Hot Flushes and Night Sweats

Hot flushes and night sweats, are the most common symptoms experienced by women during perimenopause and menopause.

Hot flushes feel like ‘heat rising’ and they mainly affect the chest, neck and head area and often come on quite suddenly. They can be very intense and last from a few seconds up to 10 minutes, with some episodes lasting as long as an hour.  Night sweats can range from mild to severe in intensity, disrupt sleep and make finding a good temperature in your bedroom seem impossible.

What causes hot flushes and night sweats?

The hypothalamus region of our brain controls a natural thermostat in the body, keeping our body temperature at between 36 and 37 degrees Celsius. If you become too hot, sweating and skin-flushing is the mechanism to cool the body temperature.  During the menopausal transition the modulation of this thermostat appears to change. This leads to heightened sensitivity to slight temperature changes causing menopausal hot flushes and night sweats.  

Ovarian hormones play a role in this temperature regulation change but the exact reason remains unclear.  Research has revealed that specific neuropeptides in the hypothalamus, Kisspeptin and Neurokinin B, may play a major role in fertility and temperature regulation and they are influenced by oestrogen.  Low levels of oestrogen in menopause may affect this temperature regulation and contribute to hot flushes and night sweats.   New drugs are being developed to treat hot flushes, based on this new research.

Stress hormones have been shown to effect both these neuropeptides and hormones, so having strategies to relieve stress can have a positive impact on vasomotor symptoms

Managing hot flushes naturally

Firstly, avoid substances that can stimulate heat and worsen hot flushes:

·       Alcohol

·       Hot and spicy food

·       Excess sugar and fatty foods

·       Caffeinated drinks

Include the following foods:

Phyto-oestrogen foods have similar biological activity to endogenous oestrogens as they have similar structure and will interact with oestrogen receptors within the body. These foods may help reduce the severity of menopausal symptoms.

There are two main groups of phytoestrogen foods, isoflavones and lignans.  The main isoflavone food is whole soy foods such as tofu and tempeh.  The main lignan foods include, flax seeds, legumes, whole grains, seeds and vegetables.

Cooling herbal teas

Many herbs have cooling properties that lower body temperature and cool our bodies tissues.  You can consume them hot or as a cooling ice tea.

Try some of the following herbal teas:

·       peppermint

·       spearmint

·       chamomile

·       lemongrass

·       lemon balm

·       lavender

Herbal medicine

Herbal medicine provides relief from menopausal symptoms including hot flushes and night sweats.  Herbs traditionally used for this purpose include Sage, Fenugreek, Black Cohosh, Chaste Tree and St. John’s Wort. 

As mentioned above, stress plays a role in worsening vasomotor symptoms, as stress hormones influence sex hormones and temperature regulating peptides. Supporting adrenal health and managing our stress response with adaptogen herbs, such as Withania, is often beneficial during menopause.

It is best to have a naturopath or herbalist prescribe you a blend of herbs to suit your individual symptoms and health concerns.

Please note: herbs can interact with medications, always check first with your naturopath or health professional before taking any herbal medicine.

Lifestyle

Exercise: improving cardiorespiratory fitness helps improve thermoregulation and reduce hot flushes.

Clothing: wear layers to adjust to changing body temperature.

 Bedtime: if you have night sweats, place a towel under your bottom sheet, so that during the night you don’t have to change the sheets, you can just remove the towel

 Resources:

Bailey TG, Cable NT, Aziz N, Dobson R, Sprung VS, Low DA, Jones H. Exercise training reduces the frequency of menopausal hot flushes by improving thermoregulatory control. Menopause. 2016 Jul;23(7):708-18. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000000625. PMID:

Chen MN, Lin CC, Liu CF. Efficacy of phytoestrogens for menopausal symptoms: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Climacteric. 2015 Apr;18(2):260-9. doi: 10.3109/13697137.2014.966241. Epub 2014 Dec 1. PMID: 25263312; PMCID: PMC4389700.

Clarke H, Dhillo WS, Jayasena CN. Comprehensive Review on Kisspeptin and Its Role in Reproductive Disorders. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2015 Jun;30(2):124-41. doi: 10.3803/EnM.2015.30.2.124. PMID: 26194072; PMCID: PMC4508256.

Kargozar R, Azizi H, Salari R. A review of effective herbal medicines in controlling menopausal symptoms. Electron Physician. 2017 Nov 25;9(11):5826-5833. doi: 10.19082/5826. PMID: 29403626; PMCID: PMC5783135.

Padilla SL, Johnson CW, Barker FD, Patterson MA, Palmiter RD. A Neural Circuit Underlying the Generation of Hot Flushes. Cell Rep. 2018 Jul 10;24(2):271-277. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.06.037. PMID: 29996088; PMCID: PMC6094949.

Patel B, Koysombat K, Mills EG, Tsoutsouki J, Comninos AN, Abbara A, Dhillo WS. The Emerging Therapeutic Potential of Kisspeptin and Neurokinin B. Endocr Rev. 2024 Jan 4;45(1):30-68. doi: 10.1210/endrev/bnad023. PMID: 37467734; PMCID: PMC10765167.

This blog is not a platform for providing medical diagnoses or treatment recommendations. The information provided is intended for general knowledge and informational purposes only. The blog content is designed to educate and inform readers about naturopathic principles and practices, but it should not be taken as a replacement for professional medical guidance. The individual needs of any particular person have not been taken into account and readers should always consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any health concerns  Read Disclaimer here