Are you waking up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat? Or maybe throughout the day, you suddenly feel the skin of your upper chest, neck, and head getting hot? If so, you might be experiencing hot flashes! And no, this isn’t only happening to post-menopausal women! Though they tend to be more present in women 45 and older, hot flashes can happen at any stage of fertility- even in your 20s. These unpleasant symptoms are not a cause for concern, but they can be uncomfortable. Luckily, there are many natural ways to ease and reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes!
What is a Hot Flash
We know what a hot flash feels like, but what actually are they? Hot flashes are a side effect of estrogen levels dropping in the body. Hormones have a huge effect on our body temperature, so a quick drop can bring on these less-than-comfortable symptoms. They are most associated with menopause as this is the time when menstruation becomes irregular and eventually stops completely! But, estrogen drops can occur due to other factors like hormone imbalance, stress, lifestyle habits, and underlying conditions!
Check Your Hormones!
If you’re experiencing hot flashes pre-menopause, don’t worry-it’s common! Hot flashes really boil down to hormones levels, which can vary for so many different reasons. Are you over-exercising and maybe not eating enough? Or maybe you have a busy work life and spend your days on edge and stressed. It could even be a diet rich in spice and not enough B12! Hormones play a huge role in the entire functioning of your body, and hormonal symptoms can happen that aren’t directly related to menstruation.
Change Up Your Diet
Our hormones are constantly changing, so you’re likely to experience some level of hot flash every once in a while. But, if you’re having frequent or severe episodes-it’s time to explore some natural treatments. Since hot flashes typically occur due to low estrogen, eating foods high in natural estrogen can help to re-balance! Try adding chickpeas, lentils, and soybeans to your meals as a plant-based estrogen alternative. You can also introduce more healthy meats, like chicken, pork, and beef. Drink lots of water and in the colder months, add in some warm tea with mint or chamomile.
Breathe Deep
It may sound cliche, but deep breathing works wonders for hot flashes! Deep, belly breaths help regulate our nervous system, our stress responses, and all the functions of our body. If your hot flashes are from stress or lifestyle habits, deep breathing will help balance your hormones by reducing cortisol. Find a quiet place, sit comfortably, and take ten deep breaths in and out, pausing at the top of each breath. Try doing this once a day, and move up to 2-3 as you get more comfortable.
Acupuncture for Hot Flashes
Acupuncture is a powerful method to treat not only hot flashes, but the underlying factors causing them! Depending on what your acupuncturist observes, he or she will apply acupuncture to different points in your body. Acupuncture can help with other side effects as well as insomnia, anxiety, depression, brain fog, and irregular menstrual cycles. If you don’t have an acupuncturist near you, you can apply acupressure at home! If you’re looking to treat your hot flashes naturally, call our office or visit our website today to book an appointment with our experienced acupuncturists!
Acupuncture for PMS
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