If you’re young and have hot flashes, you’ll probably find two things familiar. First, there is this heat that spreads without notice within a very short time in your entire body and, among other things, ensures a bright red face and sweats. There are just not enough emojis that the vapor rises from the nostrils to describe this heat. Secondly, it is not uncommon for you to feel the uncomfortable feeling that you have reached menopause two to three decades early. Fortunately, in most cases, there is a much simpler explanation for the spontaneous sweat attacks.
Although they are almost exclusively associated with menopause, “hot flashes are normal even in young women,” says gynecologist Dr. med. Shirazian. For most people, a sensation of extreme heat begins in the middle of the body or in the throat, from where it spreads like waves throughout the body and is particularly noticeable on the face. According to Dr. Shirazian usually does not last such ripples for more than 20 seconds. But until you feel normal again, the body needs a few minutes. And even if the spontaneous heat outbreaks only last a short time, they usually become more common with age. In addition, with time often also join night attacks. “Especially for women who are currently in their menopause or have already passed them, hot flashes can be exhausting, “explains Dr. Shirazian.
In her experience, the spontaneous outbreaks among women in their twenties are not quite as severe. But where do they come from? Although it is not completely clear exactly how hot flashes develop before the period, it is believed that they have their origin in the hormone shift during menopause. During this time the estrogen level drops. This can cause the body’s own system, which regulates body temperature, to get confused. Before the period, the estrogen level is also at a low. This could explain why one to two days before and at the beginning of menstruation hot flashes can occur in people outside the menopause.
So the good news is that you do not have to worry if the big heat breaks out at this point. The bad thing, though, is that you can not really do anything to avoid it. Dr. Shirazian says that some of her patients swear by cold compresses. Others keep their bedroom as cool as possible or always have a fan or mini fan with them. For younger patients who have problems with hot flashes before their period, they suggest hormonal contraception. This can take the hormonal fluctuations the tip and better balance them. But she also has an all-clear: Only because you suffer from heart attacks at a young age does not mean that you will be more affected by this in your menopause.
However, if the menstrual hot flashes are particularly bad for you or if you come to other stages of your cycle, talking with a doctor is essential.
