One of the most distressing things about going through breast cancer treatment can be the onset of menopause and the hot flashes that go with it. In this post I'll give you some helpful tips on dealing with hot flashes and avoiding triggers.

What exactly are hot flashes?

If you have had a hot flash then I don’t have to tell you what they feel like.  But for some of you, they are something you still have to look forward to, so let me explain what they feel like.  Most women describe a sudden feeling of warmth in their face, neck and chest associated with intense sweating and then sometimes chills.  Your heart rate can increase, and you may feel it “fluttering” (called a palpitation). You may feel tingling in your fingers or even light headed.  Some women have one a month, others have one every hour.

They are thought to be due to the changes in reproductive hormones associated with menopause, especially a drop in estrogen.  In women with...

Summary:

One of the most distressing things about going through breast cancer treatment can be the onset of menopause and the hot flashes that go with it. In this video I'll give you some helpful tips on dealing with hot flashes and avoiding triggers.

Transcript:

Welcome to this week’s Inside Edge to living well beyond breast cancer.  I am Dr. Lisa Schwartz and I will be talking about hot flashes today:  what are they and how can breast cancer patients manage them.

 So, let’s start at the beginning.  What exactly are hot flashes?

 If you have had a hot flash then I don’t have to tell you what they feel like.  But for some of you, they are something you still have to look forward to, so let me explain what they feel like.  Most women describe a sudden feeling of warmth in their face, neck and chest associated with intense sweating and sometimes chills.  Your heart rate can increase and you can feel tingling in your fingers or...