GGS FREE 5-DAY MENOPAUSE & NUTRITION COURSE

Day 4: Beat the Heat: 9 Strategies for

Hot Flushes

For many women, hot flushes are more than a mere annoyance — they can be
overwhelmingly unpleasant.

You might sweat… a lot. If your skin color is lighter, your face might turn red,
like you’re blushing furiously.

You might be desperate for relief, rushing to open a fridge or freezer door,
splash cool water on your face, step outside for a blast of winter air (or to roll
in the snow)… or do whatever you can to cool yourself down.

Minutes later, you might feel chilled and bathed in cold sweat. And your heart
might feel like it’s racing or thumping out of your chest.

None of this is fun. But if you’ve ever had them interrupt a work day, a meet-
ing, an important event, or the chance to have a good night’s sleep… then you
know their impact can go so much deeper. On top of it all, hot flushes can
make it even harder to practice healthy behaviors, such as getting enough
sleep and exercise.

To reduce their severity and frequency, experiment with the following

strategies to see what works for you and your unique body. You just might find
some relief!

#1: Explore Relaxation Techniques

If you’ve ever felt your face flush while giving a high-stakes presentation, you
likely understand how emotional stress can affect your body temperature.
Add menopause on top of that stress, and you just might trigger an official
hot flush.

Become the go-to expert for women over 40: girlsgonestrong.com/menopause P1

 Day 4: Beat the Heat: 9 Strategies for Hot Flushes

How you react to the flushing can also affect its severity. If you’ve got a “no
big deal” mindset, the heat may dissipate more quickly. On the other hand,
if you worry your co-workers will notice the flushing and sweating, it can
intensify the stress-flushing reaction.1

Relaxation techniques that help manage anxiety and the stress response
may help interrupt this cycle. This may mean less frequent, and potentially
less severe, hot flushes.

Here are five evidence-backed strategies you can experiment with:

1. Hypnotherapy.2,3
2. Mindfulness-based stress reduction.4,5
3. Breathing techniques, especially long, slow, deep breaths with a
focus on the exhale.6
4. Cognitive behavioral therapy.7
5. Yoga.8

#2: Cool Your Bedroom

If hot flushes wake you repeatedly, try turning down your thermostat.

You may also wish to use multiple layers of sheets and blankets. This will
make it easier to kick off and pull on covers, as needed.

If your partner objects to reducing the thermostat, consider exploring

cooling pillows and mattress pads. For example, you could try a mattress
pad cooling system (such as the ChiliPad, Perfect Sleep Pad, and the
BedJet). As you sleep, these products circulate cool water or air through the
mattress pad to keep it at your desired temperature. For a more budget-
friendly option, you could try the Chillow, which you fill with water, put in
the fridge, and then insert into your pillowcase to keep you cool.

Become the go-to expert for women over 40: girlsgonestrong.com/menopause P2

 Day 4: Beat the Heat: 9 Strategies for Hot Flushes

#3: Dress in Breathable Layers

To stay cool, choose clothing made from looser weaves and thinner materials.

Hint: Hold your garment up to the light. If light rays pass through it, it’s
more breathable than clothing that completely blocks light.

Cotten, linen, and silk tend to work best for daily activities.

For exercise, look for synthetic fabrics (usually nylon or polyester blends)
that wick sweat. Bonus: Mesh panels, especially around the upper chest
and back, can help to shunt heat away from your skin.

#4: Keep a Change of Clothes Nearby

This is especially helpful at night. If you keep dry pajamas or a nightgown
close to the bed, you can change into it as needed without searching the
bedroom or turning on the lights. (Bonus: You can get back to sleep faster.)

You may even want to consider storing an extra blouse at work or in your
car, just in case a daytime hot flush catches you by surprise.

While this won’t help you avoid a hot flush, it can certainly help you better
weather the after-effects — which can make the whole experience feel a bit
less stressful.

#5: Use a Fan

You might keep a small, portable fan on your desk at work or handy in
your purse.

At the gym, situate yourself near one of the available fans or air condition-
ers so you benefit from the airflow.

Become the go-to expert for women over 40: girlsgonestrong.com/menopause P3

 Day 4: Beat the Heat: 9 Strategies for Hot Flushes

It may go without saying, but if your gym doesn’t have fans on site, ask for
them. You deserve to be comfortable during exercise. Plus, you’ll be help-
ing other women in the same situation.

#6: Sip Cold Water

Fill an insulated bottle with ice water and take frequent sips throughout
the day, and especially during exercise.

Cold water can both help cool you down and feel soothing during a hot
flush. And even better — staying hydrated might help improve your body
temperature regulation.

#7: Spot Trigger Foods and Drinks

Many women notice that particular foods and drinks make hot flushes
worse or more frequent (or both).

Try taking a few notes here and there when hot flushes happen, and see if
you can spot a connection between the hot flush and what you might have
had to eat or drink within the last four to six hours.

Common triggers to keep an eye on include spicy foods, hot foods, caffein-
ated beverages, heavy high-fat meals, and alcoholic beverages.

#8: Talk to Your Doctor

If you don’t get enough relief from the first seven lifestyle strategies, it’s
worth asking your doctor about prescription medications — such as meno-
pause hormone therapy (MHT) — that may help reduce or alleviate your
symptoms.

Become the go-to expert for women over 40: girlsgonestrong.com/menopause P4

 Day 4: Beat the Heat: 9 Strategies for Hot Flushes

Whether MHT is appropriate for you depends on many factors, including:

o Your personal and family health history.

o Your age.

o Your stage of menopause (perimenopause vs. postmenopause).

o How long you’ve gone without a menstrual period.

Because of the complex benefits and risks, you’ll want to have an in-
depth discussion with a medical provider who has experience prescribing
MHT.9,10,11,12

#9: Remember It Won’t Last

In the midst of a flush, it can be tempting to panic or get upset.

“Why this, why now!?” you might think as you shake your fist at the sky.

Unfortunately, this type of reaction can make things even worse — both in
terms of the physical and the emotional response.

While it might feel like you’re going to be uncomfortable forever, remem-

ber that hot flushes will pass in a few minutes — and staying calm and
taking long, slow, and deep breaths can actually help.

Do your best to calm yourself through them. You could even tell yourself
something like, “Yes, I’m hot and uncomfortable, but within 10 minutes I’m
going to feel wayyy better. I can do anything for 10 minutes.”

Feels a little more empowering, right?

Become the go-to expert for women over 40: girlsgonestrong.com/menopause P5

 Day 4: Beat the Heat: 9 Strategies for Hot Flushes

REFERENCES
1 Freeman EW, Sammel MD. Anxiety as a risk factor for menopausal hot flashes: evidence
from the Penn Ovarian Aging cohort. Menopause. 2016 Sep;23(9):942–9.

2 Kendrick C, Johnson AK, Sliwinski J, Patterson V, Fisher WI, Elkins GR, et al. Hypnotic
relaxation therapy for reduction of hot flashes in postmenopausal women: examination
of cortisol as a potential mediator. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2015;63(1):76–91.

3 Barton DL, Schroeder KCF, Banerjee T, Wolf S, Keith TZ, Elkins G. Efficacy of a biobehav-
ioral intervention for hot flashes: a randomized controlled pilot study. Menopause. 2017
Jul;24(7):774–82.

4 Carmody J, Crawford S, Churchill L. A pilot study of mindfulness-based stress reduction

for hot flashes. Menopause. 2006 Sep-Oct;13(5):760–9.

5 Carmody JF, Crawford S, Salmoirago-Blotcher E, Leung K, Churchill L, Olendzki

N. Mindfulness training for coping with hot flashes: results of a randomized trial.
Menopause. 2011 Jun;18(6):611–20.

6 McGarry K, Geary M, Gopinath V. Beyond Estrogen: Treatment Options for Hot Flashes.
Clin Ther. 2018 Oct;40(10):1778–86.

7 Samami E, Shahhosseini Z, Elyasi F. The effects of psychological interventions on meno-

pausal hot flashes: A systematic review. Int J Reprod Biomed. 2022 Apr;20(4):255–72.

8 Newton KM, Reed SD, Guthrie KA, Sherman KJ, Booth-LaForce C, Caan B, et al. Effica-
cy of yoga for vasomotor symptoms: a randomized controlled trial. Menopause. 2014
Apr;21(4):339–46.

9 Stuenkel CA, Davis SR, Gompel A, Lumsden MA, Murad MH, Pinkerton JV, et al. Treat-
ment of Symptoms of the Menopause: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015 Nov;100(11):3975–4011.

10 de Villiers TJ, Hall JE, Pinkerton JV, Pérez SC, Rees M, Yang C, et al. Revised global
consensus statement on menopausal hormone therapy. Maturitas. 2016 Sep;91:153–5.

11 The NAMS 2017 Hormone Therapy Position Statement Advisory Panel. The 2017
hormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society.
Menopause. 2017 Jul;24(7):728–53.

12 “The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause
Society” Advisory Panel. The 2022 hormone therapy position statement of The North
American Menopause Society. Menopause. 2022 Jul 1;29(7):767–94.

Become the go-to expert for women over 40: girlsgonestrong.com/menopause P6