When it comes to dealing with menopause, night sweats, hot flashes, low libido and other symptoms may prove to be very problematic. While hormone treatment and various natural remedies may be able to help you, there are also a lot of things you’re doing that you should avoid.
As shown by Healthline, the effects of alcohol are much more pronounced on women than men, and these effects are even harder to bear when you’re having to cope with menopause-related problems as well.
Triggers of Hot Flashes
Menopause is a time in your life when you have to take it easy and make sure you are focused on your health. According to 34-menopause-symptoms.com, the following triggers should be avoided as much as possible, if you want to prevent symptoms like hot flashes, as well as some of the most severe complications associated with peri-menopause:
- Researchers have linked stress directly to hot flashes in women hitting peri-menopause. Although there are many other problems that need your attention, stress is one of the worst, since it causes muscles to contract, and your heart rate to speed up. It can also increase your body temperature and immediately trigger hot flashes.
- You should definitely eliminate cigarettes from your daily habits. Nicotine and smoking can reduce your ability to breathe deeply, and the mechanisms through which nicotine stimulates the body are very similar to those that set up hot flashes.
- Caffeine, black tea, energy drinks and dark chocolate can also increase your heart rate. By also causing your blood vessels to dilate, they are easily able to trigger a hot flash.
Can You Drink Alcohol During Peri-Menopause?
Now, the aforementioned habits were regarded merely through a viewpoint taking into account their effects on hot flashes, but their overall influence is even greater, and can be infinitely more problematic for women facing menopause-induced problems.
Alcohol is another trigger that, however, is also much more serious. Aside from its effects on hot flashes, it also has a strong effect on night sweats, insomnia and weight gain in the case of some women. Moreover, alcohol is a leading cause of liver disease, heart problems and cancer in women going through peri-menopause.