There you are, minding your own business, when suddenly without warning, a heat wave surges through your body. Your heart rate speeds up, drops of sweat begin to form, your face gets red and flushed — and that’s before you set foot out of the air conditioning and into the 85-degree heat.
You can’t help but ask yourself, “Will I ever look forward to summer again?”. The answer is absolutely! You just have to be prepared. In addition to stocking up on sunblock, be sure to stock up on these hot flash relief tips that can help you keep cool. Although many of these lifestyle changes haven’t been researched in large studies, some people find them helpful. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.
How can I relieve hot flashes in summer?
Wear layers
Your body temperature isn’t the only thing that can be a bit all over the place. Between outdoor humidity and indoor arctic blasts from the AC, summer temperatures can be, too. You may regulate better by dressing in light layers. Toss on a tank, add a light t-shirt, then layer them with an unbuttoned button down — or add one to your bag. As the temperature fluctuates between hot and cold, adding and subtracting layers can help you feel “just right”.
Hold the spice
If you’re experiencing hot flashes, spice may not be so nice. For some people, it can be a hot flash trigger. Avoiding spicy foods may help. Being hot and sweating can contribute to dehydration, so aim for foods with lots of water to help you stay hydrated — apples, strawberries, spinach, carrots, cabbage, and melon to name a few.
Crank up the cool
If you’ve got an AC, use it — especially at night. And if you don’t — consider investing in a window unit for your bedroom, at the very least. By keeping the room temperature at 65 degrees or cooler, it can help you sleep better and help minimize discomfort from night sweats. It’s also a good idea to keep a cold glass of water on your nightstand so that you can sip as hot flashes hit. Investing in bedding made from cooling, lightweight materials, such as eucalyptus, bamboo, or woven linen may also help.
Order the mocktail
Even for people who aren’t going through hormonal changes, alcohol has a way of affecting our sleep. But for someone who is going through menopause, it can make things even worse by triggering hot flashes and night sweats. Of course, it doesn’t help that our alcohol tolerance decreases as we get older, partly due to the fact we have less water in our bodies and that fat tissue has replaced muscle tissue. So, it takes longer for alcohol to metabolize.
This doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a celebratory margarita on occasion. But ordering your favorite drink with one less ingredient can really help you sleep better at night — and feel better the next day.
Reduce body fat
Working towards reducing body fat and being at a healthier weight may help reduce hot flashes since body fat can act as an insulator that traps heat. Brainstorm options for low-calorie summer-y meals and snacks that may still manage to satisfy your taste buds — like grilled fish tacos, zucchini noodles with meatballs, air-popped popcorn, plain Greek yogurt with berries, and frozen grapes. Also, build in activity you enjoy into your weekly routine.
Be mindful
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to help hot flashes feel like less of a problem. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to help decrease menopause symptoms. It may also be helpful in dealing with hot flashes. Make this practice a part of your daily routine so when a hot flash hits, you can reduce the effect that it has on you.
There are many ways to approach it, but the foundation of mindfulness training is about being able to have an awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations while not reacting to them — just noticing them. When you can create a distance between your thoughts, how you feel, and your reactions, you can learn to be less reactive to things happening in and around you.
If these lifestyle changes aren’t helpful enough, consider talking to your healthcare provider about other options.
With a little extra effort, summer can become one of your favorite seasons again.
