Quick Solutions to Hot Flushes

We can skip the science for now!

Pixabay

Oestrogen, blah blah…. Hypothalamus, blah, blah…. We can talk science another time.

Right now, it’s hot and your thermostat is broken. Let me give you my top tips — and if you have any to add please pop them in the comments!

• Get one of those little spray bottles. They sell them at Boots and other chemists. Fill them with water and drop in a few drops of lavender or peppermint oil and spray them on your wrists to feel cooler. Turkish Lemon Cologne has also been recommended to me although I’ve never tried it.
• You know those Kool n Soothe strips for migraines or kids with a temperature. Stick one on your neck or wrist.
• You can get those metallic wine coolers you stick in the freezer. They make lovely bangles!
• Here are instructions on how to make a shawl or wrap into a neck cooler. If you haven’t time for that, just dampen a shawl or even a towel and wrap it round your neck.
• I find traditional fans to be more effective than battery ones. I really like paddle fans. They’re easy to make or you can buy lovely ones. Make it a fashion statement.
• Try a freezer block in front of a room fan to create a cooling breeze.
• Alcohol’s unlikely to help. It tends to increase blood flow to the skin and make us sweat more — precisely what is happening in a hot flush anyway.
• My mum always used to say that drinking hot drinks cools you down. That’s because it tells your body it’s too hot and your body sends all the heat to your skin to cool you down. But again, that’s what’s happening in hot flush, so I’m not convinced it’s the right approach.
• There are some forms of yoga breathing that are supposed to cool you down. I’m not the expert here, so try Adrienne.
• You might also try breathing deeply from the belly, breathing out for longer than you breath in, which helps your body calm itself. Try not to allow yourself to get agitated as that has exactly the opposite effect.
• Do remember that HRT is an excellent treatment for hot flushes — and even if that’s not for you, your doctor can prescribe other treatments which help.

Please do let me know if there’s anything I can add to the list!