Alcohol and Hot Flashes during Menopause
A hot flash is a feeling of sudden, intense heat on the upper body that lasts anywhere from 30 seconds to several minutes. You may experience a hot flash for reasons that have nothing to do with alcohol including medical causes. Even in women without depression, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to alcohol use disorder.
If you have hot flashes and aren’t in perimenopause, another condition or factor could be responsible. Contact a healthcare provider so they can help determine what’s causing your symptoms. Other neurologic disorders like Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis (MS) can also prompt symptoms like excessive sweating, sudden body temperature shifts, and skin flushing. Hyperthyroidism is most common in people in their 30s or 40s. If you are younger and experience frequent hot flashes, it may be due to hyperthyroidism or other conditions affecting the pituitary gland. When hot flashes occur at night, they are commonly referred to as night sweats.
Medical Professionals
There are several ways to deal with them, ranging from lifestyle adjustments, such as avoiding alcohol, to medication and alternative remedies. Read further for more information about treatments for hot flashes. To maximize health benefits and minimize health risks during menopause, most healthy women should consume no more than one drink per day, or 7 drinks per week. When examining the relationship between alcohol consumption and hot flashes, it’s important to consider the potential hormonal changes that may occur. Two key factors to consider are Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) and Free Testosterone Index (FTI). Duration of symptoms can vary depending on the amount of alcohol a person has consumed, the rate at which their body processes alcohol, and their overall health.
There are many risks of long-term alcohol use, including cancer and liver damage. For this reason, experts recommend seeking help if a person experiences persistent night sweats related to alcohol consumption. Some women who take progesterone with estrogen therapy experience progesterone-related side effects. For women who can’t tolerate oral progesterone, a combination drug of bazedoxifene with conjugated estrogens (Duavee) is also approved for treating menopausal symptoms. Like progesterone, taking bazedoxifene with estrogen may help you avoid the increased risk of endometrial cancer from estrogen alone.
Alcohol and Hot Flashes during Menopause
If you are a person who menstruates, a healthcare provider may diagnose perimenopause (the period before menopause) or menopause based on your age and report of menstrual periods. Blood levels of estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) may be done solution based treatment to support a diagnosis of menopause. Not only can the intensity of hot flashes vary, but the length of time you have each hot flash can also vary.
- Hot flashes can vary in length, frequency, and severity for each woman.
- Alcohol affects every system in your body, including the central nervous system.
- Moderate drinking, or one drink per day, during menopause can boost the health of some women.
- All clinic visits were scheduled in the morning and participants had their blood drawn for hormone assays, were weighed, and had their height measured.
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Effects on the heart and blood vessels
People with alcohol intolerance may need to avoid drinking alcohol to stop night sweats from occurring. Some individuals could improve their symptoms by limiting the amount of alcohol they consume. Hot flashes may be mild or so intense that they disrupt daily activities. Nighttime hot flashes (night sweats) may wake you from sleep and can cause long-term sleep disruptions. Although other medical conditions can cause them, hot flashes most commonly are due to menopause — the time when menstrual periods become irregular and eventually stop.
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Hot flashes occur when there is a slight malfunction with the body’s response to regulating temperature. They are characterized by a brief rush of intense heat, normally in the upper body, that can leave a woman flushed, red, and overly warm. They are generally accompanied by other symptoms, such as increased heart rate, vertigo, breathlessness, and mild confusion. Almost three quarters of menopausal women will experience hot flashes. Understanding the relationship between alcohol consumption patterns and hot flashes can help individuals make informed choices about their alcohol intake. It is important to remember that excessive alcohol consumption can have negative health effects and may increase the risk of experiencing hot flashes.
It’s important to seek a thorough diagnosis to pinpoint the exact cause of your hot flashes. This is especially true if you have symptoms of carcinoid syndrome, severe infections, hyperthyroidism, or anxiety disorders. It is possible for males and females to experience hot flashes as a result of hypogonadism (low testosterone). This is because hypogonadism can lead to estrogen deficiency. Everyone is different, so it’s hard to give a precise age for any person. Most people AFAB will start perimenopause in their late 40s to early 50s.
With either regimen, the therapy needs to be tailored to your needs. Guidelines suggest using the smallest effective dose for symptom control. How long you use the treatment depends on the balance of your risks and benefits from hormone therapy. The most effective way to relieve the discomfort of hot flashes is to take estrogen, but taking this hormone carries risks. If estrogen is appropriate for you and you start it within 10 years of your last menstrual period or before age 60, the benefits can be greater than the risks. If your hot flash episodes are expected due to your menstrual history, see a healthcare provider if they are severe or are impacting your sleep and other aspects of life.