Tips for Handling Summertime Hot Flashes

Summer heat can be unbearable. Menopausal hot flashes can also be unbearable. If you put the two together, the combination can be really unbearable.

While the menopause experience is natural and common, it can create a wide variety of symptoms for women. At certain times, symptoms may be noticeable but not severe, and at other times, the symptoms may interfere with daily living. 

For some women, hot flashes can seem especially severe in the summer. In this blog, the doctors at Southeast Urogyn explain what you can do to help manage summertime hot flashes.

Coping with summertime hot flashes

Despite the individual way that menopause symptoms can affect women, most have hot flashes in common. Hot flashes typically manifest with a sudden feeling of warmth in the face, neck, and chest along with blotchy red flushing on the skin.

Your heart rate may rise, along with feelings of anxiety, and you may start to perspire. As the flash passes, you may also experience chills, depending on how much body heat you lose during an episode. While most women struggle with them, there are some things you can do to help manage them in the summertime, including the following:

Avoid the heat

If it seems like you get more hot flashes in the summer, this may not be your imagination. In fact, warm weather itself can actually be a trigger for hot flashes. So stay inside or in the shade when you can, especially from 10am-2pm, which is the hottest time of the day.

Avoid other triggers

Caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods are all potential triggers for hot flashes, so consider your consumption of these in terms of your internal thermostat issues. Likewise, tobacco use is linked to hot flashes, so if you need yet another reason to stop smoking, quitting may literally help cool you down.

Fight fire with ice

Cold drinks are the logical go-to when you feel the first signs of flushing, but that’s not your only choice. Stack a few damp washcloths in the freezer and drape them around your neck when you start to feel an episode coming on. If those aren’t intense enough, try first-aid ice packs.

Dress for the season

Cotton is your friend in the summer months, since its permeability can help handle the fluctuations of body temperature. Layers are another hot flash coping mechanism. Dressing in layers can allow you to dress for normal conditions and also let you shed outerwear for five minutes or so if things heat up.

Lose weight

For some women, dropping a few pounds can help them lower their chances of getting hot flashes. It may not work for every woman, but given the other health benefits connected with losing weight, it might be a bonus if it works for you.

If home care isn’t helping you manage your hot flashes, and they’re becoming more than just a minor inconvenience, we can help you get relief. To learn more, book an appointment over the phone with Southeast Urogyn today.