Menopause is one of the most significant events in a woman's life as it signifies another chapter-a life without menstruation and therefore the inability to conceive a child by natural means.
The transition, however, may not be easy among many women due to a variety of symptoms including hot flashes. Hot flash is described as the sudden sensation of heat in the body. It can become prominent that areas of the body particularly the face and neck can turn red. As if the change in body temperature isn't comfortable enough, women can also experience profuse sweating.
Until now, doctors haven't figured out the exact reasons why menopausal women develop hot flashes. After all, not everyone will experience it. The most accepted assumption is it has something to do with changes in hormone production, especially in the hypothalamus, which may become sensitive to even a small difference in body temperature.
While certain medications, home remedies, and other forms of treatments can assist women effectively manage their hot flashes, a new research suggests that they can benefit if they stop smoking.
Researchers from University of Illinois Epidemiology Department led by Rebecca Smith discovered that women who had smoked are still prone to hot flashes than women who never smoked at all. However, those who stopped smoking for at least the last 5 years before their menopausal symptoms begin will have fewer hot flashes than those who never stopped smoking.
For the study, they monitored more than 750 women between the ages of 45 and 54 years old, the age of possible menopause, for at least 7 years. Around 340 of these women already experienced hot flashes at the beginning of the research.
However, the percentage of the episodes significantly differs among the three groups. Less than 40% of non-smokers had hot flashes. Between former and current smokers, the difference is about 10%.
At almost 48%, women who smoke are more likely to experience hot flashes more frequently, which can be defined as either weekly or even daily. This is too high when compared with the percentage of significant hot flashes among ex-smokers and non-smokers at 22% and 10% respectively.
