Nearly 90% of women have hot flashes that are uncomfortable, disruptive, embarrassing, and, for some, disabling. You may get soaked in sweat during an important meeting or too sleep-deprived to function during the day.
Despite the challenges caused by hot flashes and their negative effect on the quality of life, only 25-35% of women seek treatment.
They may not get help, believing their symptoms won’t last long. Yet, hot flashes typically last five years and can continue for 7-10 years or longer. That’s too long to suffer when safe, effective treatments are available.
Chetanna Okasi, MD, and the Women’s Wellness MD team in Columbia and Greenbelt, Maryland, have helped many women overcome hot flashes. We create care that fits your needs and preferences with treatments ranging from hormonal and non-hormonal medications to lifestyle recommendations.
Estrogen has many roles in your body, including in your brain. The hormone travels to the hypothalamus, regulating several activities, including mood, reproductive hormones, and body temperature.
When estrogen fluctuates and drops during menopause, the hypothalamus struggles to maintain a steady internal temperature. As a result, your brain suddenly thinks your body is too hot (when it’s not).
To reset your body temperature, the brain sends instructions to expand the blood vessels in your skin (to release heat) and activate sweat glands (to cool you down). These actions cause a hot flash (vasomotor symptoms).
Hot flash treatments fall into three categories: hormonal medications, non-hormonal medications, and lifestyle approaches.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most successful way to eliminate hot flashes. Restoring hormone levels also prevents other problems caused by the loss of estrogen, including:
Some women shy away from HRT, believing that it’s unsafe. Taking any medication always poses a risk of side effects. However, HRT is safe for many women.
HRT’s overall safety varies for each person and depends on numerous variables, including:
For example, HRT is generally considered safe and beneficial if you start when you’re younger than 60, take hormones within 10 years of when menopause began, and don’t have a health condition preventing you from taking hormones.
HRT may contain estrogen, progesterone, or both, and each has different health implications. Your HRT medication may be synthetic or use bioidentical hormones.
We offer bioidentical hormones because they’re the same as those your body naturally produces and seldom cause side effects.
The only way to learn if HRT is safe is to schedule an appointment. We thoroughly evaluate your health and determine if HRT is a good option.
In 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved fezolinetant (Veozah®), an oral tablet for treating moderate to severe hot flashes. Veozah is not a hormone. Instead, it targets cells in the brain that regulate body temperature.
Though rare, Veozah can cause liver damage. As a result, you must have blood tests to evaluate your liver function before beginning the medicine and at regular intervals for as long as you take it.
You may want to consider other non-hormonal medications. For example, hot flashes may improve with anti-seizure and blood pressure medications. The FDA has approved an antidepressant to treat hot flashes (paroxetine).
Women with mild to moderate or infrequent hot flashes may effectively manage their symptoms with lifestyle changes such as:
Hot beverages, alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods are a few examples of hot flash triggers.
Don’t keep struggling with hot flashes. Schedule a consultation online or call Women’s Wellness MD today to learn more about treatments that work.
