Heat puffs are an unpleasant phenomenon that occurs mainly in women when the menopause arrives. Drugs, natural remedies … means exist to reduce their impact.
Heat puffs are characterized by a feeling of intense and diffuse warmth in the bust, neck and face, during the day and night, of a variable duration of a few seconds to a few minutes. They can be accompanied by redness, sweats, chills, and more rarely vertigo. Heat puffs are more frequent in women, especially in menopause or before the occurrence of rules (during premenstrual syndrome), but they can also concern men.
Menopause
At menopause, heat puffs are linked to significant hormonal changes. Estrogens secretion decreases and leads to a hormonal imbalance which distorts the mechanism of body temperature regulation (at the hypothalamus) and which therefore causes these symptoms. They evolve on average over several years and occur irregularly, of the order of several times a day to a few times a week.
Andropause
Andropause corresponds to a gradual decrease in androgen levels (male hormones like testosterone) often after 50 years in humans. Often compared to menopause in women, andropause also leads hormonal upheavals that can be the cause of hot flashes.
Hypothyroidism
While the thyroid gland slows down, as in hypothyroidism (Hashimoto thyroiditis, basedow disease, etc.), the hormonal deficit can act on the regulation of body temperature and cause hot flashes in addition to other symptoms.
Diabetes
Having hot flashes can also be related to diabetes. In this case, it is a risk because the greater the heat puffs and the risk of diabetes increases for a long time.
“Hygiene of life is very important to reduce hot flashes”
Rules
Heat puffs can also occur at the time, or just before, the occurrence of menstruation in some women. It is the decrease in estrogens in the second part of the cycle (after ovulation) which can cause these symptoms.
Heat puffs manifest itself in a feeling of intense and diffuse warmth On the upper part of the bust, the neck and the face, appearing suddenly and disappearing spontaneously. They sometimes cause redness, sweats, chills and more rarely to dizziness.
According to the patient’s profile, the doctor will not diagnose hot flashes but that of the cause. To do this, he will conduct a complete physical examination which will be accompanied by a medical questionnaire and complementary examinations such as a blood test for example with dosage of the estrogen level and the FSH in women, or testosterone in humans. TSH can be dosed if a thyroid pathology is suspected.
“Life hygiene is very important to reduce hot flashes. By adopting a balanced diet, limited in sugar, and avoiding alcohol, tobacco and exciting drinks like coffee, it is possible to reduce its symptoms. Fleeing stress situations and heat exposure is also recommended” explains Dr. Claire Lewandowski, doctor specializing in general medicine.
Drug treatment
The treatment for hot flashes is that of its cause. In the case of a menopause, it is a substitute hormonal treatment (HRT) or hormonal treatment of menopause (THM), prescribed only in the event of significant impact because they are not without side effects. They fill the hormonal deficit caused by the activity stopping the ovaries by providing the body with estrogens combined with progestin. Certain history of pathologies such as breast cancer or thromboembolic diseases do not allow them. In humans, the treatment of Andropause is based on the administration of natural testosterone until obtaining a blood concentration as close as possible to normal secretion.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy has its place in the treatment of hot flashes, in particular to menopause and if the hormonal substitute treatment is poorly tolerated. To do this, we recommend taking 5 granules four to six times a day from Elladona 9ch, which attenuates hot flashes with significant sweats in the face, and Nitrosum 9ch amylium for hot flashes with sweats and a feeling of cold after.
Phytotherapy
Several plants can be useful for relieving hot flashes (in men and women):
- The sage pharmacy which has an antisudoral action (attenuates perspiration), to be used as EPS or herbal tea. “Be careful not to use it in the long term or in high doses and to inquire with your doctor in the event of treatment for diabetes due to the risk of interaction“Prevents Dr. Claire Lewandowski.
- The hops in the form of EPS.
- The Gattilier, whose flowers and fruits are used for their hormonal regulator action in connection with disorders of the female menstrual cycle. It is used in the form of EPS and dry extract in the symptomatic treatment of premenstrual syndrome.
- The Chinese angelica, whose roots are useful for relieving heat puffs in the form of dry extract.
- The clusters, whose rhizomes and roots are used for their action on excessive sweating and hot flashes in the form of dry extract.
Natural remedies
Other treatments such as acupuncture, auriculotherapy or essential oils can be effective on hot flashes. Sclary sage, green cypress or green anise are useful for menopause in the form of essential oil for their ability to mimic estrogens.
