What are ‘hot flashes’?
‘Hot flashes’ are terms used to explain sudden sensations of
- Extreme heat,
- with profuse sweating.
- Rapid heart beats.
These last anywhere between 2 to 30 minutes.
Why do they occur?
The hot flash results from altered thermal stability, which is maintained by the hypothalamus (a brain region located above the pituitary gland on the brain’s floor). This organ controls the body’s temperature regulation. Estrogen levels can affect some functions of the hypothalamus.
During menopause, the ovaries produce less estrogen. Sensing this, the hypothalamus responds by rapidly changing body temperature. The result may be a hot flash.
How frequent are they?
- Some people get only 2 episodes in a week while others suffer multiple episodes in the same day.
- Some women go from feeling hot to feeling cold. The hot flash may begin with a sudden tingling in the fingers, toes, cheeks, or ears.
- Severe hot flashes occurring the night time, called ‘night-sweats’, can lead to severe sleep deprivation.
- Severe hot flashes can cause ‘rosacea’ ‘ (flushing and redness) on the central face and across the cheeks, nose, or forehead.
- As estrogen is typically lowest at night, a woman might get night sweats without having any hot flashes during the daytime.
Who gets hot flashes?
Conditions which predispose to hot flashes:
- Menopause: Women approaching menopause, or going through the menopausal phase are the maximum sufferers. 1 out of every 4 women suffers hot flashes when going through menopause.
- The pre-menstrual phase: Considered to fall within 1 week before menses, the pre-menstrual phase is a time when many young women experience hot flashes.
- Complete hysterectomy: Young women who have had to undergo a complete hysterectomy (a surgical procedure to remove the uterus along with both the ovaries) for other medical reasons are likely to suffer hot flashes which subside during their natural menopause timing.
- Problems in the pituitary gland: Abnormal conditions of the pituitary gland may cause hot flashes in young women which share no relation with their menstrual cycles.
Homeopathic Treatment for Hot flashes:
Being a hormonal disorder connected with body’s own thermal regulatory mechanism, homeopathy has a great role to play. We have treated a number of cases where patients have reported significant to complete recovery from Hot flashes. The medicines are selected on the basis of individual case details and are very effective. Homeopathic treatment for Hot flashes is strongly recommended.