I'm At My Wit's End with Hot Flashes — What Now?

If you’re experiencing frequent hot flashes, you know how frustrating and uncomfortable they can be. The sudden heat that fills your upper body can stem from various medical conditions, but the most common cause involves the menopausal transition.

At PSI Medical Group in Wixom, Michigan, Dr. Robert Grafton treats hormonal imbalances that fuel hot flashes using bioidentical hormone therapy, also known as bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). 

Let’s take a closer look at hot flashes, including why they happen and ways we can help.

What causes hot flashes

When your body reaches the end of its reproductive capabilities, your ovaries stop working as well. As a result, they produce less estrogen and progesterone. As levels of these hormones in your body drop, hot flashes are a common result. 

Some 75% of women experience hot flashes periodically starting shortly before their last period. While the symptoms usually flare up over the course of two years or less, they carry on far longer for some people. 

How to manage or reduce your hot flashes

Both lifestyle changes and medical care can minimize your hot flash symptoms. 

Lifestyle practices that may help include:

• Avoiding or quitting smoking
• Avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods 
• Dressing in layers, so you can cool down once a hot flash starts
• Maintaining a healthy body weight
• Practicing mindfulness exercises
• Using a portable fan

Drinking a bit of cold water, using a ceiling fan, and lowering your bedroom temperature may help prevent night sweats, or hot flashes that interrupt your sleep.

When lifestyle changes aren’t enough to ease your hot flash woes, hormone replacement therapy can go far. This treatment works by restoring normal estrogen and progesterone levels through creams, gels, implants, patches, pills, or rings.

Additional benefits of hormone therapy

Imbalanced hormones can affect your health and well-being in a range of ways beyond hot flashes. So by normalizing your levels through BHRT, you may invite such added perks as:

• Improved energy levels and moods
• Improved weight control
• Less joint pain
• Reduced headaches
• Reduced vaginal dryness

Your complexion and hair may improve as well, given that menopausal hormone changes are linked with dry skin and hair loss.

Getting started with hormone therapy 

For over a decade, Dr. Grafton has provided hormone replacement for thousands of patients who’ve considered or received cosmetic surgery. He specializes in bioidentical hormone therapy, which uses hormones that are chemically identical to those your body produces.

The process starts with bloodwork to get a sense of your current hormone levels. From there, Dr. Grafton determines whether BHRT is ideal for you. If so, he’ll create a customized plan.

To learn more about hot flashes or get the support or treatment you need, call us at PSI Medical Group or book an appointment through our convenient website scheduler today.