Menopause& Hot Flashes. Your Questions Answered by Internal Specialist, Dr. Mera

During a hot flash, you’ll likely feel your body temperature rise. Hot flashes affect the top half of your body, and your skin may even turn red in color or become blotchy. This rush of heat could lead to sweating, heart palpitations, and feelings of dizziness. After the hot flash, you may feel cold.

Hot flashes may come on daily or even multiple times a day. You may experience them over the course of a year or even several years.

Avoiding triggers may reduce the number of hot flashes you experience. These can include:

• consuming alcohol or caffeine
• eating spicy food
• feeling stressed
• being somewhere hot

Being overweight and smoking may also make hot flashes worse.

A few techniques may help reduce your hot flashes and their symptoms:

• Dress in layers to help with hot flashes, and use a fan in your home or office space.
• Do breathing exercises during a hot flash to try to minimize it.

Medications such as birth control pills, hormone therapy, or even other prescriptions may help you reduce hot flashes. See your doctor if you’re having difficulty managing hot flashes on your own.