What to do with hot flashes during menopause: medications, physiotherapy and home methods for relieving them

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After forty-five to fifty years, irreversible changes begin to occur in a woman’s body, characterized by the fading of the functions of the reproductive system. This means only one thing - menopause (or menopause) is approaching. What can you do, unfortunately, nature provided it this way! And you can't argue with her.

The name “climax” comes from the ancient Greek word “klimakter”, which means “stair step”. Based on this, we can conclude: menopause is a transitional stage in a woman’s life from full puberty to old age, no matter how rude it may sound. But the fact remains: the functions of the ovaries fade away, menstruation stops, and at the same time the woman’s ability to conceive and bear offspring.

Hormonal changes during menopause lead to a slowdown in the synthesis of important sex hormones in the female body, which entails various unpleasant ailments and painful conditions characteristic of menopause and often of a functional nature. These most often include: headache, excessive sweating, insomnia, irritability, sudden changes in mood. But this is just the tip of the iceberg; in fact, the clinical picture of menopause consists of many symptoms.

According to statistics, menopause occurs in women in the age group of 45 to 55 years and can last from one and a half to several years. Sometimes it can begin earlier (around 35 years) or much later. It is almost impossible to predict the exact age of menopause - it all depends on the individual characteristics of the body and the state of the hormonal system. Conventionally, menopause is divided into three stages: premenopause, perimenopause (or menopause itself) and postmenopause - the period after menopause until old age.

What is bronchial asthma?

The word asthma in Greek means suffocation. In asthma, a person's breathing is impaired due to bronchospasms. The bronchi are tubes that have smooth muscle to function and end in alveolar vesicles, in which carbon dioxide from the blood vessels is replaced with oxygen from the inhaled air.

If an allergy to some factor occurs in the body, this can lead to contractions of the smooth muscles of the bronchi, and a spasm occurs. The mucous membranes become inflamed, swollen, and the person cannot breathe. The spasm during exhalation is especially strong, because during exhalation, healthy bronchi naturally narrow, and in asthma, the contraction increases. To overcome suffocation, the patient instinctively strains, and this can lead to death.

Shortness of breath and lack of air

Shortness of breath is one of the accompanying symptoms of tachycardia during menopause and is caused by a significant lack of estrogen before the period of alternative production of this hormone by other organs. Usually this manifestation is moderate, but sudden, and can provoke anxiety, in some cases even panic.

Combating shortness of breath during menopause requires maximum rest of the entire body, as well as treatment for rapid heartbeat. If the lack of air is severe, then bronchodilators - Berodual or Salbutamol in the form of an aerosol - can be used as a symptomatic temporary remedy.

Why do women get more asthma?

The peculiarity of the female body is the ability to change the level of hormones during the menstrual cycles, and this contributes to the occurrence of allergic reactions to various substances, to which bronchial asthma belongs. But in some cases, estrogens themselves can provoke asthmatic manifestations, without allergens.

Some studies by scientists have proven that under the influence of female hormones the composition of the lung tissue can change and the bronchial mucous epithelium can grow. The male hormone progesterone, on the contrary, helps smooth out spasms and increase lung volume.

Tides - what are they and why do they come?

Among the symptoms of menopause, those that determine the physiological and psycho-emotional state of a woman are systematic hot flashes. These are hot flashes that can appear suddenly and are usually accompanied by profuse sweating and other associated symptoms . This condition can appear several times a day and last from thirty seconds or longer.

NOTE!

The main cause of hot flashes is age-related hormonal changes, which are associated with a decrease in the sexual function of the ovaries.

Lack of estrogen contributes to the effect on the body's thermoregulatory function . Sex hormones send a signal to the brain, and stabilization of body temperature occurs through changes in the state of blood vessels (constriction, dilation), contraction of muscle fibers, and a decrease or increase in sweating.

And when the hormonal background changes, there is a reduction in the production of hormones that affect thermoregulation receptors, and the functioning of the vascular system and other organs that ensure normal heat exchange in the body is disrupted. A wave-like feeling of warmth is a symptom of hormonal imbalance.

Hormonal imbalance, or rather a decrease in estrogen production during menopause, leads to various uncomfortable symptoms. The Italian formula Flavia Noch can gently replenish hormonal deficiency and alleviate the symptoms of menopause.

The innovative complex contains an analogue of female sex hormones - plant estrogen - genistein and daidzein, which have a mild replacement effect during menopause and menopause and helps a woman cope with hot flashes, sweating and poor health. Flavia Night also contains melatonin to normalize sleep, vitamin D and calcium to strengthen bone tissue, vitamins B6, B9 and B12 to normalize metabolism and alpha-linolenic acid for antioxidant protection.

Flavia Night is a unique Italian formula designed specifically for active women who want to lead a vibrant life rather than experience the symptoms of menopause. Just one capsule before bed will help a woman get through this difficult time. Flavia Night – works while you rest.

The hypothalamus region of the brain is responsible for thermoregulation processes, which, under the influence of a malfunction at the hormonal level during menopause, perceives body temperature as high. There is a heartbeat and vasodilation, which causes the hypothalamus to reduce the high temperature, releasing the body from excess fluid and heat.

The conductors of this kind of action in the brain are the hormones adrenaline, serotonin, prostaglandins, which transmit signals to tissues and organs.

Asthma during menopause

During menopause, all a woman’s systems begin to adjust to a different rhythm, and the functions of the sexual sphere gradually fade away. This affects the entire body, because when hormones jump, the rhythm of many organs is disrupted. The functioning of the bronchi is also impaired during menopause, and asthmatic manifestations may begin for the first time at this stage.

Premenopausal women are often prescribed hormone replacement therapy, which normalizes hormone balance, but this can negatively affect the health of the uterine lining. In this case, the doctor should prescribe drugs that block endometrial disease. This article does not specifically indicate specific types of medications, since each woman needs her own set of therapeutic measures appropriate to her condition.

Additional symptoms

Age-related changes in the sexual sphere last a long time - from 2 to 10 years. During this period, tachycardia can be supplemented by pressure surges, attacks of dizziness, shortness of breath, irritability, angina pain, arrhythmia, panic attacks, and malaise.

Hot flashes are considered the most common symptom of menopause. They occur during the premenopausal period and are caused by hormonal imbalance.

Signs of the tide:

• tachycardia (the heart “jumps out” of the chest);
• noise in ears;
• anxiety;
• feeling of heat in the heart, face, neck;
• intense sweating;
• redness of the skin in the upper torso, neck, head;
• pressure surge.

At high tide there is not enough air. When choking, a woman tries to unbutton her collar and take a deep breath. If, in addition to the listed signs, the face turns pale or the skin of the nasolabial triangle appears bluish, then these are symptoms of a heart attack. Immediate medical attention is needed here.

Symptoms of exacerbation of bronchial asthma

• dyspnea;
• hoarse, wheezing breathing;
• dry prolonged cough;
• heaviness in the chest;
• allergic rhinitis during the changing seasons.

Factors that aggravate asthma symptoms

• Symptoms intensify during different weather seasons, when moving to another area, or for some other reasons:
• dust, flowering plants;
• animal hair, bird feathers;
• mold, fungus;
• household chemicals, cosmetics;
• medicines;
• various food products;
• infectious microorganisms;
• bad ecology;
• excessive physical activity;
• chemical additives to food;
• prolonged stress;
• poor nutrition;
• active or passive smoking;
• cold;
• smoke, strong odors.

Is it possible to get pregnant if you have hot flashes?

The decline of ovarian function occurs gradually and ovulation does not stop at once. Hot flashes may only be a temporary symptom of approaching menopause, so pregnancy remains a possibility. However, no doctor can guarantee the birth of a healthy child.

This is due to a weakening of kidney function, sudden jumps in blood pressure, and disturbances in mineral metabolism, which are characteristic of women during menopause.

In addition, fertilization will occur in conditions of increased danger, since hormonal changes will not allow the body to fully function. To avoid unplanned pregnancy, doctors recommend not to neglect contraception , at least for 1-2 years after menopause.

Diseases accompanying asthma

• allergic rhinitis, the symptoms of which are a constantly stuffy nose and liquid colorless discharge, sneezing and heaviness in the head, pain in the frontal part;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system with high blood pressure, heart rhythm disturbances and blockages of blood vessels;
• adrenal insufficiency, leading to the fact that the hormones produced by this organ, since they are not enough, cannot suppress the allergen;
• increased thyroid function also has a negative impact on the body’s protection from allergens;
• dysfunction of the nervous system, leading to nervous breakdowns, weakness, drowsiness, increased sweating;
• digestive disorders: abdominal pain, malfunction of the liver, pancreas.

For these reasons, women with asthma should especially carefully monitor the condition of their body.

Causes of heart palpitations during menopause

In women after 40 years of age, reproductive function gradually fades away. The amount of estrogen in the body decreases. Its deficiency indirectly affects the increase in adrenaline synthesis, and this hormone directly affects the strength and speed of heart contractions.

An increase in its level can cause rapid heartbeat and other myocardial rhythm disturbances. Menopausal changes also affect metabolic processes, the functioning of the nervous and other systems of the body.

A decrease in the concentration of sex hormones in women over 40 years of age entails:

• changes in the biochemical composition of blood;
• deterioration of the rheological properties of blood;
• loss of elasticity of vascular walls;
• emotional instability;
• increase in body weight;
• deterioration in sleep quality.

Due to insufficiency of estrogen, a woman is more susceptible to stress, her heart beats, problems with cholesterol begin, the condition of arteries and veins worsens, the lumen of blood vessels narrows due to the accumulation of fatty plaques, and weight often increases. Increased blood viscosity, instability of mood and sleep, and other changes during menopause put strain on the heart muscle and arteries.

On a note! After 45 years, the risk of hypertension, progressive tachycardia, and other cardiovascular diseases increases. Their development may be hidden by the symptoms of menopause. Therefore, you need to be regularly examined by a cardiologist and other doctors.

Asthma treatment

Inhalation with aerosols that relieve spasms and swelling of the respiratory tract:

• glucocorticosteroid drugs to improve the function of glands in the bronchi;
• dosage forms that relieve fatigue of smooth muscles in the lungs;
• anti-inflammatory drugs;
• pharmacological agents to remove excess mucus and widen the respiratory passages.

Herbal medicine and folk remedies for asthma

Pharmacological drugs do not completely eliminate asthma because it is a chronic disease, and there are traditional ways to combat its symptoms.

To reduce asthma symptoms, including during sleep, the following herbal teas are sold in pharmacies:

• collection of elecampane root, primrose and coltsfoot leaf;
• collection including violet root, licorice, thyme leaves;
• collection consisting of coltsfoot, plantain, pine buds;
• thyme + marshmallow root.

Herbs are used for treatment only after consultation with the attending physician; you should not do this yourself.

Treatment in a sanatorium or resort

Sanatorium-resort treatment is necessary for asthma: it is effective and safe for health, it gives complete physical and emotional rest to a woman during menopause.

Resorts are located in places with a good climate; a special feature of specialized hospitals are salt caves with healing air. The climate in the caves is created due to the fact that the walls and ceilings of these rooms consist of chalk, salt, dolomite, gypsum and lime. For therapeutic purposes, patients are also irradiated with quartz lamps, procedures are performed in a pressure chamber, massages are given, and special nutrition is given. A psychotherapist works with patients to eliminate the psychological causes of the disease. Essential oil therapy is used to improve respiratory functions.

Treatment of hot flashes with hormonal drugs

Hormonal therapy includes taking hormone-containing drugs that help maintain hormonal balance at the required level:

• containing estrogen and progesterone . Normalize sleep and eliminate painful symptoms;
• containing melatonin, circadin . Stabilizes the functioning of the nervous system and cardiovascular activity.

Hormonal therapy has quite a lot of contraindications: a tendency to tumor formations, diabetes mellitus, a predisposition to blood clots, chronic kidney and liver diseases.

NOTE!

Before taking hormonal medications, you should conduct a thorough examination so that in addition to the symptoms of menopause you do not add additional health problems.

Hormonal drugs must be prescribed and taken in strict accordance with the doctor's recommendations . You should not prescribe hormonal medications on your own.

The duration of taking hormonal drugs should not exceed five years.

Thus, hot flashes characterize the onset of a new stage in the life of a woman’s body and are a natural reaction of the body to hormonal changes during menopause. It is impossible to completely get rid of them, but it is possible to reduce severe symptoms. To do this, you should undergo an examination with a doctor, who, based on the results, will help you choose the appropriate drug and provide advice on nutrition and daily routine.

Nutrition for bronchial asthma

Experts have developed a special diet to alleviate the symptoms of this disease. With this method of eating, certain foods are excluded during an exacerbation:

• tomatoes;
• yeast baked goods;
• peas, soybeans, beans, beans;
• seafood;
• citruses, peaches, melon;
• nuts;
• dishes with eggs;
• chocolate;
• alcoholic drinks;
• smoked, spicy food;
• dairy products with high fat content;
• fat meat.

During the period of remission, the doctor allows you to eat these foods little by little.

It is recommended to consume vegetables and fruits, lean meat, kefir, low-fat cottage cheese, cereals, cereals, natural drinks from berries, rose hips, tea, and mineral water.

How long do tides last?

It is absolutely impossible to answer the question of how long tides last. On average, one attack lasts 30 seconds-7 minutes. Some women experience this period within an hour, while others have never experienced hot flashes. If we talk about years, hot flashes during menopause can last from 1 year to 6 or more.

Frequency, strength and duration are determined individually. A certain percentage of women experience the first manifestations during perimenopause. In some patients, attacks of fever may not last long and occur directly during menopause, while in others they are postmenopausal. This is the norm, but a woman should be under regular medical supervision throughout the menopause.

How to protect yourself from asthma exacerbations?

• ventilate the room regularly;
• do wet cleaning daily;
• stop smoking, alcohol;
• Take only doctor-approved foods without allergens;
• eliminate artificial food additives and dyes;
• leave the house less often when plants are flowering;
• take vitamin complexes to boost immunity;
• bedding should be made of synthetics;
• very important: carry an inhaler with you in case of an attack.

If you are a woman at the beginning of menopause, then pay attention to the occurrence of shortness of breath and cough. Even if you have never had problems with asthmatic syndrome, this disease can begin unexpectedly at your age. Be attentive to your health, don’t get sick!

Educational video on this topic:

About

At what age does menopause begin?

Menopause usually begins after age 50, but this is an average. Due to the characteristics of the body and place of residence, these changes can begin earlier, at 45 years of age. In recent years, registered cases of the onset of menopause as early as 37-40 years have become more frequent.

Why it might start earlier:

• the woman lived her whole life at an altitude of more than 3 km above sea level;
• the environment is in poor condition;
• the lady smokes at least a pack a day;
• there is excess weight, he tends to the stage of obesity;
• drinks a lot of alcohol and quite often;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• low-calorie diets are a frequent guest in the diet;
• constant and severe stress.

Note! Menopause occurs later than usual for those who have played a lot of sports, kept themselves in good physical shape, and have taken contraceptive hormonal drugs for more than 3 years.

What is important not to miss

• The sudden appearance of muscle weakness indicates a cerebrovascular accident. This should be taken into account when muscle tone is reduced in one part of the body.
• Gradually increasing severe fatigue is observed in malignant diseases.
• Repeated episodes of sudden weakness should raise the question of periodic paralysis.
• Loss of interest in daily activities and insomnia may indicate depression.
• Periodic episodes of fear and palpitations are observed with general anxiety and often aggravate menopausal fatigue.
• The presence of an elevated body temperature may indicate infection, malignancy, or rheumatic diseases.
• Shortness of breath at night indicates heart problems.
• Fatigue associated with chronic diarrhea is often associated with inflammatory bowel disease.

Weakness or fatigue that occurs only after running, fasting, or insufficient sleep is most likely due to normal physiological mechanisms

Physical labor is usually associated with physiological fatigue.

How does fatigue affect quality of life?

When assessing fatigue and weakness, the patient’s “legs” will best help to understand whether there is real muscle weakness, or just a loss of strength and energy.

If an elderly woman cannot squat and get up from her haunches without the help of her hands, then it is obvious not only mental fatigue and lack of energy, but also “muscle weakness.”

Difficulty combing hair, climbing stairs, or speaking also sheds light on “weakness.” Difficulty combing hair and climbing stairs suggests weakening of certain muscle groups.

Medical, surgical and psychiatric problems should be considered as possible causes of weakness and loss of strength.

All medications taken must be listed. Commonly used medications such as antihypertensives, sedative-hypnotics, antidepressants, tranquilizers, and antihistamines are common causes of fatigue.

Even data on lifestyle, nutrition, smoking, alcohol consumption, family, profession, habits, conflicts, recent losses and stress are important for assessing symptoms such as fatigue.

It would seem that symptoms that are far from “fatigue” can lead to a hidden diagnosis. For example, the amount of urine (polyuria) may explain fatigue due to diabetes, and dark urine may suggest special “liver weakness” due to hepatitis.

Differential diagnosis

The first fundamental element in the diagnostic process is, of course, represented by the anamnesis, in order to evaluate in particular:

• gender of the patient;
• age;
• last menstrual cycle;
• possible chronic treatments;
• any major chronic diseases.

If present, some factors/symptoms may directly indicate pathological forms:

• tachycardia, exophthalmos ( bulging eyes ), excessive weight loss, arterial hypertension (persistent increase in blood pressure) are characteristic signs of hyperthyroidism;
• young age and menstrual irregularities can lead to an imbalance in the hormonal axis;
• the presence of recurring headaches and other neurological symptoms indicates damage to the central nervous system.

In addition to objective examination and collection of information, it may be useful:

• Hormone analysis: sex hormones;
• TSH and thyroid hormones.

Are there cures for fatigue?

Is there a safe and effective medication that can reduce her fatigue?

In modern scientific medical articles, minimal attention is given to this symptom of fatigue during menopause.

Why? The answer is simple - modern Big Pharma does not have an effective pharmacological drug for chronic fatigue.

Psychostimulants such as methylphenidate and antidepressants such as donepezil and paroxetine have not been found to be effective.

Dietary supplements such as coenzyme Q10 and L-carnitine have also been found to be ineffective in placebo-controlled studies.

A little about the terms “weakness” and “fatigue”

The word “weakness” is used by patients to describe both a decrease in muscle strength and “energetic” fatigue, which can be either independent or associated with it. Complaints of weakness and fatigue are the most common and challenging symptoms encountered by clinicians. Because patients may use these terms to describe various symptoms, the physician should try to gain an accurate understanding of the problem.

Weakness and fatigue are nonspecific symptoms that can occur in a large number of medical and mental health conditions.

They may also be an expected physiological consequence of normal human activities.

Most “weak” or “tired” patients do not seek medical help. Among those who visit a doctor, weakness and fatigue are usually part of an easily identifiable set of symptoms. Chronic weakness or fatigue as the only major complaint may present a more challenging diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.

An accurate description of the patient's sensations is mandatory:

• Is there a loss of muscle strength, or is it a problem of vague loss of energy and fatigue?
• True weakness usually indicates a medical disorder. Fatigue, on the other hand, can be caused by medical, psychiatric or physiological reasons.
• Muscle weakness is always a symptom of a disease and must be dealt with specifically.

In each specific case:

• weakness or fatigue can be caused by several reasons,
• or the cause cannot be determined at all.

Other similar symptoms should not be confused with weakness. For example, some report weakness when in fact they experience shortness of breath, malaise, or joint pain and limited movement.

In the vast majority of cases, in menopausal women, the feeling of fatigue is a harmless symptom and is associated with hormonal changes. But don’t forget about other diseases.

What influences the duration of an attack

How many years hot flashes will be tormented depends on the woman’s lifestyle:

• in overweight women, hot flashes last less time than in thin women;
• ladies who smoke suffer from the syndrome longer and with greater severity;
• women with hypertension experience attacks more often and they last longer; also, if untreated, hypertension may occur during hot flashes;
• For those who like heavy physical activity, the duration of hot flashes also increases, they become stronger and more frequent.

Many women, convinced that hot flashes will inevitably occur during menopause, endure them steadfastly. Despite their natural origin, it is necessary to try to ensure that the attacks end as quickly as possible. They aggravate other manifestations of menopause, and as a result can lead to various endocrine and nervous diseases.

Is menopause always the culprit for hot flashes?

There are cases when women experience hot flashes without the onset of menopause.

Attacks occur and continue as a result of:

• ovarian cysts - with this disease, the main complaints are disruptions in the menstrual cycle and various types of pain in the lower abdomen, but in addition, most patients experience increased sweating and hot flashes;

• 
  in diabetes mellitus, increased sweating occurs due to disturbances in the production of hormones by the pancreas;

• heart attack and stroke - in such conditions a feeling of heat also occurs, the heartbeat accelerates and sweating increases;
• diseases of the thyroid gland can be accompanied by the manifestation of hot flashes: patients sweat, there is a sharp flow of blood, the heartbeat quickens, weakness and insomnia occur;
• Often with food and alcohol intoxication, chills and increased sweating are also observed, and with liver disease, fever and sweat occur after overeating;
• In pregnant women, estrogen levels are unstable, so symptoms of hot flashes are also possible;
• fever and increased sweating are observed in oncology, while the patient’s body temperature increases, and when it decreases, sweating occurs;
• with mental disorders, depression, panic attacks and various phobias occur, which provoke sweating in the patient;
• sensations of heat and increased sweating are also observed with pneumonia and tuberculosis.

A state of feeling hot and excessive sweating that lasts for some time is possible with various pathologies, but these conditions also have other symptoms.

The cause of hot flashes is precisely menopause, if the age is from 40 to 55 years and the woman experiences irregularities in her menstrual cycle. However, to be sure, it is still worth consulting with a specialist.