Have you ever felt a sudden flash of cold, like someone opened a freezer door right in front of you?
If so, you experienced a cold flash.
Cold flashes are uncomfortable sensations, and when they occur often they have the potential to disrupt your daily life. Cold flashes are common though, especially in women going through menopause.
They're also known as chills and hot flashes, depending on whether you feel cold or hot. Cold flashes typically last a few seconds or up to 10 minutes. They impact many different women for a variety of reasons.
Luckily, there are treatment options to help get rid of cold flashes, and many of them are all natural.
Causes of cold flashes
Cold flashes can be caused by something as simple as air conditioning or getting out of the shower—anything that causes your body temperature to drop rapidly. They also tend to occur more often when you're under stress or upset.
Cold flashes are also a common symptom of menopause.
You may experience cold flashes because of changes in your hormones. Hormone levels change when you go through menopause, but they can also change due to other reasons.
The most common cause of cold flashes is vasodilation, which is when blood vessels dilate and expand as a result of exposure to cold temperatures. This can occur as a result of emotional changes too.
For example, if you're suddenly stressed or anxious about something, your body will respond by sending signals to your nervous system that make your heart race and your blood pressure go up.
Cold flashes are also called chills, because they're often accompanied by goosebumps and shivering. They can happen at any time of day or night, but they tend to occur more frequently at either end of the day—that is, when you first wake up or before bedtime.
The good news is that cold flashes are not dangerous; they're just unpleasant and uncomfortable.
But if you find yourself having chronic cold flashes—that is, if they last for more than a few minutes at a time—you should talk to your doctor about what might be causing them.
There are treatments available for people who experience frequent cold flashes due to menopause or other factors. Here are some ways you can help get rid of cold flashes.
Natural ways to get rid of cold flashes
The good news? Cold flashes are often treatable! And many of the treatment options are all natural.
Here are some tips for managing cold flashes:
Eat healthy foods low in sodium and fat
Inflammation of the body contributes to both cold flashes and hot flashes. Try eating foods that help reduce inflammation in the body. It’s also important to eat foods that promote thermogenesis of the body. Thermogenesis occurs when you eat foods that take longer to digest, that help raise your body temperature and help you feel warmer.
Some foods that are great options to add to your diet include:
Leafy greens
Berries
Whole grains
Citrus fruits
Beans
Heat therapy
If simple measures like drinking more water or wearing layers aren't effective at getting rid of cold flashes, consider using a heating pad on the area where you experience them most often (usually the chest).
Heat therapy is a great way to treat cold flashes because it increases blood flow—which means more oxygen gets delivered throughout your body—and also helps relax muscles that may be tense due to stress or anxiety.
Products like Brilliantly Warm are specifically designed for women who feel cold. Designed to warm you where it matters most—your core—Brilliantly Warm is a great way to help treat cold flashes on the go. Wearable heaters are a great way to stay warm, while being able to ditch all the bulky layers.
Get more sleep
Don't underestimate the power of getting rest. Getting more sleep is critical to staying warm!
Getting enough rest will help your body recover from any physical or emotional stressors you may have experienced the day before. Anxiety often causes cold flashes. Making sure you're well rested can help manage anxiety, and keep you warm.
Exercise regularly
Exercising regularly presents many benefits. One in particular is helping you control cold and hot flashes. Exercise helps lower blood pressure and increase blood flow to your extremities (i.e., hands and feet), which helps regulate temperature in those areas. Exercise helps by warming up extremities when they're cold and cooling them down when they're warm.
Drink warm beverages
It may sound simple, but consuming beverages focused on heating you from the inside is a great way to keep you warm from the inside out. Try drinking warm beverages such as tea, that focus on keeping your internal body temperature warm.
Manage stress
Mood is a huge contributor to cold flashes. Experiencing sudden anxiety, a panic attack, or even a depressive episode can trigger your body to go through a cold flash.
Learning ways to manage your stress can help keep your cold flashes at bay. Checkout these different natural ways to help calm anxiety, to see what you can do to help stay warm.
These are some natural ways you can use, to help manage your cold flashes.
Do you have any other tips and tricks you use for cold flashes that you would like to share with the Brilliantly Community?
Be sure to drop them in the comments below!
As always, stay warm. Stay bold. Stay brilliant.
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