The Infamous "Hot Flush"

If any one symptom could be attributed to the menopause it would surely be the "hot flush". I can't tell you how many times I have seen women getting flushed in public and someone making the jibe "are you going through the menopause?" Even now in my early 30's if I have a hot flush at work or with friends who aren't aware they will still joke "going through the menopause are we?" and the sad thing is they are so naively unaware that this could be a real possibility and their words could actually trigger a hurtful response.

As I've mentioned before the first sign I had that something wasn't right was the horrendous hot flushes on the train on my way to work. It's not just a case of "overheating" your body feels like its on fire, its like nothing you've ever experienced before which is why it often triggers women to get themselves checked over.

Hot flushes are an awful experience at any age but it's fair to say that they are more anticipated as a women approaches a certain stage of her life. The confusion you go through in your early 30's when all of a sudden your body is a live furnace is monumental. There's an immediate sense of panic "whats wrong with me", because as a women you usually know when somethings not right. However at this age you don't automatically make the connection between the menopause, why would you, to your poor innocent self you are a good 15 years away from a menopausal hot flush. In the various literature there are tips and tricks for how to manage hot flushes , how to reduce them, how to avoid triggers, but at an age when you are struggling to connect the dots how can you implement these lifestyle changes. You aren't even aware you should need to.

Whats more, many of these suggested changes include avoiding caffeine (which is breakfast for most people in their 30's) and avoiding alcohol (which is not on the radar as you leave your wild 20's behind). Whilst these life changes you may be willing to accept later on in life as you approach the inevitable "change", as a young women entering her 30's these triggers form an integral part of your life and social circles. The thought of being forced to stop them seems even more unjust and unfair. I think when you go through anything at a time when it is unexpected you naturally kick back with the mentality " I didn't ask for this, I don't need to accept it or change my life because of it". The sad thing is that life doesn't work like that and the more you push back the worse things get. You have to come to terms with life changes and learn to make them work for you rather than kicking back against them . The day you finally let go to this resistance is the most liberating day of your life.

The other issue with experiencing a hot flush at the age of 30 is the sheer embarrassment. You are too young to go through this you don't want anyone to be aware. To compound the ultimate confusion you find yourself in trying to figure out what is going on with your body, you then have to navigate how you communicate this with the world. A hot flush doesn't give you the time or space to work that out. It is the most obvious and uncontrollable situation you can find yourself in. You have to strip down wherever you are in time whilst sweat pours from your brow, theres no way of being inconspicuous about that, and if anyone finds a way please do share. As a young women it takes time yourself to process the fact you are entering an early menopause, what happens if you aren't yet ready to share with the whole world. However it feels like your body isn't giving you that choice, it feels like its almost working against you in that sense. It feels like a betrayal of the worst kind. You and your body are meant to be one but your body is not considering your privacy and confidentiality or your autonomy to choose who you share this change with. It is leaving you as exposed as it possibly could and you're there on your own trying frantically to pick up the pieces as you redress and avoid eye contact with everyone sat on the train.