What Are Vasomotor Symptoms? FAQs Answered

Understanding Vasomotor Symptoms

A common experience that many women aged between 45 and 55 face is the vasomotor symptoms of menopause (VMS). VMS refers to symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and chills.

The proposed reason for experiencing these symptoms is the fluctuating hormone levels during the menopausal stage. 

Estrogen is the gonadal hormone that keeps body temperature and other body functions in check. Estrogen levels decline sharply as one goes through menopause, which creates problems with the part of the brain that regulates temperature—the hypothalamus. 

Research suggests that the sequence of events runs as follows:

• Your brain perceives the wrong message that your body is getting too hot.
• Sweating, along with rapid vasodilatation, results in a flushed, sweaty feel. It is a communicative process for the rest of the body to quicken the cooling process. 
• This whole process is experienced as hot flashes or night sweats.

Along with hormonal fluctuations, environmental factors and lifestyle triggers can exacerbate the condition. In the coming sections, we shall discuss correcting and maintaining these factors for the management of VMS.

Having understood the causes and chain of events behind these symptoms, let’s explore more on the experience of going through these:

1. Hot Flashes

Hot flashes are sudden feelings of intense heat that often start in the chest or face and spread throughout the body. They can cause:

• Flushed Skin: Your face, neck, and chest may turn red or blotchy.
• Sweating: Many women experience heavy sweating, particularly on the upper body.
• Heart Palpitations: You might feel your heart racing or pounding.
• Anxiety Or Discomfort: The abruptness of a hot flash can leave you feeling unsettled or stressed.

Regardless of how brief they are, they can typically range from 30 seconds to a few minutes. They occur a few times a week or, in severe cases, multiple times a day. 

2. Night Sweats  

Night sweats are essentially hot flashes that happen while you’re sleeping. You could be in a deep, restful sleep and then suddenly wake up drenched in sweat, with your sheets and night dress soaked. You feel like you have run a marathon in your sleep. This disruption often leaves you feeling exhausted and irritable the next morning due to the poor quality of sleep.

3. Chills  

After a hot flash or night sweats, just when you believe that was it, those chills start. For one moment, your temperature is too high, and for the next, you are almost groping for a blanket as you have gotten too cold. It’s as if your body is experiencing a bit of confusion!  

4. Skin Sensations  

Just like rubbing salt in the wound, adding to the misery, some women report experiencing a peculiar tingling or prickling sensation in their skin during hot flashes. It is as if your body is adding an extra layer of syndrome.

Coming to know more about vasomotor symptoms and their cause, you might have started thinking more and encountered questions about this in your mind. Keep reading for further clarification.

Common Questions About Vasomotor Symptoms

Hot flashes, night sweats and chills can ask many questions, and these definitely require answers. Many women often question how long these effects will last and whether there is a way to resolve them.

You no longer need to be concerned about these questions since you have come to the right place where your queries will be answered. All you have to do is take the right action for your health at the earliest!

Q : How Long Do Vasomotor Symptoms Last?

Here is the reality: vasomotor symptoms are not the same for all. For some women, experiencing hot flashes as well as night sweats could last a few months, while for others, it could be stretched to years.

The general range of these symptoms is around 7 to 10 years, which is a bit worrying. The key point to note is that the majority of the women start experiencing lesser frequency and intensity over time. Initially, you may have multiple hot flashes daily, but over time, as your body starts adjusting, they taper off.

Some factors, like stress or overall health, may determine how long they last. If these symptoms are taking a toll on your daily life, then go ahead and talk to your health advisor as soon as possible.

Q : What Are The Most Effective Treatments?

If you’re tired of fanning yourself every few hours or waking up drenched at night, you’re probably wondering: “Is there anything that actually works?” The answer is yes! Managing vasomotor symptoms is all about finding the right approach.

There are various approaches you might want to consider which will make a tremendous difference in your life. 

The happy news is that when you learn about these triggers, you can work on preventing them. By controlling your lifestyle and managing your surroundings, you can regain some control over these symptoms. 

As we typically begin with the remedy, let us suggest things that can be done right in the comfort of your home.

a) Stay Cool

• In order to ensure comfort during hot flashes, ensure that your sleeping area is cool and well-ventilated. 
• Make use of an air conditioner or fan, particularly at night, and it will prove useful. 
• When dressing up, wear layers to remove clothing when feeling hot. 
• Choose breathable fabrics like cotton for your clothes and bedding.

b) Mind Your Food Intake

• Try to stay away from caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods as they are hot flash triggers. 
• Moreover, make sure to drink enough water during the day in order to stay hydrated.
• In foods, include phytoestrogens like soy and flaxseeds to try out the remedy as they mimic estrogen, which helps to regulate hot flashes. 

c) Relaxation Techniques

• Deep breathing meditation is another go-to remedy, along with self-practice, such as yoga.

d) Adopt A Healthy Lifestyle

• Maintain a healthy weight; extra weight can make hot flashes worse.
• Get regular exercise—it’s great for managing stress and balancing hormones.
• Quit smoking, as it’s linked to more severe menopausal symptoms.

f) Medical Treatments And Options

• When home care management is insufficient, then medications can be helpful, so talk to your healthcare expert about the options below:

g) Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

• Vasomotor symptoms are best treated with HRT. This therapy consists of using estrogen and, in some cases, progesterone to balance hormone levels.
• You should always consult with your practitioner before undergoing HRT so that your health background can be properly assessed. 

h) Non-Hormonal Medications

• SSRIs class of some antidepressants have been related to an improvement in the frequency of hot flashes.
• Gabapentin, which is an agent that treats nerve pain disorder, is also effective for night sweats.

h) Prescription Skin Patches Or Gels

• The low-dose estrogen patches and gels that are available today have the potential to be the most appealing option for women who prefer not to take oral medication.

i) Alternative Therapies

The Ayurveda system interprets menopause through a completely different lens, providing herbs, diet, yoga, and lifestyle changes that assist in addressing the issue. After reading the lifestyle part, you should have known what lifestyle changes you can adopt to address the issue. Ayurveda can guide you through its principles while correcting your lifestyle, and the best part is that these are tailor-made for your unique health needs.

Instead of looking directly at the body, Ayurveda focuses on an individual by seeking balance in the physical, mental, and emotional state. It can manage symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, which occur due to vasomotor activities through herbal supplements, lifestyle correction, yoga and proper diet.

If you want to explore more on natural remedies for hot flashes, read our article “Natural Remedies for Hot Flashes: Effective Relief During Menopause.”

There is no guaranteed way to control vasomotor symptoms, so you might have to try some corresponding methods that suit you. Just keep in mind that it is normal. All you have to do is act wisely and take the necessary steps with proper professional advice.

Managing Vasomotor Symptoms Effectively

Effective vasomotor symptom management includes the right approach and timely intervention. Lifestyle tweaks and controlling environmental triggers can help you manage these symptoms well. However, the golden approach is to be aware of when to seek professional health advice and take the initiative as soon as possible.

Self-Help Techniques

The self-help techniques denote various tweaks and adjustments that you can do yourself to manage these symptoms. These include various aspects that we have already discussed in the previous section, like staying cool, following a healthy diet, adopting relaxation techniques, and adapting to a healthy lifestyle. 

All these require minimum effort, that is, your own self-effort, dedication and discipline. These strategies can not only help manage these symptoms but also make you a better person in terms of physical, mental, and emotional health.

When To Consult A Doctor

Self-help techniques moderately alleviate the harmful effects of vasomotor symptoms, but in some cases, more professional and technical approaches need to be used. Please contact any health professional if:

1. Symptoms Are Severe Or Persistent: When women start to suffer from hot flashes or frequent night sweats, it can intrude on their everyday lives and start stretching for a longer than anticipated time. That is when a visit to the doctor is needed.

2. You Experience Other Symptoms: A visit to the doctor is essential if there are other symptoms, such as weight loss without any apparent cause, changes in cycle patterns or irregular episodes of bleeding. This helps the doctor to investigate and check for other health issues.

3. Self-Help Strategies Arent Effective: If changes in lifestyle and controlling environmental triggers don’t help much, the doctor may recommend trying other options for treatment, such as hormone replacement therapy or non-hormonal medications, which may yield better results.

4. Emotional Or Mental Health Issues: Hot flashes and heavy perspiration at night may cause people to have trouble sleeping and feel anxious or depressed. If you feel that nowadays, these emotional or mental health issues are distressing for you, then it is worthwhile to go for professional help.

It’s finding the right combination of things that will work for you and managing vasomotor symptoms effectively. There is help to make you feel better and in control of the situation, from basic lifestyle adjustments to medication options.

Dealing with menopause alone can be troublesome at times. If you feel like you need a helping hand, Nirva Health strives to make it easier for you with our top specialists. We will set you up with a wellness plan that is made to help you manage and deal with the symptoms of menopause. 

We invite you to be a part of the customised service we are providing for our clients. Here is what one of our happy clients said about us:

Wrapping It Up

Menopause comes with various difficulties, the most troublesome being the vasomotor symptoms. Proper understanding of these symptoms, identifying what triggers, and knowing well-formulated actions to take can reduce their effects. When these actions are merged with proper medical therapies and proper lifestyle habits, they can almost become negligible.

Instead of panicking during times of distress, one must strive to maintain self-awareness while also proactively planning and executing steps. Vasomotor symptoms do not diminish without a concerted effort, so there is no need to put the whole pressure on yourself. Seeking professional guidance and support is a greatly effective way to manage these symptoms, making them much easier to live with. 

If the right support is sought, menopause does not have to be the bane of your existence. You do not have to fight this war alone, which means that when you get support and guidance, relief becomes easier to seek. Reach out for the support you need, face this challenge, and you will be able to relieve the discomfort you have been struggling with.