sign of a medical problem. It is a normal response to natural hormone changes in the body. The hot flashes usually subside after the first or second year following menopause because the estrogen levels stabilize at a low level.
2. A younger woman who is menstruating or expecting to menstruate soon. These don't usually last very long, sometimes they are even as short as a minute. If these occur at another time in a younger woman's menstrual cycle, then it might be a symptom of a problem with the pituitary gland.
3. Men who experience a substantial drop in testosterone levels can experience hot flashes. They would experience this drop in hormone levels:
- after the surgical removal of testes.
- when taking medications to decrease testosterone levels for treatment of prostate cancer.
- if they have a tumor on hypothalamus or pituitary gland.
- if they have an infection like tuberculosis or HIV.
- if they are having a reaction to MSG.
- if they are having a reaction to medications like nifedipine, niacin or calcitonin.
Hot flashes in men should be evaluated by a doctor. The doctor will try to determine the cause and how to treat the cause or the flashes themselves.
One main way hot flashes are treated in women is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). HRT may relieve symptoms, but can also cause an increase in the risk of breast cancer, stroke and dementia. The US FDA and women's health advocates recommend trying alternatives to hormonal therapies as a first line of treatment.
There are three main ways to manage hot flashes without resorting to HRT.
1. Avoid smoking and eat and drink well. This includes:
-limiting alcohol.
-drinking cold beverages rather than hot ones.
-eating smaller meals because larger meals generate more heat when they are digested.
-eating low fat, high fiber foods.
-not smoking.
2. Stay cool. This includes:
-keeping your environment cool by using a fan, an evaporative cooler or an air conditioner.
-dressing in layers so that you can remove clothing to keep cool.
-sleeping with fewer blankets.
3. Reduce stress. This includes:
-Regularly exercising.
-Use of relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, yoga and biofeedback.
If you are a woman, you probably know what they are and when you can expect to get them. Or you are already experiencing them and the heat from your computer screen is almost too much. Do not step away from the computer, though. This article just might enlighten you to some new facts about hot flashes.
A hot flash is a sudden sensation of intense body heat, accompanied by heavy sweating and the reddening of the head, neck, chest or entire body. Your skin temperature will rise but your body temperature might actually drop because of the heat lost through perspiration. You might even feel a chill afterward. If you experience a hot flash at night it is called a "night sweat."
There are three types of people who are commonly affected by hot flashes. They are:
1. An older woman who is about to experience menopause or who has already experienced menopause. It occurs when estrogen levels are declining. In these women it is not a sign of a medical problem. It is a normal response to natural hormone changes in the body. The hot flashes usually subside after the first or second year following menopause because the estrogen levels stabilize at a low level.
2. A younger woman who is menstruating or expecting to menstruate soon. These don't usually last very long, sometimes they are even as short as a minute. If these occur at another time in a younger woman's menstrual cycle, then it might be a symptom of a problem with the pituitary gland.
3. Men who experience a substantial drop in testosterone levels can experience hot flashes. They would experience this drop in hormone levels:
- after the surgical removal of testes.
- when taking medications to decrease testosterone levels for treatment of prostate cancer.
- if they have a tumor on hypothalamus or pituitary gland.
- if they have an infection like tuberculosis or HIV.
- if they are having a reaction to MSG.
- if they are having a reaction to medications like nifedipine, niacin or calcitonin.
Hot flashes in men should be evaluated by a doctor. The doctor will try to determine the cause and how to treat the cause or the flashes themselves.
One main way hot flashes are treated in women is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). HRT may relieve symptoms, but can also cause an increase in the risk of breast cancer, stroke and dementia. The US FDA and women's health advocates recommend trying alternatives to hormonal therapies as a first line of treatment.
There are three main ways to manage hot flashes without resorting to HRT.
1. Avoid smoking and eat and drink well. This includes:
-limiting alcohol.
-drinking cold beverages rather than hot ones.
-eating smaller meals because larger meals generate more heat when they are digested.
-eating low fat, high fiber foods.
-not smoking.
2. Stay cool. This includes:
-keeping your environment cool by using a fan, an evaporative cooler or an air conditioner.
-dressing in layers so that you can remove clothing to keep cool.
-sleeping with fewer blankets.
3. Reduce stress. This includes:
-Regularly exercising.
-Use of relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, yoga and biofeedback.
Labels: electric_fans, evaporative_coolers, health_tips, portable_air_conditioners
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posted by Erin at
2:08 PM
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