What are hot flashes in women during premenopause - menopause, symptoms, causes and treatment? Please refer to the following article immediately.

1. What is hot flashes in premenopausal - menopausal women?
Hot flashes are one of the most common symptoms and most frequently affect women going through perimenopause - menopause. Although hot flashes are not life-threatening, they cause many troubles that affect women's quality of life.

When women enter premenopause - menopause, which is common in middle age, the activity of the brain-pituitary-ovarian axis weakens, leading to hot flashes.

Image: hot flashes in premenopausal women
Image: hot flashes in premenopausal women
2. Symptoms of hot flashes
Hot flashes in premenopausal or menopausal women often start suddenly with hot air from the upper body rising to the neck, face and then spreading throughout the body. At this time, the body temperature increases, the heart beats rapidly, the feeling of burning in the face, upper chest and then quickly spreads to the whole body. The feeling of heat lasts from 2 to 4 minutes, often accompanied by sweating, sometimes palpitations and then chills.

Hot flashes happen suddenly and often appear at night, causing women to wake up and making it difficult to fall back asleep. This affects the psychology as well as the living and work habits of most women entering the premenopausal period.

3. Cause of hot flashes in premenopausal women
There are many causes and mechanisms that cause hot flashes

Causes of hot flashes:
Studies show that hot flashes are one of the warning signs of perimenopause - menopause. Hot flashes are closely related to the aging of the brain-pituitary-ovarian axis over time.

Mechanism of hot flashes:
When women enter premenopause, the brain-pituitary-ovary axis system ages, causing a decline in axis activity, which disrupts the brain's command-giving mechanism. The pituitary gland descends to the ovaries to produce a trio of hormones: estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, and the feedback from the ovaries to the brain and pituitary gland to properly and adequately regulate the necessary hormones also has problems.

Changing concentrations of the three hormones will affect the hypothalamus of the brain - which is responsible for controlling body temperature. When the hypothalamus is in disorder, incorrect perception of body temperature will signal the whole body to release heat, causing the heart to pump blood faster, blood vessels under the skin dilate to circulate more blood, at this time the body temperature increases. Suddenly, sweat glands become active to cool the body. After sweating, the body loses heat, causing chills, fatigue, and anxiety.

4. What to do to reduce discomfort and control hot flashes?
The following living habits help reduce symptoms of hot flashes during perimenopause and menopause

Lifestyle changes: often applied to women with mild hot flashes

Their effectiveness is quite variable. Here are a few suggestions according to the guidelines of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS):

– Avoid hot places, hot drinks, hot foods, alcohol, coffee, excessive stress and smoking. Wear clothes made from breathable, light, cotton fabrics - To reduce stress and get better sleep, exercise regularly, but not too close to bedtime.

– When hot flashes start, try “paced breathing” – slow, deep abdominal breathing – in through your nose, out through your mouth. Breathing only 5-7 times/minute, much slower than usual. If you often have hot flashes and insomnia, you should not abuse sedatives or antidepressants. Instead, you should exercise 2-3 hours before going to bed. Meditation, yoga, qigong, tai chi, acupuncture or massage will also help reduce stress.

– Try different ways to stay cool while you sleep. Wear breathable and light nightgowns. Use layered bedding that can be easily removed during the night. Keep a fan next to the bed. Keep a cold pack or bag of frozen peas under your pillow and the pillow so your head is always resting on a cool surface.

If you stay awake at night, drink a glass of cool water. Try different ways to get back to sleep, such as: meditation, rhythmic breathing, or getting out of bed and reading a book until you feel sleepy.

Avoid obesity

– Hot flashes are often more frequent and severe in overweight women, because estradiol and estrone (2 types of estrogen hormones) are lower than normal people. In addition, fat also acts as an insulator, hindering heat dissipation. Therefore, maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly to reduce hot flashes and improve overall health.

Use medicine

The drug is used in cases where hot flash symptoms in premenopausal or menopausal women are too severe, seriously affecting the quality of life of the sufferer.

Some medications can overcome or help overcome symptoms of hot flashes in premenopausal women such as:

– Neuropathic pain relievers: Gabapentin and Pregabalin to combat hot flashes.

– Antidepressants: Venlafaxine, Fluoxetine and Paroxetine are used to treat hot flashes in premenopausal women quite effectively.

*Need to consider when using the drug not to overuse it for a long time

– Use non-medicinal support products

Most studies believe that hot flashes in premenopausal and menopausal women are caused by estrogen deficiency, so some products that support hormonal balance can help women overcome this condition effectively. effective. Among them, short-term postmenopausal hormone therapy is recommended to treat moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (NAMS, 2010).

When treating hot flashes, estrogen should be used continuously rather than cyclically because this symptom often recurs during periods of estrogen withdrawal.

In women with a uterus, estrogen always needs to be combined with a progestin, to prevent endometrial hyperplasia. If it has been less than 1 year since the last menstrual period and the woman does not smoke, she can use estrogen-progestin birth control pills. This method helps prevent pregnancy, reduces hot flashes and regulates menstruation.

Although hormone use may increase the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease, research shows that the benefits may outweigh the risks in women younger than 60 years of age with moderate to severe hot flashes. Safe treatment is to use the lowest dose to treat symptoms for the shortest amount of time to help minimize possible risks.

Vietnamese physician