ABSTRACT
Because one of the first signs for many women that menopause is approaching is the hot flash, understanding your own hot flash experience is of great importance. In the beginning the hot flash may be merely a feeling of warmth, or it may be a one-time episode. Usually, the closer a woman gets to her last menstrual bleed, the more intense and frequent hot flashes become. Because certain foods, the time of day, and specific events can trigger a hot flash, keeping a record of your hot flashes may possibly help you alleviate or lessen them without the use of drugs. The record will provide you with a systematic examination of when, how frequently, and under what circumstances your hot flashes occur. It is possible, then, that avoiding what triggers your hot flash will help you to avoid the flashes themselves. See Figure 22.1 for an example of the hot flash record card. Keep the record for two consecutive weeks at least once a year. Any less time will not assure you of an accurate hot flash pattern. Follow these steps to use the hot flash record card:
Make several extra photocopies of the card before you make any entries.
Fill in the day and date on the left-hand side. When you have a hot flash, make a mark on the card that corresponds to the appropriate hour you had the flash. Look at the sample hot flash card (Figure 22.2). As an example, if a hot flash occurred at 6:20 a.m., put a mark in the space under the 6–7 a.m. section. In order to note the intensity (mild, moderate, severe) of the hot flash, we suggest you use three colored pens for marking the flashes, such as green, blue, and red. Remember, your hot flash experience is unique to you.
In the box below the hot flash marks, record the event that preceded the hot flash. For example, if the hot flash is related to drinking hot coffee, record coffee. In order to have enough room on the record card, it will be necessary for you to develop a simple coding system that is workable for you. In the sample card, the following code is used:
C = coffee
A = activity (letting out the dogs, making coffee, etc.)
E = eating
W = working
S = sleeping
H = heat (from heat vent)
R = stress
T = television
B = alcoholic beverages
D = diary
The D code indicates that you have made a diary entry, explaining in more detail the circumstances of a particular hot flash. For example, it is important to indicate the subject matter on television that may have been the specific trigger, or it may simply have been the time of day that is the trigger, or the temperature of the room.
In the F column on the right-hand side of the card, keep a daily count of your hot flash frequency. Count the number of hot flashes for the day and enter the number in the appropriate box under F. At the end of two weeks, you will know your hot flash frequency per day and the total number you had over a two-week period. Our research indicates that most women have their highest frequency from 6 to 8 a.m. This does not mean that something is wrong with you if you have a different experience.
Note from your diary the events that seem to precede hot flashes, and develop ways of coping that may be different for you than those outlined earlier.
Keep the hot flash record once a year for as long as you experience the flashes. Do your record keeping at as close to the same time of year as possible. If you started recording January 21, 1983, do your next record in January for two weeks. Over the years, after menopause, you should note a decrease in both frequency and intensity.
Hot Flash Record Card https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781315801575/a720ee65-0339-4e88-8321-1dc233b3069b/content/fig22_1_B.tif" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> Sample Hot Flash Record Card https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781315801575/a720ee65-0339-4e88-8321-1dc233b3069b/content/fig22_2_B.tif" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/>