Ever since the onset of menopause five years ago, Tracy Onassis Hayes, 51, has had too many “unbearable” days.
As someone with anemia, Hayes often felt cold. But “All of a sudden,” she says, “I was hot, sweaty, and having anxiety. The hot flashes always came at the wrong time, during meetings and presentations.”
After two years of having her life disrupted by menopause, Hayes finally saw a doctor, who recommended hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Although HRT helped a little, she was still experiencing symptoms, so she also overhauled her diet, cutting back on caffeine and sugar, and started taking supplements like ashwagandha and sea moss.
Despite all this, her symptoms have persisted. Now, she’s simply waiting — “managing and praying I am close to the end.”
Stories like Hayes’ are all too common, especially for Black women. According to a study published in February 2022, which examined Black and white women who participated in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), Black women have more severe and more frequent “vasomotor symptoms,” which include hot flashes and night sweats, compared with white women.
Specifically, the study found that Black women:
- Were 50 percent more likely than white women to have symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.
- Were more likely to have frequent and bothersome hot flashes than white women.
- Experienced hot flashes and night sweats for an average of 10 years. (White women experienced them for an average of 6.5 years.)
“The widespread and pervasive differences in the experience of menopause and midlife aging of Black women compared to white women was striking,” says Siobán D. Harlow, PhD, a co-author of the study and the director of the Center for Midlife Science in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The findings are significant because vasomotor symptoms aren’t merely annoying. Night sweats can disrupt a person’s sleep — and indeed, in the study, Black women documented poorer sleep quality than white women — and research shows that frequent hot flashes are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Why Are Menopause Symptoms So Severe for Black Women?
That’s the big question. “Part of the answer lies in the differential life contexts of Black and white women,” says Dr. Harlow. It’s “not just the higher probability of social disadvantage, but also differences in the experiences of cumulative stress, midlife loss, and chronic discrimination.”
“Black women have an accumulation of chronic stress from living in a race conscious society,” says Kecia Gaither, MD, director of perinatal services and maternal fetal medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals, Lincoln in the Bronx, New York. “The impact of systemic racism [and] bias have had — and continue to have — an adverse impact on the health of Black women.” Other contributing factors include obesity, lower estrogen levels, tobacco abuse, and genetics, she adds.
Even so, "more research needs to be done to get the full picture of the risks for Black women and how they experience menopause," Harlow adds.
Where Can Women Turn for Relief?
For Lorrie King, 56, of New York City, mealtimes with friends often revolved around how to ease the symptoms of hot flashes. Throughout the years, she noticed her friends dripping beads of sweat onto their faces or sweating through their clothing.
“They all said that their mothers and aunts never spoke about this with them,” says King, “and now they were stunned to be in this unexpected situation, suffering miserably.” Her heat levels also rose, but not to the degree of her friends’.
To prevent hot flashes — or at least, ease their severity — try to avoid some of the more common triggers, such as spicy foods and hot beverages.
Sandy Dorcelus, DO, an ob-gyn at NYU Langone Hospital Long Island, says that some of her patients have seen an improvement with hot flashes when taking SSRIs, which are a type of anti-depressant. (Most SSRIs are used off-label, but one, paroxetine, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of hot flashes.) Dr. Dorcelus says some experts believe that hypnosis can help. Hormone therapy can also ease menopause symptoms, according to the North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
Exercise, including holistic alternatives like yoga, might also lessen your symptoms, says Jessica Shepherd, MD, an ob-gyn and founder of Her Viewpoint, an online women’s health forum.
To ease night sweats, try sleeping on a cooling pad or on breathable cotton bed sheets; you can also keep a glass of cold water by your bed, so you can reach it easily in the middle of the night when you need to cool off.
“I wake up every few minutes [from night sweats] and take off everything,” says Franki ButlerKidd, 53. “A few minutes later, I put everything back on. This goes on throughout the night. I am miserable.” Her go-to device for relief? A small handheld fan. “If I forget to charge the fan, it’s going to be a miserable night,” she says.
Lastly, don’t underestimate the help of a good doctor. Seek information from organizations focused on menopause like the NAMS. The National Medical Association also has a list of Black health care providers who provide care for menopausal women.
