My tips for coping with hot flushes & night sweats this summer
1. In hot weather you need more water, and if you flush or sweat you need more water still – dehydration can cause flushes so you end up with a vicious circle.
What to do:
• Drink lots and lots of water all during the day and early evening. Remember it has to be plain water – coffee, tea, fizzy drinks, alcohol and high sugar/artificial sweetener laden drinks can all make flushes worse. My blog post ‘10 reasons to drink more water during menopause‘ looks at why water is so vital for menopausal women and how it can help ease many symptoms including hot flushes.
2. If the heat at night is disturbing your sleep, it can impact on your daytime symptoms. Poor sleep will stress your nervous system, you will feel more fatigued or irritable next day, and this can trigger more daytime flushes – another vicious circle!
What to do:
• Make sure that you have a light summer duvet or even just a sheet on the bed.
• Don’t wear manmade fibre nightclothes or have manmade bed linen, as these can make you sweat more. Use cotton.
• Have your window or an air vent open if possible and keep your bedroom door open to allow air to circulate.
• Try Dormeasan, which is traditionally used to help aid a good night’s sleep, especially if you are stressed as well.
3. In the good weather it is tempting to hold or go to BBQs or sit out in the garden at night, and what do we do then? Eat lots of really salty foods, snacks, spicy foods, crisps and drink alcohol. Unfortunately, high levels of salt (and sugar) and alcohol will dehydrate you further.
What to do:
• I don’t want to be a spoilsport, as BBQs with friends and family are great; so just be aware of what you eat and drink, try to stick to salads and fruits, and if you drink alcohol have a glass of plain water in between every alcoholic drink. You can also try a refreshing fruity juice such as our delicious Pomegranate Perfection Summer Drink, which is packed with goodness and will help cool you down.
4. When it is hot we do perspire more so we usually roll on the antiperspirants and what do these do? Yes, they stop you from sweating but this will interfere with your body’s temperature control and can then trigger flushes.
What to do:
• Use natural deodorants that keep you fresh but don’t interfere with your sweat regulation. My blog post ‘Is your antiperspirant making your hot flushes worse?‘ looks at why using antiperspirants to stop sweating could be a contributory factor in body flushes/sweats, heat surges, skin rashes and much more.
So a quick recap to help with the summer flushes:
1. Drink lots of water
2. Get a good night’s sleep
3. Don’t over indulge in processed foods, snacks and alcohol
4. Use natural deodorants
I hope you have a Cool Summer!
What helps you to stay cool during the summer months? Share your tips in the comment section below.
