Why you have hot flashes even if you are far from menopause

When most people think of hot flashes, they probably imagine a person in menopause drenched in sweat, grabbing one of those battery-powered fans. (Considering this is one of the most common side effects of menopause and perimenopause, this description is not necessarily far away.) But it turns out that you can have puffs of heat at any age – and for reasons that have nothing to do with the completion of your menstrual cycle.

Since hormonal fluctuations – and the decline in estrogen production – during menopause can cause hot flashes, other conditions affecting hormonal levels may also be the cause, Dr. Qurat Mudassar, primary care physician for the Western Connecticut Medical Group.

Whatever the underlying cause, hot flashes are the way the body reacts to heat. It starts with the brain telling the body that it needs to cool so that the blood vessels begin to dilate immediately. "This increases the blood flow to the surface of the skin, thus allowing the body to eliminate excess heat," said Mudassar.

Chances are, occasional hot flashes are not to be feared. But if they happen often enough to affect you, note when you receive them – especially with regard to the meals you have eaten, the stressful events in your life, the changes in your health, or other potential symptoms that you might experience. meet.

Then share this information with your doctor, said Dr. Erkan Buyuk, Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women's Health, Montefiore Medical Center, New York. This can help your doctor identify the potential cause of these problems so that you can finally get relief.

Here are some possible reasons why hot flashes interfere with your style, according to experts:

When the body is under stress, it releases adrenaline. This causes an increase in blood flow and a rise in body temperature, said Mudassar. Cue a hot flash.

"If you have a stressful hot flash, find a cool spot and try some relaxation techniques such as meditation or deep breathing to help you manage your stress and thereby relieve the hot flash," she said. she declared.

But if your stress management strategies do not cut you off, consider talking to your doctor, who can help you develop a plan to effectively regulate your stress and associated symptoms such as hot flashes.

Abnormal amounts of thyroxine, a hormone produced by the thyroid, can alter the body's metabolism. In case of hyperthyroidism – a situation in which you circulate too much thyroxine – the body's metabolism is saturated.

"The increase in metabolism mimics the constant exercise, which can make you hot and sweaty as if you have a hot flash," he said. Dr. Anuja Vyas, an OB-GYN at Texas Methodist Hospital in Texas. You may also experience heart palpitations, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and unintentional weight loss, depending on the patient's opinion. Mayo Clinic.

Since the signs of hyperthyroidism can be linked to many other conditions, it is important that your doctor presents a full summary of the symptoms you have encountered (even if they do not seem trivial). From there, they can determine the best course of action to stabilize your thyroid – and thus relieve your hot flashes.

"Magnesium, a mineral stored primarily in bones, helps regulate blood pressure," said Vyas. "Decreases in magnesium can result in the inability to properly regulate blood pressure and trigger hot flashes."

Other symptoms loss of appetite, nausea, tiredness and weakness. The recommended amount of magnesium for adults is 310 to 420 mg per day, depending on age and sex. It can be found in many foods, such as legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains and green leafy vegetables, as well as fortified foods such as breakfast cereals.

Spicy foods are better known for triggering hot flashes, and they do so by releasing a chemical called capsaicin, said Dr. Sherry Ross, an OB-GYN at Saint John's Providence Health Center in Santa Monica, California.

This can cause dilation of the blood vessels near the skin, creating a sensation of warmth. Avoiding foods containing capsaicin (jalapeño peppers, habanero and serrano, for example) is the easiest way to avoid hot flashes by eating spicy foods.

But if you do not get spicy and think that something else in your diet might be to blame, note your meals and snacks – as well as when your hot flashes fire – can help you find the culprits the most devious.

Alcoholic beverages, especially fermented beverages (beer, sherry, etc.) may contain tyramine, an amino acid, or histamine, a chemical substance associated with the dilation of blood vessels, which can cause hot flashes, said Buyuk. Red wine is another common promoter. It contains preservatives that can cause facial redness and hot flashes, Vyas said.

Keeping an eye on how your body responds to certain cocktails and ghosts of those who cause you a drama can help eliminate your hot flashes.

Primary ovarian failure, also known as premature ovarian failure or POI, occurs when the ovaries close and stop producing estrogen before the age of 40. irregular menstruation, insomnia and vaginal dryness. But unlike those who go through the perimenopause, they can still have irregular periods and can still get pregnant.

Blood tests can determine if you have a POI – and if that's the case, your doctor can help you restore your estrogen levels, which can also help reduce hot flashes, Mudassar said.

Hot flashes can also be a side effect of prescription drugs. For example, antidepressants that increase serotonin levels in the brain affect the hypothalamus – the part of the brain that regulates body temperature – and can trigger hot flashes, Mudassar said. If you think that hot flushes are one of the side effects of a medication you are taking, your doctor may be able to help you find a more appropriate medication or suggest ways to manage it.

Over time, high blood sugar levels can affect the cardiovascular system and trigger hot flashes through increased blood pressure and heart rate. It can also cause nerve damage, and if the nerve endings around the sweat glands are affected, it could increase the amount of sweat, says Vyas. On the other hand, low blood sugar can lead to adrenaline release, which can also cause sweating and hot flashes.

Among other symptoms of hyperglycemia, there is peeing more often and thirst that does not stop smoking, while hyperglycemia can lead to hunger, fatigue and fatigue. # 39; anxiety. If you think your blood glucose is abnormal and can cause hot flashes, your doctor can give you tests and guide you on how to regulate it.

Obesity can not only cause hormonal changes that trigger hot flashes, but it can also lead to other conditions associated with hot flashes, including insulin resistance, l? hyperglycemia and high blood pressure, said Mudassar.

"Healthy weight loss and healthy maintenance can help relieve hot flashes – and more importantly, improve other health problems that may have been caused by being overweight," she said.