Your complete guide to… HOT FLUSHES

Feeling the heat with the menopause? Here’s how to keep cool and carry on

- ALI HORSFALL

If you’re menopausal and find yourself flinging open the window or waking up drenched in sweat, it’s likely you’re having hot flushes. These affect as many as 80% of women during the menopause* and, despite it being a common complaint, being hot and bothered can disrupt daily routines and knock confidence levels. Luckily, there are plenty of steps you can take to handle hot flushes. Here are some of the best…

What is a hot flush?

A hot flush can vary from woman to woman, but when one strikes, the most recognisable feeling is a creeping sensation of intense heat that spreads across the face, neck, chest and body. Sweating, palpitations, or dizziness may accompany them too. ‘Hot flushes can last anything from a matter of seconds or up to an hour,’ says Dr Louise Newson, GP and author of Menopause (£9.74, Haynes). ‘Some women may have hot flushes a few times a month, while others endure several a day.’ They can last for around four years, but some women may have to cope with hot flushes for decades.

Why do we get them?

Exact causes are unknown. ‘But one theory is that falling oestrogen levels during the menopause impact on another hormone called noradrenaline, which helps to regulate body temperature,’ says Dr Newson.

TREAT THE HEAT

These options may reduce or ease menopausal hot flushes…

HRT