Nishmat's Women’s Health and HalachaIn memory of Chaya Mirel bat R' Avraham

  • Hebrew
  • English
  • Espnaol
  • Francais
  • donate
Menu

Hot flashes and Yom Kippur

19 September, 2014
Question:

I’m going through the menopause and have a lot of hot flashes when I sweat really loads. (No one warned me it would be this bad). What’s the deal on drinking on Yom Kippur in this situation?


Answer:

Hot flashes, and their attendant discomfort, are a common symptom of menopause.

Even with all the additional perspiration, you should still fast on Yom Kippur. Your best bet is to focus on hydration prior to the fast, drinking lots of water in the days preceding it. Taking extra time to rest in an air-conditioned room on the fast day, even at the expense of attending synagogue, is preferable to breaking the fast. Dressing in layers to provide you with flexibility may also prove helpful.

If you continue to experience significant discomfort from hot flashes, you may wish to consult with your physician about various treatment options.

Please write back with any further questions.

Ketivah vahatimah tovah!

This internet service does not preclude, override or replace the psak of any rabbinical authority. It is the responsibility of the questioner to inform us of any previous consultation or ruling. As even slight variation in circumstances may have Halachic consequences, views expressed concerning one case may not be applied to other, seemingly similar cases. All health and health-related information contained within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is intended to be general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for consulting with your health care professional. The advice is intended to offer a basis for individuals to discuss their medical condition with their health care provider but not individual advice. Although every effort is made to ensure that the material within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is accurate and timely, it is provided for the convenience of the Web site user but should not be considered official. Advice for actual medical practice should be obtained from a licensed health care professional. For further questions or comments:  The Nishmat Women's Health and Halacha Site is a public service of Nishmat, The Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women. This project and others like it are made possible by contributions from people like you. If you have benefited from the service, and wish to enable us to help others, click here to donate.
Users of Internet filtering services: This site discusses sensitive subjects that some services filter without visual indication. A page that appears 100% complete might actually be missing critical Jewish-law or medical information. To ensure that you view the pages accurately, ask the filtering service to whitelist all pages under yoatzot.org.

Accessibility Toolbar