The Role of Estrogen in Your Menopausal Hot Flashes

A vasomotor symptom of menopause, hot flashes leave many women feeling flushed, nauseous, dizzy and often drenched in a sweaty pool. The duration and frequency of hot flashes varies among women and can occur throughout the day. At night they are often referred to as night sweats because they happen during sleep. A myriad of factors are thought to cause hot flashes, but where does estrogen fit in the menopausal hot flash equation?

Read on to find out how estrogens affect menopausal hot flashes.

What is Estrogen?

Estrogen, which belongs to a class of related hormones that include estriol, estradiol and estrone, is the primary sex hormone of women. Responsible for female characteristics and healthy sexual functioning, it is essential to regulating the menstrual cycle, improving bone health and helping prepare the uterus for pregnancy.

Estrogen can cause women to retain fluids, and exposure from early menstruation can increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Estrogen helps to increse high density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol by lowering low density liproprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol.

What Role Does Estrogen Play in My Menopausal Hot Flashes?

After menopause, estrogen levels decline dramatically, leading many women to experience vaginal dryness, memory loss, fatigue and the dreaded hot flashes. Investigators have suggested that changes in endogenous estrogen levels are the main reason for hot flashes, but how estrogen works to control hot flashes remains unclear. Some studies conclude estrogen influences the thermoregulatory, neutral and vascular systems to control hot flashes and works by altering the firing rate of the hypothalamic neurons (neurons in the brain affecting thermoregulation and fever).

Low estrogen levels can contribute to causing hot flashes, but estrogen is not the only hormone responsible. Pregnant women often experience hot flashes because of elevated estrogen levels while low levels of progesterone and testosterone have been known to cause hot flashes.

How Can I Manage My Hot Flashes?

A helpful way to deal with menopausal hot flashes is to learn what triggers them and adapt behavior to help combat them. There is no right way to completely eliminate the occurrence of hot flashes but they can be minimized with relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation or yoga which can help to calm nerves and deal with feelings of frustration and anxiety. Regular exercise and a well balanced diet can also help to keep hot flashes at bay as you go through menopause.

Help combat your menopause symptoms with estrogen. Click here to find more information about treatments for symptoms of menopause.