Newsflash: You can minimize hot flashes, even when the temps outside are high. But it’s going to be tricky.
“Summer is especially challenging for women in menopause because the heat and humidity level up the challenge we’re already facing,” explains certified menopause coach Sarah Fuhrmann, who helps women build lifestyle habits to better get through “the change.”
“Before menopause, women have a range of temperatures they can tolerate … that’s like a sidewalk-width path,” she explained. “Along comes perimenopause, and that range narrows year-round.
“Top that with summer’s heat and humidity, and it’s like you’ve gone from the sidewalk to a 4-inch-wide balance beam. All it takes is a little wobble to knock you off that beam into a hot flash.”
Speaking with The Post, Fuhrmann detailed her four tools for tackling menopause in a healthy, tangible way — with zero shame attached.
1. Learn your own triggers
Though women likely can’t completely stop their own hot flashes, recognizing their individual triggers can go a long way.
“Everyone’s trigger list is a little different,” Fuhrmann told the Post.
She suggests women spend two weeks keeping track of what their environment entailed right before a hot flash, such as what they ate, what they drank, what they wore, their stress levels, etc.
“Common hot flash triggers are caffeine, hot drinks, alcohol, smoking, spicy food, stress, and warm spaces,” Fuhrmann said.
“Not everyone is affected by all of these, though, and you may also have others. For example, eating too much sugar gives me hot flashes. Knowing your particular set of triggers is the first step to managing them.”
2. Build your set of hot flash management tools
Fuhrmann also recommends women plan ahead to beat the heat.
“The middle of a hot flash isn’t the time to be figuring out what will help you lessen their impact,” she said.
She suggests women have a small fan ready to go, as well as a cold water bottle and a change of dry clothes or pajamas. She also encourages clients to practice “stress reduction strategies,” such as deep breathing.
3. Design your environment so cool is the default
Setting up a cool environment is another way to get ahead before a hot flash strikes.
“It’s easier to beat a hot flash before it starts than to wait it out and be uncomfortable once it happens,” Fuhrmann said.
She recommends keeping a fan running throughout the day and night, having a chilled water bottle accessible, and setting the thermostat between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit at night.
4. Dress for hot flash success
Clothing choice can make a huge difference when trying to mitigate menopause symptoms, and no woman wants to deal with heavy, uncomfortable clothing when a hot flash strikes at the office.
“Dress in breathable layers so that you feel great in every layer you’re wearing. That way, if you do end up ditching your jacket in a meeting, you’ll still feel on top of your game,” Fuhrmann said.
She also encourages women not to feel ashamed or embarrassed when dealing with menopause.
“Never, ever, feel you need to apologize for having a hot flash. It’s a normal part of being a midlife woman,” she said.
The stress associated with an incoming hot flash can make the experience worse, so she urges women to keep their anxiety levels down.
It doesn’t have to be this way!
Fuhrmann encourages women to speak up when experiencing the rollercoaster of menopause symptoms, rather than just dealing with the discomfort.
“I would love to see women throughout the menopause transition not be afraid to ask for help, and demand better options if they don’t like the ones they’re getting, because they do exist,” she said, calling the assumption that problems are inevitable a “huge” mistake.
She also pointed out that women frequently “default” to doing intense versions of methods that worked for them before menopause, hoping to achieve success. But this is often not the best technique.
“I see this all the time with weight gain, for example, where women figure that if what used to work isn’t working anymore, it must be that they need to try harder, have more willpower, etc., when in fact it’s likely a more nuanced approach is what will do the trick,” she said.
