Hot and Bothered: What No One Tells You About Menopause and How to Feel Like Yourself Again

This astute guide by essayist Dunn (How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids) digs into what to expect from menopause. “How is it that I never had a single conversation about a life transition that lasts for years?” Dunn asks, laying out the scientific background she wished she had known when she transitioned into menopause. She recounts scrambling to set up fans to disguise her profuse sweating from a hot flash during a Zoom interview and explains that hot flashes are likely caused by sharp drops in estrogen levels that make the brain sensitive to temperature changes and induce sweating to cool the body down. The brain, she writes, is “impacted by menopause as much as your ovaries are”; for instance, menopausal memory lapses and mood swings are caused by waning estrogen levels in the brain. Dunn explores remedies for symptoms and recommends that readers try CBD for insomnia and take a probiotic with lactobacillus to alleviate vaginal dryness. The lighthearted tone keeps things upbeat (“I’m the melting face emoji come to life,” she writes of a hot flash), and the suggestions are practical and sensible. Premenopausal and perimenopausal women will appreciate this witty and informative resource. (May)