Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 3, 2021

Ask the Expert BreAnne Huss, CNM, WHNP-BC Get relief! BreAnne Huss, CNM, WHNP- BC, is a board-certified women's health nurse practitioner and certified nurse-midwife who practices at Kootenai Clinic OB-GYN. To see how she and the rest of the team can help you, visit KH.org/ obgyn o r call (208) 625-4970 to schedule an appointment. Q What are hot flashes, and how can I get relief from them? Hot flashes can occur during menopause (the end of menstruation), which happens when the ovaries no longer release eggs. Menopause is defined as when a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a period (with no other obvious cause, such as birth control). It can occur naturally or be induced (due to medical intervention, such as surgical removal of ovaries). The average age of menopause is 51 years, but it can happen anytime, most often between 40 to 58 years of age. Most of the time, a health assessment, evaluation of symptoms and review of menstruation history is all that is needed to determine if a woman is in perimenopause (the body's transitional period into menopause) or menopause. Hot flashes explained Hot flashes and night sweats are temporary episodes that last one to five minutes on average and can be described as flushing, sweating and the feeling of being hot. Hot flashes tend to be most severe the first one to two years after the onset of menopause, and they can interfere with sleep, leading to fatigue and mood changes. During menopause, your estrogen levels decrease, and this causes your body’s thermostat to be more sensitive to slight temperature changes. When your thermostat thinks your body is too warm, the blood vessels near the surface of the skin widen/dilate to cause you to sweat. Common triggers include stress, bending over, being in a warm room, eating spicy foods, drinking alcohol or caffeine, smoking or using nicotine, or vigorously exercising. Hot flashes tend to be brief, lasting one to five minutes, and can be present for several years— sometimes longer. Options for treatment You should try lifestyle changes for at least three months prior to seeking other treatment therapies. Try quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active, drinking cold water, avoiding spicy foods, decreasing caffeine and limiting alcohol consumption. Mindfulness exercises, meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy have also been shown to help. Supplements can interfere with other medications and procedures, so be sure to talk to your provider before trying any herbal therapies. Several therapies are available, including hormonal and nonhormonal options. Estrogen and progestin are two hormones that can help with symptoms, but they come with risks that need to be discussed on an individualized basis with your health care provider. You should not take hormones for menopausal symptoms if you have a risk for or a history of certain cancers, heart disease/heart attack, stroke, blood clots or liver disease. Some other treatments include certain classes of antidepressants or low-dose anticonvulsant re- uptake medications. Resources • National Institutes of Health Menopausal Hormone Therapy Information • National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health • North American Menopause Society 22