Are you feeling HOT, HOT, HOT?
The number one symptom menopausal women complain about is HOT FLASHES. I doubt it’s a big surprise to anyone reading this article. And just so you know, I’ve heard almost every statement imaginable from women trying to describe their FLARE-UP to me at the office. I love listening to them and have collected a few favorites over the years that I now look back and smile.
Pulling off the blankets at night, fanning yourself like crazy, running the air conditioning in 50 degree weather are all explanations that are talked about day after day around here. It’s funny in the way they describe the problem of hot flashes, but I promise you there is a sincere cry for help when you get to the point of seeing me to help uncover the problem. I remember a patient a few years ago who sat in the chair and was drenched in sweat while trying to interview her. It was sad to have to see her suffer like that, but there was an even bigger problem that the hot flashes had caused. Her husband’s affection had diminished due to his constant profuse sweating. At the time she felt half human and really needed some answers.
So what happens when a “hot flash” occurs? (no pun intended … I told you I’ve heard them all). Vasomotor flushing is the technical term and occurs when the blood vessels in the skin of the head and neck open wider than normal, allowing more blood to move into that area. This creates the warmth and redness that a woman feels during a “hot flash.” The reasons for the onset of hot flashes can be many, but they are usually the result of decreased estrogen and increased levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The real problem is that you never know when they will happen. NEWS BULLETIN !!! … Usually ‘hot flashes’ will occur just during something very important or when you are in front of A LOT of people. (Murphy’s Law, right?)
What should you do if you feel hot, hot, hot?
Hormone testing (saliva is my preference) helps to identify the degree to which things are out of control and should always be used as a guide for care and treatment. Every day, I work with doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants from across the area and in other states who are more than welcome to call and discuss their plan of care with me. Why? Because a patient should only use the hormones that are identified as deficient and not something that is convenient and full of unnecessary components for their body. I suggest a full hormonal panel before doing ANYTHING in the world of hormones. I suggest having estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and sometimes DHEA and cortisol levels tested. Hormone tests only give a good idea of what is going on inside. The other important part of the process is an interview with the patient. This helps evaluate possible reasons for the symptoms along with other health problems and family history information that could be contributing factors.
Over the years, I have been surprised a couple of times to see that the problem was not estrogen, but that one of the other hormones (which I mentioned above) was out of balance. There have also been a few times when the problem was not hormonal, but a stress-related condition for which I recommended herbal remedies and lifestyle changes. Honestly, it would have been terrible to add estrogen therapy to these patients when estrogen wasn’t the problem at all. That is why I enjoy working in the field of personalized medicine. It is about each person and each need and that is why this field of medicine is growing almost exponentially across the country. The “cookie cutter” medicine is simply no longer the best approach to hormonal therapies.
For your good health,
Dr sonja
