Hot flashes are characterized by the sudden, intense, hot feeling on your face and upper body, often preceded or accompanied by a rapid heartbeat and sweating, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, headache, weakness, or a feeling of suffocation. The flash is followed by a flush, leaving you reddened and perspiring, and sometimes ends with a chill.
Hot flashes can take away from the quality of life by causing discomfort during normal activities or, more commonly, interrupting sleep. Hot flashes are not necessarily a sure sign of menopause or nearing menopause, as is often assumed, but they do generally signal a decline in the production of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, which is associated with hormone imbalance in men and women. Low amounts of estrogen can cause the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls heat regulation, to misidentify the body’s temperature.
Many factors can worsen the severity and frequency of hot flashes, including stress, nutrient deficiency, spicy foods, warm weather, tight clothing and the use of substances such as caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Researchers have identified a strong body-mind connection in the management of hot flashes and encourage relaxation techniques like rhythmic breathing and meditation to help dampen the distress hot flashes cause. Stress is one of the surest triggers of hot flashes. Dr. Roy can work with you to take steps to control the stress in your life through an overall wellness approach focused on regaining balance in nutrition and lifestyle.
Hot flashes can be a result of the normal hormone fluctuation characteristic of the changing hormone levels during a menstruation cycle, but when they are frequent or severe enough to disrupt sleep or daily life, hot flashes may be a sign of a medically treatable hormonal imbalance. Dr. Roy offers a unique form of personalized, at-home hormone therapy to help put your body back in its natural balance. There are many options for the structure and implementation of bio-identical hormone replacement, and Dr. Roy can guide you through them with advanced medical expertise.
Some change in hormone levels is inevitable with age, but you can still decide for yourself to make your lifestyle as healthy and enjoyable as possible to combat the negative forces of aging and hormonal imbalance.
