Hot Flash Helen - Just Jill

Just Jill is the creation of Jill Cohen Morris. Jill is an avid rambler and mother of two from Toronto, Canada with a remarkable zest for life and a fabulous sense of humor.

Dear Just Jill,

So, the other day I was out for lunch with a few business colleagues and OMG I had a hot flash. This is not my first, however, it is my first hot flash in public in a professional setting.

I’m innocently having a bite of my salad and boom … I felt this intense heat in my face and then the sweating, oh the sweating!! I was mortified. Sitting at lunch with three men and one woman, I immediately looked at my female colleague for help, for solidarity, for compassion. Her eyes spoke to me with all the emotions but what could she do.

The men said nothing, either they were clueless, chose not to address what was happening or not to embarrass me. Either way, lunch seamlessly continued and that was that.

How do you deal with a public hot flash? Do you make it a topic of conversation or do you silently suffer and will it to go away as fast possible?

How do you deal with hot flashes in general? Do you have any tips or tricks? Is there anything I can do or take to help treat my hot flashes?

Looking for advice from my wise Sole Sisters.

What’s a gal to do?

Sincerely,

• Say "oops, looks like I'm having a power surge", they'll giggle and move on.
  
  
• My mother in law always had a mini electric fan in her purse that she would whip out during a hot flash.
  
  
• Mixed company can be a challenge. But with a group of women I'll say "well I'm one hot lady right now", and laugh a little. Sometimes, often enough to notice, a woman or two will actually laugh and say "oh I thought it was just me". If I have a purse or bag, I'll carry a cotton or hemp baby washcloth with me and go to the restroom and 'mop up'.
  
  
• I would OFTEN have this problem when I was the only woman in a room full of men in suits in a business meeting with folks my boss wanted to impress. And I did three things ... deep breath and calm myself, visualize ice (weirdly helped restore order), discretely dab my face with a napkin (always have one near by) and then when it got impossible to hide (which it did often) I would make a joke about "nevermind me, just enjoying my own personal summer" and folks would laugh which made it easier on everyone.
  
  
•  I resisted HRT but after 5 yrs of broken sleep I gave in. It took 6 months and 3 different types but it’s a lot better now. Try to identify your triggers - could be coffee, alcohol, spicy food or something else. There is a lot of info online about these. I also had cold flashes immediately after the hot, so it was constantly layers on, layers off. So wear layers which are easiest to remove quickly! Stress makes it worse - deep breathing can help. I was worst at night. I invested in cooling bedding - silk pillowcases are brilliant. I couldn’t afford silk sheets but found some with cooling tech which were inexpensive. 
  
  
• I took soy tablets for several years. I still had hot flashes, but they were not as severe. When I had one in public, I would excuse myself and go to the bathroom where I'd run cold water on my wrists and pat my face and neck with damp, cool towels.
  
  
• I don’t feel embarrassed by my hot flashes if I’m still having them. Sometimes in the summer, I’ll really start sweating, and sometimes people look at me with concern, but I just let them know I’m fine and my body is just doing this right now. I’m retired, so meetings are not an issue for me, but when I was working and sweating, it didn’t bother me either. I’m sorry you feel embarrassed by them, but that’s OK too. It is what it is and you feel what you feel. I’m glad you’re aware of your feelings. That’s the most important thing. Hang in there!
  
  
• I used an herbal menopause supplement and had acupuncture. I think it was the acupuncture that did the trick though. Fans of course would be lovely but not having them would be better! Also layers. Good luck and don't be embarrassed- it's a normal part of life that can be managed.
  
  
• I used evening primrose as a supplement. It was very effective but layering clothes was a useful strategy too.