The key info about menopausal hot flushes and night sweats you don’t what to know but should.
One of the most common symptoms of menopause and possibly most disturbing is hot flushes and night sweats, also known as vasomotor symptoms (VMS). They can happen any time of day and night and add to the weight of physical and emotional changes due to the decline in hormones. Menopause is a natural process in a woman’s life but it also brings up a number of questions to navigate through this stage. One of the most common questions is ‘how long do hot flushes last in menopause’? The second one is ‘will hot flushes stop after menopause’?
In this article we will share the information every woman should know about menopausal hot flushes and night sweats, including, the findings from research as to how long they can last and what happens when you enter postmenopause (spoiler alert: you will not like the answer).
What are hot flushes?
Hot flushes are sudden feelings of warmth that spread over the body, often accompanied by a red, flushed face and sweat. Hot flushes can vary in intensity and frequency from one woman to another.
Some women may experience mild hot flushes that feel like a warm flush on the skin and only last a few minutes. Others may have more severe hot flushes that are accompanied by rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and feeling overheated. Hot flushes can occur at any time of the day or night and can be triggered by several factors, such as stress, alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods.
What does a hot flush feel like?
Though in most cases hot flushes affect the face and neck, some woman may experience it all over their body. Often this sudden sensation makes you want to jump out of your clothing and stand shamelessly naked in front of a massive fan. A common description of the hot flush feeling is: ‘’All of a sudden my face goes, I feel hot and sticky with beads of sweat running down my neck and face’’.
Some women describe it as ‘internal combustion that whooshes up their chest, neck and face’ or simply as if there were ‘lit on fire and want to jump out of their skin’. If you feel hot and clammy and as if are burning from the inside out, then it sounds like you have a membership card to the Hot Flush Club but, trust us, you definitely are not going through this alone.
How common are hot flushes and night sweats during menopause?
There a myriad of menopausal symptoms a woman can experience: anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, weight gain, loss of libido, insomnia, joint pain but the most common ones are vasomotor symptoms which include hot flushes and night sweats.
How long hot flushes last for?
It is estimated that 75% of menopausal women experience hot flushes and night sweats and around 30% of this group is severely affected by these symptoms.
Though menopause is a highly individual process, one can never predict how long hot flushes and night sweats will last, when will they start and when will they stop. It used to be believed that hot flushes and night sweats last for 6-24 months but recent studies established that it may actually be much longer than this. Research found that the median duration of these symptoms is over 7 years, for 20% of women they may persist for you to 15 years. There is also no guarantee that they will ever go away, they may reoccur even 10 years after menopause and some women may experience them beyond their 70s.
Will hot flushes and night sweats stop after menopause?
Just because your menopause phase ended and you are now in postmenopause it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will no longer experience hot flushes and nigh sweats. Research found that moderate or even severe symptoms, continue, on average for nearly 5 years after menopause. Over 30% of women still experience moderate to severe hot flushes 10 years or more after menopause.
The sooner hot flushes start, the longer they may persist for
A recent study discovered that women who experienced frequent hot flashes and night sweats before or during early stages of menopause experience continuation of these symptoms for the longest period of time (over 11.8 years on average) and even after menopause (for an average of 9.4 years). Whilst women who had already gone through menopause when experiencing these symptoms had the shortest duration of symptoms (3.4 years on average).
In comparison to other racial/ethnic groups, African American women’s symptoms lasted the longest (10.1 years on average), according to the study.
What causes hot flushes to last for a longer period of time?
There are several factors that can contribute to hot flushes and night sweats lasting even longer, these include:
- Age: Older women are more prone to have hot flushes that linger longer because oestrogen levels decrease as women age, due to this the control of body temperature may be impacted.
- Obesity: Women with an increased body mass index (BMI) or who are obese may experience hot flushes that las for a longer period of time because carrying extra weight can interfere with the body’s capacity to control temperature.
- Smoking: Women who smoke could get hot flushes that persist longer because smoking may have an impact on hormone levels as well as the body’s capacity to regulate temperature.
- Menopause symptoms: Longer-lasting hot flashes may also be experienced by women who have other menopause symptoms, such as mood swings and sleep issues as these symptoms may interfere with the body’s capacity to control temperature.
- Specific drugs: As a side effect, several drugs, including tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors used to treat breast cancer, can result in hot flushes that linger longer.
What can help you reduce hot flushes and night sweats during menopause?
There are a few steps you can take that may help you ease the impact of hot flushes and night sweats and reduce their severity of frequency.
First thing you may want to look at is your sleep environment, specifically what you sleep in – your pyjamas, pillows, mattress, and bed linen items. If you’d like to know about this topic, have a look at the article ‘The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Bed Linen for Hot Flushes
It’s important to select breathable fabrics. For those who are hot sleepers, experience hot flushes and night sweats, the best fabric will be highly moisture-absorbing, moisture-wicking and cool-to-the-touch, such as Tencel Lyocell. It doesn’t mean you have to change your whole bedding, you may want to start with small steps and see if, for example, just changing the pillow and switching to eucalyptus-derived pillowcases yields results and keeps your face, hair and neck cool and dry during the night.
Secondly, you may want to try natural supplements like sage, maca root, black cohosh or red clover.
Thirdly, you may want to look into your diet and avoid spicy food, alcohol, sugar, and caffeine.
Your healthcare provider may also have some suggestions for you (such as hormone therapy) so it’s worth sharing your experience with them.
Final words
Menopause is a challenging time for many women, with hot flushes and night sweats being some of the most disruptive and challenging symptoms. It’s important to remember that you are not alone in experiencing these symptoms, as around 75% of women go through this phase. It’s natural to feel frustrated when you hear that these symptoms can last for years, and that there’s no guarantee they will go away completely. However, it’s important to understand that this is a highly individual process, and there are many different factors that can affect the duration and severity of hot flushes and night sweats.
You may find that some lifestyle changes, such as avoiding triggers like caffeine and spicy foods, can help to reduce the frequency and intensity of your symptoms.
You may decide to invest in high-quality, cooling menopause bedding made from Tencel Lyocell to ease the impact of night sweats, avoid feeling hot and clammy during the night and get the best possible sleep.
Hormone therapy is another option that can be effective for some women.
Whatever your experience, it’s essential you get the support you need to navigate this challenging time with confidence and compassion. Remember, menopause is a natural process, and it’s okay to take time for yourself and prioritise your health and well-being.