When the Heat Rises: Hot Flash City

“Why are you sweating, it’s so cold in here?” My husband just blurted it all out. He handed me a napkin and started laughing. I couldn’t do anything but take a deep breath and wipe my brow as I fanned myself until the flash passed. I don’t know why my husband thinks he must tell me when I’m sweating a river as if I don’t know.

The first wave

I remember my first hot flash. It was in the dead of winter, and I was standing outside about to get into my car. I was wearing a coat and hat because it was 20 degrees. One minute I was fine. Then, my toes started to tingle, and the heat began. My chest burned, my face flushed and sweat poured down my forehead. I was soaked in sweat. My back was pouring sweat down the crack of my bootie. I took off my hat and let the cold air cool me down. This began my life in hot flash city.

What is a hot flash?

I can only describe it as a burst of sudden heat overflowing and busting out of my body. Picture opening a hot oven and the heat that comes from it. That is what a hot flash feels like for me. They don’t last very long, but the short time they hit is way too long.

According to the dictionary, a hot flash is a noun and is a sudden feeling of feverish heat. Most notably, the hot flash affects the face, neck, and chest. Hot flashes are said to happen because of hormone changes. As a person’s estrogen drops, the brain’s heat control gets confused. The brain thinks the body is too hot, even when it’s not.

They can last from 1 to 5 minutes. Some people have a few per week. Others, like me, have them many times a day. Furthermore, I have them at night and night sweats are never fun.

Hot flashes and my body

As a result of my brain being confused, my doctor explained that my blood vessels widen. This can make my heart rate rise. Then the sweat glands turn on fast. At night, night sweats wake me up. Heart racing and bed soaked with sweat. This all resulted in poor sleep.

When I wasn’t sleeping well, the symptoms became worse. It was a never-ending cycle. I had to learn how to handle my body through the hot flashes. With honest discussions with myself, coming up with ways to combat hot flashes was the key.

Simple ways I cool down and feel better

I couldn’t overthink how to handle the heat. So, I started to make small changes to help myself through it all. I essentially built a little toolkit for my hot flashes.

First, I wear light clothes, like cotton or linen. Light loose layers that I could peel off. This helps me feel less overwhelmed when the heat rises. Second, I always keep a fan close by. A hand fan or an electric fan saves me from sweating it out in agony. Third, I drink cool water throughout the day. Also, I try to avoid triggers like caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods.

Fourth, I make sure I keep a cooling towel close by to place on my neck to help cool me down. Finally, deep breathing helps me center myself and offset the adrenaline rush of a hot flash. Furthermore, deep breathing helped me sleep better. As a result, these changes helped me feel like I had some control.

You don’t have to just bear it

When the heat rises and you are sitting in flash city, cool air, calm breath, avoiding triggers, good sleep and honest talks can help. If needed, safe medication under doctor’s care may be the answer. Most of all, patience with your own body has been essential.

For a long time, I thought hot flashes were something you just had to endure. Honestly, I have found there are real options. Whether you try lifestyle changes, medication, or both, help exists. Talk to your doctor. Ask questions. Have honest conversations and push for answers.

The heat may rise without warning, but we can learn to rise with it.

What do your hot flashes feel like, and what do you do to combat them?
Let me know in the comments.