Sooner or later, every woman will go through this. Some welcome it, others dread it as the inevitable sign of “getting” old. I’m talking about MENOPAUSE: The age (usually between 48-52 years) where the ovaries stop producing eggs and a woman no longer has a menstrual cycle. Estrogen is no longer produced. There are several side effects including:
Hot flashes,
Bone density loss,
Dryness,
Mood changes,
Sleep problems,
Brain fog.
Some of these symptoms are “inconvenient” while others are more serious. For this post, we’re going to talk about HOT FLASHES
Hot flashes are times of sudden warmth and sweating mostly in the upper chest and face. This can happen SEVERAL times per day. At night, we call them “night sweats”, but hot flashes can occur at ANY time of the day. They are caused by decreasing estrogen levels leading to dysfunction of the body’s natural thermostat (in the hypothalamus). The body becomes MUCH more sensitive to slight changes in temperature and leads to OVER-REACTION in the attempt to cool a person down…which results in a “HOT FLASH”.
The good news is that ACUPUNCTURE can significantly LOWER hot flashes. At this point, we’re not exactly sure how, but we think it has something to do with acupuncture’s proven effect on altering levels of neurotransmitters including Serotonin and B-Endorphin….both of which affect our body temperature. At our clinic, we see a LOT of women around 50 years old that we treat for Hot Flashes. Dramatic results are often seen after just ONE treatment. So if you or someone you know struggles with this, feel free to stop by and let us cool you down!
