Why Does This Happen?
This can be especially difficult when the weather is actually cold — normal layers of clothing are just not enough. Some unfortunate women find that some areas of their body stay freezing cold while the rest of them feels volcanically hot. This might mean having a hot torso and face but icy cold hands and/or feet, or vice versa.
Do you find you have to stick your hot feet out of the duvet at night while the rest of your body is covered in goosebumps and you feel shivery? Or do you wear socks and lie on top of the duvet acting as a human hot water bottle? You are not alone.
One chat room thread online was between a large group of women whose bodies maintained appropriate temperatures according to the weather apart from their noses, which apparently always feel so cold they are painful. Many of them believed the menopause was to blame for this odd symptom — it certainly sounds like the pesky hypothalamus might be to blame.
Spicy food might be another trigger for hot or cold flashes and it could be that some people find this to be more of an issue in cold weather because they often choose to ditch the salads and eat more hot and spicy food on cooler days.
If you find there’s a link for you between spicy treats and difficulty controlling your body temperature, the answer is simple (if a little sad if you love this type of cuisine): cut down on the spice or give up the spicy food altogether until your hormones have settled down!
Other advice is valid all year round. If you suffer from body temperature regulation issues leaving you too hot, too cold or too sweaty, dress in easily adjustable layers, drink plenty and eat a healthy diet.
If you have already worked out that overheated shops, theaters, underground travel networks or your workplace set off symptoms, carry an emergency bag with a wrap, scarf or cardigan and carry an insulated bottle containing a hot or cold drink.
Walking around during a hot flash might help shorten the attack, and of course if you feel cold, exercise can often warm you up.
Keep your home or workplace (if possible) at a reasonable temperature — don’t crank the heating or air conditioning up too high — so you can avoid that extreme change when you go outside.
Chat to your doctor about the possibility of hormone replacement therapy. Or, if you would prefer to avoid medication, remember that this too will pass once your hormones settle down post-menopause.
