Menopause and Hot Flashes*^
Menopause is a natural stage after 40 and describes a time when the female hormones undergo a dramatic change. Menopause is the end of the monthly menstrual cycles and the end of fertility. During menopause, the ovaries have stopped releasing eggs and producing most of their estrogen so the monthly menstrual cycles (periods) stop and hormone levels drop to a low level. Many of the symptoms during menopause are temporary and tend to disappear on their own. Menopause is usually confirmed when a women has missed her periods for 12 consecutive months.
What are hot flashes?
Hot flashes are temporarily feelings of warmth. Some women have described the experience as being in 100 degree Fahrenheit and 100% humidity. The body may feel like it is on fire and intense sweating may occur especially at the night. The feeling of warmth and reddening tends to occur more intensely over the face, neck, and chest. There is no way to turn it off, but it will eventually go away on its own. Depending on the person, hot flashes may occur a few times per week or several times in a day.
Does menopause lead to hot flashes?
A woman can experience menopause and not have hot flashes. On the other hand, a woman can experience hot flashes, but not menopause. Menopause and hot flashes usually tend to occur together for most women. However, this does not mean that one causes the other. In fact, men can get hot flashes and night sweats too. Furthermore, even low estrogen alone does not seem to lead to hot flashes as children and women with low estrogen levels usually do not experience hot flashes.
Are hot flashes linked to higher cholesterol?
A new study suggested a link between hot flashes and increased cholesterol. The study consisted of more than 3,000 women in their 40's and early 50's for seven year as the women transitioned through menopause. The study found that women who experienced hot flashes six or more days during the two week period were considered to have high frequency of hot flashes. These women had significantly higher levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as bad cholesterol. Therefore, lowering your bad cholesterol may also help reduce the frequency of hot flashes during the menopause stage. High levels of bad cholesterol are also linked to a buildup of inflammation in your body. In fact, when high levels of cholesterol are found in the bloodstream, excess bad cholesterol (LDL) seeps into the inner wall of the artery, which triggers an inflammatory response. The inflammatory response, however, speeds up the accumulation of cholesterol in the artery wall, and in turn produces more inflammation. The cycle goes on and on.
What can be done so that menopause does not disrupt your life?
There is a way for menopause to occur gracefully. You don't have to sleep and wake up in a pool of sweat. You don't have to have achiness all over the body. You don't have to have hot flashes every 10 minutes. I have developed a theory that helps explain the underlying reason behind the uncomfortable symptoms associated with menopause. The theory suggests that the uncomfortable symptoms associated with menopause have to do with inflammation building up in the body. The more levels of inflammation, the more frequent and intense the symptoms will be.
How does inflammation affect the body?
Recent theories have suggested that inflammation is the link between the many diseases and conditions that affect people's life. My theory is that inflammation is the underlying source of the problem because as inflammation circulates in the body, it interferes with the body's ability to regulate itself. This is why the hot flashes come and go, and why night sweats occur regularly. There is something wrong with the body's ability to regulate itself. In fact, inflammation actually interferes with the ability of the hypothalamus to sense the body or regulate the organs. The natural approach to healing is to remove the cause of inflammation, remove inflammation and then allow the lymph system to detoxify the body. Establishing these steps will allow the body to heal itself and maintain its health. Once inflammation is removed, the hypothalamus will be able to regulate the body's temperature again. The hot flashes, night sweats and achiness will no longer be a problem once inflammation has been handled. This will allow you to experience menopause gracefully.
* The claims and statements found here are not intended to give personal medical advice, which can be obtained from a physician. Acting on any of the provided information without a physician's consult is solely at the reader's risk. Written permission is required to reproduce this newsletter in any manner or part.
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