Hot Flashes

 Are Hot Flashes Keeping You Awake?

Ladies, the first time you had a hot flash or a night sweat (a night time hot flash) you knew exactly what it was. Suddenly you were HOT and uncomfortable. The degree of heat and discomfort can vary greatly from very warm to very hot, red and perspiring profusely; sometimes to the point of being soaking wet. In more severe cases the hot feeling can be accompanied by a rapid heartbeat and sweating, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, headache, weakness, or a feeling of suffocation. Some women may even experience an aura – a knowing that a hot flash is coming. There is one thing constant about hot flashes and night sweats; they are never pleasant.

What causes hot flashes? Hot flashes are most commonly caused by:

•     Female menopause (natural menopause, surgical removal of the ovaries, or damage to ovaries from   chemotherapy, radiation, or hormone therapy)
•      The tumour, cancer treatment, or other medical conditions that are not related to the cancer.
•        Drugs such as tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, , antidepressants, and steroids.

Hormonal changes can create a drop in estrogen (the female hormone produced by the ovaries) which in turn affects the hypothalamus (controls appetite, sleep, sex hormones and body temperature). As a result our body’s internal thermostat is off kilter and instead of registering our normal body temperature, it registers our temperature as too hot which triggers a chain reaction designed to cool the body by sweating. Some women’s skin temperature can rise 6 degrees Celsius!

Will I get hot flashes and how long will they last? The likelihood is that you will experience hot flashes. According to breastcancer.org 85% of women in the U.S. will experience hot flashes as they approach menopause and for the first year or two after their periods stop. If you have had breast cancer, your hot flashes can follow the same pattern as for women in general, or they can be more intense and last longer, particularly if menopause was premature, or if you are taking hormonal therapy and your body hasn't adjusted to it. The bad news is that between 20% and 50% of women continue to have hot flashes for many more years. The good news is that the intensity will decrease.

Is there anything that I can do to feel more comfortable? Absolutely! Compassionate Beauty carries a fabulous line of sleepwear designed to keep you as comfortable as possible. The styles are beautiful and the fabric is revolutionary! Originally designed for marathon runners it:

• Pulls moisture from the body.
• Dries 4 times faster than cotton.
• Naturally eliminates odour.
• Evaporates up to 4 litres of water per hour.

Contact us today for more information on this extraordinary line of sleepwear.