As a female functional medicine physician, I'm intimately familiar with the ebbs and flows of menopause. One of the most common and often distressing symptoms of this transition are hot flashes and night sweats. These are sudden feelings of intense heat that can sweep through your body, often accompanied by sweating, a racing heartbeat, and flushing. They occur due to the body’s response to the decreased levels of estrogen, which disrupts your body's internal thermostat, causing these unpredictable heat surges.

Understanding the triggers of hot flashes and night sweats is key to managing them. Common culprits include spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, tight clothing, stress, and a warm environment. Paying attention to your lifestyle and diet can offer clues to what might be triggering your symptoms. Each woman's triggers can be unique, so it's a process of learning and adapting. Keeping a symptom diary can be a helpful tool in identifying your personal triggers and...