Menopause can be a challenging and confusing time for some women. The primary symptom that causes most women to seek help during this transitory time in their life are hot flashes. Hot flashes, or hot flushes, can be extremely uncomfortable, especially during the night, and they can last for several years for some women. Gratefully, there are several options available to help mitigate the severity of hot flashes from pharmaceuticals to behavioral changes.
It may sound counterintuitive, but recent studies have found that regular exposure to heat therapy may actually help in the cessation of hot flashes. Putting it simply, heat therapy of any kind is like a training ground for the body’s temperature regulation system. By purposefully exposing the body to intense amounts of heat for specific periods of time you are actually enlisting the body’s systems to regulate temperature in more effective ways. Taking a sauna for the purpose of internal body temperature regulation is analogous to lifting weights to strengthen muscles.
If you are living and suffering with hot flashes, getting into a sauna at the outset may seem unappealing. Ultimately scientific evidence does suggest that more than likely you will be able to ease,if not end, hot flashes all together during the menopausal period of time by doing so.
During menopause estrogen levels drop which causes a myriad of different reactions and chains of events within the body to occur. One symptom of these changes is the presence of hot flashes. Find out why hot flashes exist in menopausal women, how they can be treated with heat therapy, and what type of sauna or heat exposure is most effective in ameliorating hot flashes.
What Are Hot Flashes and Why Do They Occur During Menopause?
- A sudden feeling of warmth spreading through your chest, neck and face
- A flushed appearance with red, blotchy skin
- Rapid heartbeat
- Perspiration, mostly on your upper body
- A chilled feeling as the hot flash lets up
- Feelings of anxiety (1)
A hot flash is characterized by a sudden feeling of warmth that overcomes the upper portion of the body, typically the face, chest, and neck area. At night time there may be sweating that occurs in conjunction with the sudden increase in temperature. Hot flashes are episodic in nature and may last anywhere from 2-5 minutes. (1)
Several conditions may cause hot flashes to occur; however the primary cause is menopause, they are the most common symptom in menopause. (1)
Estrogen is a powerful inducer of specific heat shock proteins (namely: HSP70), and a sudden absence of estrogen during menopause can cause a significant decrease in necessary Heat Shock Proteins. Lower estrogen levels and lower production of heat shock proteins may be associated with the onset and continuation of hot flashes for menopausal women.
A study published by Research Gate in 2022 entitled: ‘Effects of heat shock therapy on the maintenance of the heat shock response of young adult and aged female mice’ writes:
“Adapted throughout evolution, heat shock proteins are the most abundant proteins in the intracellular environment and, in stressful situations, they can make up about 5 % of all cellular protein.” (2)
A diminished supply of HSPs can have devastating effects on immunity, inflammation, as well as many other areas of health. Given the direct relationship between estrogen and HSPs production it is not surprising that looking for ways to improve heat shock protein production becomes important to the perimenopausal and menopausal woman to ease hot flashes and potentially avoid them altogether.
A sudden absence in estrogen levels is directly correlated to a drop in specific heat shock proteins (HSP70) that help the body to regulate internal temperature. By engaging in heat therapy instead of using estrogen as the instigator in the production of HSP70, the body will rely on the heat of the sauna to do so.
The Science Behind Why Sauna Bathing May Help With Hot Flashes?
A study entitled: ‘Effects of heat shock therapy on the maintenance of the heat shock response of young adult and aged female mice’, found that in aged and ovary free mice who were exposed to heat therapy for the purpose of augmenting heat shock proteins experienced less ‘hot flashes’ then mice who do did not experience heat therapy. (2)
While this study was performed solely on mice, the researchers performing the study are hopeful that a similarly positive outcome may be possible for older human females who are experiencing menopause and the loss of estrogen.
It appears that intentional episodic periods of heat stress such as experienced in a sauna or in a hot tub strengthen thermal regulatory mechanisms in the body, including improving the production of heat shock proteins. As heat shock proteins (that would otherwise be initiated by the presence of estrogen) are now able to be produced via heat stress. Women in their menopausal years may be able to strengthen their overall temperature regulation and limit, or at least ease, the discomfort associated with hot flashes. (2)
For the first time in history women may be able to deal with hot flashes in a non-pharmacological way by engaging a sauna protocol that will enable greater levels of heat shock protein production. Some preliminary studies suggest that exercise may have similar effects on thermoregulation, but this has not been demonstrated with as much certainty as heat stress without exercise (aka sauna use, hot tubs, steam baths etc).
The results of the aforementioned study may also have implications for younger women preparing to enter into peri-menopausal stages of life. Improving overall heat shock protein production can help prepare women for the absence of estrogen in their bodies.
So, how should you use a sauna or other heat therapy device in order to help ease or avoid hot flashes?
How To Use a Sauna in the Treatment of Hot Flashes: Attaining Specific Internal Temperature Is Queen
There are many different opinions about the best type of sauna, or the most optimal forms of heat therapy. When it comes down to mitigating hot flashes what really matters is the increase in women’s internal temperatures. According to the study discussed previously, women ought to be measuring their internal temperature during the course of their heat therapy.
Ideally, women using any type of sauna or heat therapy (infrared saunas, traditional saunas, steam rooms, sweat lodges), should be aiming to maintain an internal temperature of 101.5 degrees for 10-20 minutes several times a week. This means that the source of heat you choose to use is less important than how your body is responding with increased temperature.
Infrared saunas rely on radiant heat. These long wavelengths of light are able to penetrate into the soft tissues of the body which inevitably increases internal body temperature faster than other forms of heat. (3) So, if you are looking for a simple and easy way to increase internal temperatures to help in the treatment of hot flashes then an infrared sauna will do so easily and effectively.
Traditional saunas as well as other forms of heat therapy will still help in treatment of hot flashes, but you may need to increase the external temperature to higher degrees to receive the same effect on the body.
Menopause is complex, and every woman experiences this transition differently. Some women may not have any hot flashes while others suffer in silence for years. It is important to find a medical professional to work with to create a program for your specific needs to make the menopausal period of life as comfortable as possible.
Your menopausal period may or may not include the use of sauna therapy. Do not discount the possibility of intentional heat as an impactful means to help mitigate or even possibly in the cessation of hot flashes.
Remember, you are not alone in the menopausal experience and every woman at some point will go through it. Reach out to someone if you need help!
Sources Cited:
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hot-flashes/symptoms-causes/syc-20352790
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361086489_Effects_of_heat_shock_therapy_on_the_maintenance_of_the_heat_shock_response_of_young_adult_and_aged_female_mice
- https://www.news-medical.net/health/How-Does-Infrared-Therapy-Work.aspx
