Just like puberty, menopause is also a natural biological process, one that all women go through in their late 40s, or early 50s.
However, menopause is not just about losing the ability to reproduce as it also comes with a number of different physical symptoms you should know all about!
After all, they can be really uncomfortable and last for months if not years!
For instance – hot flashes – are experienced by around 80 percent of women, being one of the most common symptoms of menopause.
VMS (vasomotor symptoms) involves hot flashes and/or night sweats and can really affect women’s lives, leading to worse sleep and ability to focus and even worse personal relationships!
A hot flash is when the neck, face or any other part of the body heats up for no apparent reason and can be accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, chills and sweating.
Night sweats, on the other hand, are basically the same thing, the only difference being that they happen during sleep, interrupting sleep patterns and stopping menopausal women from getting good quality rest.
Hot flashes differ in severity from person to person and they can be mild, moderate or severe.
Mild usually just means getting hot but not sweating, moderate is hotness accompanied by sweating but most activities are manageable and finally, severe VMS is when someone is so hot and sweating so much that they have to stop what they’re doing.
According to a study, women experience around 33 hot flashes and night sweats per week!
While it’s hard to tell what category you are in, if you find your hot flashes to be debilitating, make sure to see a medical expert.
There are some FDA approved treatments available but also some active steps you can take yourself to avoid setting off a hot flash.
For instance, Cleveland Clinic mentions that smoking, drinking alcohol and caffeine, eating spicy food and wearing tight clothes can trigger hot flashes so try to avoid these things and see if anything improves!
