Hot flashes involve sudden, unexpected waves of heat that can range from very mild to so hot the patient is drenched in sweat and needs to change his/her clothes. While hot flashes are predominantly considered a disorder suffered by women, men also can have them. They always have an originating point from where they spread outward. Identifying this originating location is extremely helpful in diagnosing the underlying mechanism behind them. Many people consider hot flashes a necessary part of menopause and/or peri-menopause but this is not true. They are not a necessary element of aging.
Hot flashes are almost always caused by imbalances of Yin and Yang somewhere in the body. Glands are common originating points of hot flashes as they are constructed with chambers that tend to alternate Yin and Yang as to the hormones they produce. This Yin/Yang construction creates a dynamic balance. If, however, an imbalance develops in these chambers where the Yin becomes deficient, the Yang will suddenly release heat in the form of a hot flash. Applying the EM Balance Yin and Yang to the Gland Array or to the specific originating gland can be extremely helpful in reducing and even stopping hot flashes.
Sometimes hot flashes are caused by fissures developing in areas that are so sensitive in the body that the hot flash is a warning sign of an infiltration of one variety or another. Again, looking for fissures in glands of the Gland Array can be extremely helpful as glands can be infected just like any other tissue with organisms that produce hydrochloric acid histio. Look specifically for Streptococcus in the Gland Array. Use the EM Fissures Treatment to close any fissures and the EM Wounds Treatment to heal any damage to the tissue other than fissures. See the chapter on Fissures for more considerations.
Oftentimes, hot flashes follow circadian cycles. If a hot flash always strikes at a certain time of day look for “EM Yin Yang Imbalance Arrays” in tissues “where the energy is active” at a short range of time around when the hot flashes strike. For instance, if hot flashes always strike from 1-2am and at 11am, you might say: “Please show me all EM Yin Yang Imbalance Arrays in the tissues where the energy is active from midnight until 3 am and from 10am to 12pm in me, thank you.” Treat any locations that light up with the EM Balance Yin and Yang Treatment.
Other points of perspective on this issue:
A patient’s diet may play a role in hot flashes. Chocolate, cinnamon, and coffee are bitter and hot in Chinese medicine. Excessive consumption of these warm, bitter foods increases Fire Qi in the body, which is Yang. This can worsen hot flashes and should be avoided if possible. Black and green teas are bitter and cool which slows down the movement of energy and can be balancing. Mung beans are considered very Yin and are often recommended for increasing Yin in the body.
Excessive exposure to Fire Qi in the form of sun exposure and tanning beds is also counterproductive when it comes to hot flashes. Many Western medications are Fire Qi in nature and may contribute to hot flashes.